• KiDi has revealed that an industry figure once told him his style of music was not suited to winning the TGMA Artiste of the Year award.

• He said the comments were painful but motivated him to work harder, making his eventual Artiste of the Year victory particularly meaningful.

• KiDi admitted he was so overwhelmed when his name was announced that he “blanked out” and cannot remember what he said during his acceptance speech.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, the singer explained that he continues to look forward to the annual awards ceremony because it brings together some of the country’s biggest musical talents and provides a platform to celebrate Ghanaian music.

For KiDi, the TGMAs are about more than trophies. He said he enjoys the performances, fashion, entertainment and unpredictability that come with the event each year.

He said;

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KiDi said his eventual victory in the Artiste of the Year category brought back memories of an early-career conversation with an unnamed industry figure who had questioned whether his musical style was suited to winning the top award.

According to the musician, the individual believed another artiste produced the kind of music typically associated with the prestigious category.

He recalled being told;

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Although the comments were painful at the time, KiDi said he eventually moved beyond the doubts and allowed his work to speak for itself.

He explained that those words came back to him while he sat at the awards ceremony, realising that he had a genuine chance of taking home the night’s biggest prize.

He said;

The singer admitted that the emotion of finally being recognised overwhelmed him when his name was announced as the winner.

So intense was the moment that KiDi said he has little recollection of what he said during his acceptance speech.

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He revealed;

Reflecting on the significance of the achievement, KiDi described the recognition as an extraordinary feeling after years of creating music and building his career.

He added;

His recollection highlights the journey from being told that his music did not fit the mould of an Artiste of the Year to eventually claiming one of the most prestigious honours in Ghanaian music.