TAKEAWAYS
- Allan Toniks says UPRS royalties are based on an artist’s performance in 2025 only, not their full career or old hits.
- He used the ongoing debate over Weasel’s reported Shs285k payout versus Grace Nakimera’s Shs1m to explain how the system works.
- Despite his explanation, many artists still say UPRS has not been transparent enough about how the money was calculated.
Singer Allan Toniks has weighed in on the growing debate surrounding royalty payouts from the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS), offering his own explanation for why some artists received far less than others.
Speaking during an appearance on NBS After 5, Toniks addressed the controversy that erupted after several musicians publicly expressed frustration over the money they received from UPRS. The debate intensified after comparisons emerged between the payout given to singer Weasel and that of veteran artiste Grace Nakimera.
Toniks said many artists are misunderstanding what the UPRS payment represents.
According to him, the money recently paid out was specifically for performance and usage registered in 2025, not a reward for an artist’s entire career, catalogue or historical popularity.
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He explained that the system only looks at one question: how an artist performed within that particular year.
“If in 2025 another artist performs better than me commercially, earns more airplay or gets more usage, they can receive more money than me, even if I had bigger songs years ago,” Toniks said in essence during the discussion.
His comments come amid public outrage after it emerged that Weasel reportedly received Shs285,000 while some other artsist received even more or less regardless of their catalogs.. Toniks argued that such differences should not automatically be viewed as unfair without first understanding the period under review and the criteria used.
Still, the issue of transparency remains unresolved.
Several musicians have maintained that UPRS has not adequately explained how the figures were arrived at. Weasel has since taken a stronger stance, even writing to the society to end any working relationship with it.
