DJ Slim Explains Why Ghanaian Music Misses the Grammys

Ghanaian DJ and music producer DJ Slim has explained why Ghanaian artistes have not yet made a major impact on international award platforms like the Grammys.

In an interview on 3Music on November 10, 2025, he highlighted challenges in the country’s creative industry, pointing to recurring patterns and limited investment compared to neighboring nations.

“There’s a saying that only an insane person keeps doing the same thing and expects a different result. We keep repeating the same patterns, yet we expect something new to emerge, it doesn’t make sense,” DJ Slim said.

He noted that although there has been increased support from international brands and record labels in recent years, the level of funding for Ghana’s music ecosystem remains insufficient. “What I feel is happening in the creative industry is that, recently, we’ve seen increased support, external eyes, international brands, and big record labels coming in to assist.

However, the level of funding or money being injected into the system still doesn’t match what neighboring countries are doing or how successful they’ve been in promoting their music industries,” he explained.

On the subject of the Grammy Awards, DJ Slim observed that the awards were created for the US market, which naturally limits the visibility of Ghanaian artistes.

He compared the situation to how American artistes cannot win the Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA), highlighting that recognition depends on the market and ecosystem.

“The Grammy conversation needs context. Although the Grammys are huge, the brand and reach primarily serve the U.S. market. Our system isn’t fully plugged into the US market, and our artistes and their sound aren’t visible there. This doesn’t mean our artistes lack talent,” he said.