BY BRIAN BONITTO—
Associate Editor —
IRAWMA Award of Honour recipient John Swaby greets event conceptualiser Ephraim Martin.
BUJU Banton and Grammy winner Koffee lead this year’s International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) nominations with 11 and nine nods, respectively.
The announcement was made at the event’s media launch held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday evening. The awards ceremony is slated for the AC Hotel by Marriott on March 29.
“This year, you’re gonna see people who have made contribution to the industry but have been overlooked over the years…The Grammy may have one category but the Grammy’s is not the reggae awards. This is the Grammy for the music industry,” Ephraim Martin, IRAWMA conceptualiser, told the Jamaica Observer.
Busy Signal and Sean Paul have five nods each, while incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel has four.
Nominee for the Best Male Artiste are Buju Banton, Dexter Daps, Masicka, Popcaan, and Vybz Kartel. The female category has D’Angel, Shenseea, Spice, Tanya Stephen and Jada Kingdom.
A special, non-voting acknowledgement will be given to American singer/actor Harry Belafonte (Freedom Fighter Award), while Lifetime Achievement Awards will go to toaster Dennis Alcapone, Little Pub’s Keith Foote, Lorna Bennett, Johnny Osbourne and Sanchez.
A new category, Best Dancehall Stagecraft Entertainer, was added this year. Its nominees are Buju Banton, Elephant Man, Ravers Clavers, Spice, and Tommy Lee Sparta.
Martin said he was pleased with the support the 38-year-old event is receiving.
“It’s our second time in Kingston and the support seems to be very good. It could be further, but I’m pleased we’re keeping it going. We have over three-quarter million people participating… not even the Grammy can get that amount of people to vote. When people take time out, entertainers and others, to support it and be a part of it, it’s amazing.” he said. “Our objective is to have it televised in every country, where these countries would have the rights to televise. So were expecting it in the near future to have it in all the countries.”
The occasion also saw performances from Ashe, Papa Michigan, Bongo Herman, and Dennis Alcapone.
Established in 1982, IRAWMA acknowledges the accomplishments and contributions of reggae and world music artistes, songwriters, performers, and promoters. Voting is open to the public on the IRAWMA’s official website.
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