By Balford Henry—
GARNETT Reid, executive director of the Caribbean Development for the Arts, Sports and Culture Foundation, says its annual Caribbean Hall of Fame Awards for Excellence will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, on November 25.
The event, now in its 13th staging, lauds Caribbean artists, sports people and artists who have excelled in their respective areas.
“We are seeking nominations in the fields of music, sports, theatre and the arts, and we want to encourage people from other Caricom (Caribbean Community) countries, including St Lucia, Barbados and the Bahamas, to send us their nominations,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Reid said all Caricom countries can send nominations, and that the foundation is already negotiating with some regional governments, through their high commissions, to boost regional interest in the event.
“This is the only event which honors Caricom people, and we are a non-profit organisation and we want to increase the ability of people from the region to reach the highest point possible in whatever area of the arts and sports they are involved in,” said Reid.“We want to encourage the Caribbean people to step up to the plate: be discovered, be trained, excel and be acknowledged by your peers for your success,” the continued.
He noted that past honorees have included sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce; cricketer Chris Gayle; actress Audrey Reid; entertainers Lady Saw, Beenie Man and John Holt. The latter was posthumously honored in 2014.
Reid said since the first awards ceremony in 1989, the event “has been geared towards strengthening and preserving Jamaica’s and the rest of the Caribbean’s cultural heritage”.
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