For more than a decade, the Radio and Television Personality Awards, better known as the RTP Awards, has stood at the very heart of Ghana’s media conversation.

It has been more than an awards ceremony. It has been a mirror reflecting the power, influence, personalities and changing face of Ghanaian broadcasting. It has celebrated icons, elevated rising stars and, every year, triggered the kind of debates that only a good trophy can produce.

Because give Ghana a trophy, and suddenly everybody becomes a statistician, lawyer, auditor, election analyst and constitutional expert.
But that is precisely what makes the RTP Awards fascinating.
Since its first edition in 2011, RTP has grown into one of the most recognisable platforms for celebrating the people who dominate Ghana’s radio and television landscape. These are the voices that wake the nation up, keep commuters company, break the news, start conversations, shape opinions, entertain millions and, occasionally, cause enough trouble on air to keep social media busy for days.
And over the years, the RTP stage has become something of a Hall of Fame for Ghanaian broadcasting.

Names such as Kwami Sefa Kayi, Bola Ray, Nana Aba Anamoah, Abeiku Santana, Francis Abban, Andy Dosty, Kofi Adomah Nwanwani, Nathaniel Attoh, Bernard Avle and Atiewin Mbillah-Lawson, among many others, have featured prominently in its nominations and winner lists.
That is no small roll call.
These are personalities who have helped define eras, build audiences and turn radio and television into something far bigger than a box in the corner of the room or a voice coming through a car speaker.
RTP has told the story of Ghanaian broadcasting through the people who actually make the industry move.
But now, after more than a decade of trophies, red carpets, controversies, celebrations and unforgettable moments, the RTP Awards is preparing to turn the page.


A NEW CAPTAIN FOR THE SHIP
For more than a decade, Prince Markey has been the driving force behind the RTP Awards, providing the vision, leadership and determination that helped transform it into one of Ghana’s most recognised media and entertainment awards platforms. As he steps down as CEO of Big Events Ghana and from his leadership role with RTP, he leaves behind an important legacy. In Ghana’s fiercely competitive events industry, sustaining an awards brand for more than a decade is no small achievement. Under his stewardship, RTP developed a distinct identity, celebrated some of the country’s most influential media personalities and secured its place on the national entertainment calendar. His departure marks the close of an important era, but the institution and legacy he helped build will remain a defining part of the RTP story.
Now comes the interesting part.
The next chapter will be led by Patrice Amegashie, a familiar and respected name in Ghanaian broadcasting and media.
Amegashie is not exactly arriving from the moon. He has spent decades around broadcasting, television and media, including work as a presenter and media executive. He was listed among Ghana's leading journalists by Avance Media and has appeared prominently in Ghana's broadcast industry over the years.
His more recent appointment as Commercial Manager at GhanaWeb further underscores a career that sits at the intersection of media, business development, communications and commercial strategy.
That combination could prove important for RTP.
Because the future of awards is no longer simply about who gets a plaque and who gets to pose with it.
It is about credibility, data, audience participation, commercial value and experience.
And that is where the new team comes in.


THE TEAM AROUND THE NEW ERA
Amegashie will be ably flanked by Jon Germain, taking responsibility for Public and Media Relations.
Germain brings a long broadcasting pedigree, having been in radio for more than two decades and worked across radio and television in Ghana and internationally. His career has included Choice FM, Metro TV, Citi FM, XFM, Live FM and Starr FM, among others.
He understands presenters, understands media rooms and, importantly, understands what happens when an awards announcement lands in the newsroom at 10:03am and everybody suddenly has an opinion.
Then there is Richmond Adu-Poku, who will serve as Production Lead.
A long-standing media, entertainment and creative-industry professional, Adu-Poku brings experience spanning music, media, promotion, business development and industry development.
Together, the leadership structure brings three complementary strengths: media and commercial strategy, public and media relations, and production and creative execution.
And that is where the real change begins.


LESS VIBES, MORE DATA
The new RTP era is expected to place greater emphasis on data, clearly defined criteria and transparent processes.
That means categories should have definitions. Eligibility should be clear. Assessment should have a framework. Nomination should not feel like someone woke up on Tuesday morning and remembered a favourite presenter.
The proposed structure will introduce a stronger Board and Academy, bringing professional oversight and industry expertise into the awards process.
There will also be greater public participation in nominations, while live voting will give audiences a more direct role in the final outcome.
That could fundamentally change the relationship between the awards and the public.
Because audiences today are not passive.
They have smartphones, opinions, screenshots and absolutely no fear of expressing any of the three.
The challenge, therefore, will be to combine public participation with credible professional assessment. Popularity matters, but so does performance. Numbers matter, but so does impact. Visibility matters, but so does consistency.
The new RTP framework has an opportunity to bring those elements into the same room.


AND THEN THERE IS THE EVENT
The awards themselves are also being repositioned as an elite media and entertainment experience. That means the ambition goes beyond handing out trophies between musical performances.
The new RTP promises a more carefully produced event, stronger storytelling, sharper production values, greater media attention and an experience worthy of the personalities being celebrated.
After all, if Ghana's media industry has evolved, its biggest celebration should probably evolve with it.

The RTP Awards have already survived changing radio formats, the explosion of television, the rise of online media, social media disruption and the emergence of digital creators.

The next challenge is even bigger: remaining relevant in a media environment where the presenter is no longer only a voice behind a microphone, but also a brand, content creator, influencer, entrepreneur and digital publisher.

That makes the 16th RTP Awards particularly interesting.
A new leader. A new management structure. New definitions. Data. An Academy. Public nominations. Live voting. A bigger production ambition.

The trophy may still be gold. But the game is changing. And if the new RTP leadership delivers on its promise, Ghana's media industry may want to clear its calendar, charge its phones and pay a little closer attention.

The next RTP Awards may not simply be another awards night. It could be the beginning of a new way of measuring who really matters in Ghanaian media.