Bob Marley will be among three recipients for this year’s Diamond Jubilee award.
Following the launch of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association’s (JaRIA) 2022 Honour Awards last Sunday, February 27, it has been revealed that on the occasion of Jamaica’s 60th year of independence, three special Diamond Jubilee Awards will be presented. The launch was held at the Footprints Café on Belmont Road in Kingston.
All three awards will be given posthumously, and they will be conferred to some of Jamaica’s icons, including Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, and Louise ‘Miss Lou’ Bennett-Coverley. The launch was used to announce both the awardees and nominees for the upcoming JaRIA awards. The date of the awards has not been officially announced as yet.
In total, JaRIA will hand out 28 awards in 18 categories and will break with the tradition of handing out the awards during Reggae Month. The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Pama Records. The British record label was instrumental in the 1960s and 1970s and helped to increase the popularity of ska, soul, rocksteady, and reggae.
Winford Williams, well-known for his informative television show OnStage TV, as well as Nadine Blair of Love 101 FM, Riddim Magazine and jamaicans.com, will also be recognized for their contribution to the genre.
When it comes to Breakthrough Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year, the public will decide that one. The nominees for breakthrough artiste are, Moyann, Skillibeng, Diyani, Yaksta, Joby Jay, and Nation Boss. Interested voters can check out the JaRIA website to cast their vote.
“Go Down Deh” by Spice featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul, “Run Run” by Shenseea, “Ambition” by Yaksta, “West Indies” by Koffee, “Virgin” by Jahvinci, and “Dirt Bounce” by Laa Lee will all compete for Song of the Year.
Some of the reggae icons who have fallen within recent times will also be recognized for their contribution, including Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Hopeton Lewis is also on that posthumous list for his contribution to the music.
In the Male Icon category, two well-known reggae singers will be recognized. They are Barrington Levy and the late Jacob Miller. JC Lodge will receive the Female Icon award, while the Abyssinians will be honored with the Icon Award for duo or group.
Eighties band Ruff Cutt will be recognized for its exceptional contribution to the reggae industry. The group is based in the UK and was formed in 1980. Another musician, guitarist Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, is also being recognized for his extraordinary impact on the reggae industry in the field of mentorship.
Also in the lineup for awards are producers Tony Kelly and Neil ‘Mad Professor’ Fraser. They will be awarded for exceptional contribution to the reggae industry, while Rohan Dwyer and Paul Barclay are tapped for for awards for their contribution to the field of audio engineering.
Jamaican jack of all trades Mikie Bennett will be recognized for his contribution to the music as a songwriter, and promoter Linval Gibbons will receive an award for his annual stage show, Teen Splash.
Glacia Robinson and Jermaine Edwards have been named this year’s recipients for their contribution to the gospel genre. Other awardees include instrumentalists David Madden and Hux Brown, who will be recognized for their exceptional contribution to the industry and sound systems The Mighty Crown and Lloyd Matador.
The Gregory Isaacs Foundation award will go to Neville Garrick, renowned for his artistry, including some of the most iconic album covers for Bob Marley.
