This year, there will be two different awards ceremonies to celebrate reggae in Jamaica. One is the government’s Gold Awards, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of reggae. The other is the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association’s (JaRIA) annual honor awards celebrating people who have contributed to the development of local music industry. The Gold Awards will be held at the end of February, and the JaRIA Awards will be held on March 5, 2019. The Jamaica Observer reports.

Despite government’s announcement of the Gold Awards to celebrate the 50th anniversary of reggae music, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) will go ahead with its annual honour awards ceremony. This has been confirmed by JaRIA chairman Michael “Ibo” Cooper, who noted that both events will be part of celebrations for Reggae Month which is observed during February.

“The Golden Awards being organised by the Entertainment and Culture Ministry will not be an annual event, but rather specially being staged for Reggae’s 50th. This will be held on the last Wednesday in February. Our event, the JaRIA Honour Awards which recognises those who have contributed to the growth and development of the local music industry, will also be held. However, it will be held at the Little Theatre; a little outside Reggae Month on March 5. The reason for this is that all the venues in Kingston are booked and we could only fit in on this day. So both awards will take place this year,” Cooper told the Jamaica Observer.

He said the categories for this year’s JaRIA awards have been decided and everything is in motion for the ceremony, which usually closes the organisation’s Reggae Month celebrations.

[Photo above: Ibo Cooper.]

For full article, see http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/jaria-awards-on-march-5_155838?profile=1606