Musgrave Awards Ceremony Put Off Until May 2017
Published:Friday | October 21, 2016 | 12:00 AMShereita Grizzle
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) has announced that there will be no Musgrave Medal Awards ceremony this year. The new date for the ceremony is May 2017. In an interview with The Gleaner, Jossette Ricketts-Blake, public relations officer at the IOJ, said the decision to hold off on the ceremony coincides with the month of celebrations to observe the institute's founding.
The awards were also pushed back as part of a partnership with the Ministry of Culture, for the celebrations marking the country's 55th year of Independence.
"We decided on May next year, because that's the time we will celebrate the founding of the institution," she said. "May was also a good time to host the event as it will be a part of the 55th Independence celebrations."
She went on to say that the change in date was a one off decision as the awards will return to its original timeline, come 2018. Ricketts-Blake also revealed that only the date for the awards has been pushed back, as the selection process remains the same.
Nominee selection
"As far as selecting the nominees are concerned, everything is going ahead as planned. We have already shortlisted persons for the awards and they have been made aware."
Although no details were given as to the persons who have been selected, evaluation of a potential Musgrave awardee is dependent on how his/her life's work has impacted the quality of life in Jamaica, further contributing to its natural development. Evaluation is also dependent on how his/her life's work has inspired others to achieve excellence.
Last year's awardees included Jazz singer Myrna Hague and renowned musicians/producers, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.
The Musgrave awards recognise those who have excelled in the fields of literature, science and art and are named in honour of Sir Anthony Musgrave, governor of Jamaica (1877-1883) and founder of the Institute of Jamaica. The medals were designed by notable British sculptor Alfred Toft, and were first given in 1897 as prizes to persons who displayed outstanding merit in art and crafts competitions hosted by the institute.