Tanya C. Ellis, Gleaner Writer 
Bob Marley 1979, Santa Barbara
February is Reggae Month, as proclaimed recently by Governor General Professor Kenneth Hall, so it may be appropriate that it is also the month that features a hefty littering of reggae music awards.
The surge in awards provides an incentive for local entertainers to step up their game and deliver the quality of music that is set as a recognisable standard by the award associations.
"I still maintain that this is a coincidence of isolated circumstances, but indeed a welcomed collaboration," says Ainsworth 'Big A' Higgins, a veteran disc jockey at IRIE FM, which will announce its award winners on February 29.
February grants the local entertainment fraternity the opportunity to reflect on Jamaica's musical legacy, as it is the month in which reggae legends Bob Marley and Dennis Brown were born. In addition, the Grammys, where the winner of the prized 'Best Reggae Album' category is announced, also takes place in February. "It therefore could not have happened at a better time," Big A said.
SHOWING APPRECIATION
Lloyd Stanbury, project coordinator of the Reggae Academy.
Big A told The Sunday Gleaner that he has toyed with the idea of the now two-year-old awards for the past 10 years, and sees it as a way of bringing Grammy-level music appreciation to the local entertainment calendar. He stressed that while the Grammys honoured reggae music it was only to a certain extent, since most of the artistes winning awards in that category were relatively unknown to the Jamaican public.
"It was, therefore, imperative that as a reggae station we create an award that would speak directly to the Jamaican public as well as show respect to reggae icons," he said.
Karen Clarke, CEO of the newly founded Gleaner-sponsored Youth View Awards, shares the same views.
"The decision to produce another award show is in no way to capitalise on a buzz. Each award has to serve its own purpose and this one will give a voice to the youth," she told The Sunday Gleaner. She added that this was also to formulate a way to get the communities interested in the youths, through the voice of teenagers.
Clarke insists that with the lack of positive role models among local entertainers, it is vital to implement a concept that shows the significance of the celebrity's role in the society.
"It is only through the awards that we can show complete appreciation to our local artistes," she said. "This opportunity will also allow us to reflect on the standards set by our musical forefathers, and to do that we must have a ceremony that is representative of the quality of music that Jamaica is known to export.
"I am yet to see a local award show that is on par with the Grammys, and we do deserve to have that."
Big A agrees, saying "With the quality of the talent that we nurture here in Jamaica, it is only fitting that we create the kind of ceremony most appropriate to honour this franchise of Jamaican culture."
This, he says, is the main reason IRIE FM has decided to maintain its radio award concept. "We want to be certain that when we do go live it will be at the highest standard. Hopefully, within the next four years we will be able to put this to the test," he said.
"Awards must not be seen as a competition between each other. Instead, it should be viewed as the concept that will preserve the essence of our musical legacy. It should be used as reference for our success through documentation," he said.
Still there are others who would argue that they are the pacesetters for the current uptrend in reggae music awards. "My award is the godmother and godfather of all awards," said Andrew 'Nuffy' Nelson, founder of the nine-year-old Portmore Awards. "It is good to see that finally the Government is getting involved and giving respect to Jamaica's reggae legacy."
SPONSORSHIP
Dennis Brown, dubbed the Crown Prince of Reggae.
Nuffy expects that with this new-found national recognition, the ceremonies themselves will encourage corporate sponsorship to support what he calls "a national assembly of recognition".
"We can never have too many awards in celebration of the gift of reggae music. The more awards the better it is for the industry, as long as each justifies its relevance with great credibility, because in the end that is the only important factor for the development of the music," Big A said.
"I agree," says chairman of the Reggae Music Academy, Lloyd Stanbury.
"There is room for awards dealing with many different areas of reggae music. There is room for awards dealing with chart positions, street hype, youth preferences, love performances and stage shows. What is required is a clear statement by each award organiser as to the criteria involved, as well as the objective of the particular award project. This is the only way to ensure that these awards are presented with credibility."
Stanbury affirmed that the Reggae Music Award "is not about popularity, nor is it about chart positions or hype. It is a peer-judged project based on the participation by members of an academy, and is based on creative excellence within the fraternity. It is therefore strictly confined to the activities in the recording industry."
