I am super proud of my brother Joe Mettle. For the first time I decided to get some airtime and just vote for him. Yes I voted for him. I voted for him to win Gospel Artiste of the year several times (which I was 101% sure about) because I'd seen most of what he did in that year and unenthusiastically for Artiste of the year (because my reason was that I just couldn't trust the organizers of the VGMAs).

I personally believed that Joe deserved Gospel Artiste of the year because in 2016 he really worked hard. I was at his outdoor event at James Town Mantse Agboena park in December and it very just refreshing.

On artiste of the year, I think anyone who has followed me knows that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Joe fan. In fact I won't think twice when asked who my Artiste of the year is. That said, I am also not a keen follower of the secular music industry so to be truthful apart from household names like Shatta Wale, Stonebouy, EL, Kofi Kinaata and a few others I really do not know much of what happens in their circles. In fact even for the people I've mentioned, I think apart from Shatta Wale I may not be able to even mention a single title to any of their songs.

In fact it was only last week I asked a friend who was behind de song "Paa Kwesi ee ee Nana Yaw." For some reason I thought it was Agya Koo who sang it. I love good music and most especially very good, sound, lyrically educative music not the noisy songs like "po ny3 ny3" (who did that music?)

Back to Joe, I think Joe worked very hard in 2016. I personally do not measure people's outputs by the stages you stand on or the international travels one does, however I saw Joe as one hungry for God (well at least from where I sit). His song #Onwanwani just ministers to me and I personally love it. No doubt he's my Artiste of the year regardless of who awarded him.

Joe Mettle

Now to the VGMAs. Personally, I see the VGMAs as “a struggling for credibility Awards scheme” that needs to get its acts together. What I realized from this year’s awards was that I realized that at least they tried to get some of their awards right. At least awarding Fancy Gadem means they can get it right if they want to.

If u want to know who Fancy Gadem is at least travel up north. He's very large. My brother the late Kwabena Boadu (MayHGSRIP) drew my attention to him. I hear he filled the whole Tamale sports stadium several times. His biggest rival is Maccassio. You can check these two up on YouTube.

On Artiste of the year, I mean seeing my boy hold that award does it all for me and I'm proud of him. One person I would have loved to see in that category is Shatta Wale. If Shatta was in this category then possibly he would have won it or should have it. His song ‘Mahama paper’ is everywhere and that makes it the most popular song of the year. I mean apart from his crude approach to issues I think that guy is a talent that should be managed to market Ghana.

I'm reading reviews about the fact that Joe won the Artiste of the year as a means of compensating those of us in the Christian circles. I don’t think that is factually correct. Joe worked quite hard in the year under review. I think what accounted for this was a host of factors. In 2016 I don’t think the secular Artistes did much work as we are being made to believe. The same way some of them claim no knowledge of Joe is the same way we also do not know their people. For instance I got to hear of Medikal for the first time on Saturday during the awards.

In the year Lord Kenya won Artiste of the year his song “Me d)” was a household song and he as an Artiste was all over the place. In the year Stonebouy won Artiste of the year, his song “them dey susupon me” was quite common and his presence was quite loud. Same can be said of R2Bees, Kontihene, VIP etc. However we did not see this level of appeal among these secular guys. Someone should tell me how EL or MsVee or Stonebouy or Medikal was better than Joe Mettle? And this one of the things I don’t want to do; comparing a Christian Artiste to secular Artistes as if to say they do the same things. This is really hard for me but we have brought this on to ourselves.

Personally I think Joe Mettle is a true reflection of the scripture that says “all things work together for them who love the Lord” and I will explain. In the year Joe got nominated, a certain George Quaye decided to go lose by accusing Gospel Artistes of paying bribes to win awards. George Quaye happened to be the spokesperson of Charterhouse, organisers of the Ghana Music Awards.

Many gospel artistes got very offended, with Gospel icons Oware Junior and Selina Boateng boycotting the Awards. In fact the song of the year if OJ had been part of this year’s Awards in my estimation would have just been OJ’s “Nipa hia mmoa” and he would have been song writer of the year.

Looking at these factors, coupled with the fact that Charterhouse as a business minded organization knew that losing the Gospel Artistes and their followers would mean them losing a certain base of the market. They had to be smart and act immediately. Fortunately for them (Charterhouse), a certain young man in the Gospel Circles had worked so hard it would be so good to Award his hard work in a year the secular guys did not do much in 2016. By doing so, this will mean winning a certain base that felt they had been neglected over the past 17 years.

By doing so they would have erased the “erroneous” perception that had been published by their spokesperson. So eventually a certain Joe Mettle who had strategically positioned himself at the right time and worked so hard got awarded as the Overall Artiste of the year 2017. By this singular act, Charterhouse, then manages to gain some credibility from the large Christian followers. Smart move right? Yes! Bingo for Charterhouse! That is it.

In fact as I have already said, if Shatta Wale had been nominated, this would have been a very difficult year for Charterhouse as giving the Award to anyone else would have been a major dent.

That said, Mr and Madam Gospel Musician, Awards won't take you to heaven. The state of your heart will. Joe has won an award so the doors are opened so you too you will be forcing yourself to win some by force. Masa ma wani nda h)! Not all that glitters is gold. Grace and favor may have found Joe; you too pray favor meets you elsewhere not necessarily to win Artiste of the year or some awards. I know how some people will be forcing themselves to write some feet-approved and not God-approved songs just to win some awards. Hey ma wani nda h)!

Joe you too 'ma wani nda h)!'  'E no be say you chop Artiste of the year so if we call you to church you will be quoting some huhudious rates we cannot afford. What you have in your hands is to glorify God first! And I don’t even mean your awards. I mean your gift. Don't forget that. The day you miss that you will go down! (I always talk to you in private but let me talk to you in public for once my brother).

And please marry. Marry oo marry! because the women de3 dey will give it to you even if you don't ask them for it. The fact that you are a Christian minstrel doesn't mean you can't fall. Senior bishops have fallen, Senior Minstrels have fallen and continue to fall so go and marry and enjoy the breast of your wife and drink from your own "one" cistern. A word to de wise...

Greater grace to all of us and congrats again my friend and brother and mentor (yes he’s my mentor) Joe Oscar Nii Mettle…