» DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVER AWARD

Charles Koranteng is the founder of the Africa Gospel Music & Media Awards (AGMMA), an annual event that celebrates gospel music and artists of Africa and the diaspora and runs 1615 Media, a Christian Media, events, artiste brand management/ consultancy company.
He was born in Accra, Ghana, and left for the UK to pursue further studies after his A'level, as was the dream of many of his contemporaries. He was an ordinary Presbyterian Church goer, and this is attested by the fact that he had all of his secondary education in a Presbyterian Boy's secondary school as was the wish of his parents. His secondary education underlined his faith unknowingly.
His faith blossomed when a friend at college invited him to a Pentecostal church in London. This was a whole revelation and exposed him to a different way of worship and the vibrancy of the music that accompanied the worship. His walk with the Lord developed, and he eventually joined the worship team initially because of his love for music. But as his faith developed, he saw it as his service to the Lord. He remained in the team and was the worship leader in his church for over a decade
His foray into broadcasting started when he used to accompany his pastor to read scriptures on his radio show. The CEO of Voice of Africa Radio then offered him the opportunity to develop a concept for his show, which he produced and presented for many years.
When this opportunity was presented to him, he proposed to promote African Gospel music because of his realisation that Gospel musicians and their work were marginalized in mainstream media and therefore strived in his endeavours to ensure prominence for artistes and their work as a Radio Show host who promotes the work of established and up-and-coming gospel musicians and produces content for radio and TV.
He has a syndicated African Gospel Music Show on various radio networks, including Urban Gospel Network Radio, PrayzIn Radio, and G-Tracks Radio, and is the host of Habari Africa on Premier Gospel Radio, the UK's biggest gospel station. He has produced and presented shows on Voice of Africa Radio and ABN radio in the past.
Charles is also a member of the board of advisers of WOAMM (Women of African Origin in Music a support system for women of African origin in music Ministry) an organisation that serves as a ministry. He also served on the board for the Gospel Music Industry Alliance, UK (GMIAUK) for several years. He was recently awarded the 2023 John Paculabo Award for Music Industry Development in the UK at the 'A step Forward Awards', which was held at the Fairfields Hall in Croydon.
He has been involved in and consulted in organising numerous gospel events in the UK and abroad a passion of his, which allows him a means to engage with the church community and promote talent outside his life as senior lecturer at a London University. He is married with 2 daughters who are also worship leaders.
Uncle Charles as he is fondly called is deeply connected with numerous artists based in the UK and across the world. He can easily be credited with bringing African artists to greater prominence long before Afrobeat became the global force it is today.
The UK Christian and Gospel community and African Gospel have increased dominance now, thanks to his visionary work.