Jermaine Edwards top nominee for Sterling Gospel Music Awards

Along with an official endorsement by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Sterling Gospel Music Awards has seen a significant increase in the number of individual votes in the People’s Choice categories, conducted during the February 3-22 window.

There are 18 categories, with Jermaine Edwards being the top nominee with six nods – Album of the Year, Collab of the Year, Local Hit of the Year, Local Hit Producer of the Year, Video of the Year, as well as Male Artiste of the Year. And for him, “it is a nice feeling to be appreciated and acknowledged”.

“Everybody in the categories did well for 2019, so anybody can end up winning. I am very happy to even be nominated,” Edwards told The Gleaner.

Kevin Downswell, DJ Nicholas and Jabez join Edwards as nominees in the Male Artiste of the Year category. Edwards’ album, I Will Follow, has been nominated alongside Jabez’s Amazing Praise, Chozenn’s Culture Invasion, and Rhoda Isabella’s Kingdom Rhode.

For Female Artiste of the Year, Rhonda Isabella, Judith Gayle, Chevelle Franklyn and Carlene Davis will do battle.

New category, the Online Radio Programme of the Year, was added in recognition of the pivotal role they played in advancing gospel music.

The announcements for the fourth staging of the Sterling Gospel Music Awards were revealed at a classy media launch held at the one-year-old R Hotel, located on Renfrew Road, New Kingston, on Thursday.

Emcee Brian Cuff set the tone for the pleasing launch with rhythmically poetic opening remarks. And Marq Johnson’s uptempo appetiser performance of Imago Dei was ideal. The remarks by various stakeholders were clinically brief.

Basilla Barnaby-Cuff, the founder and director of the Sterling Gospel Music Awards, said the word ‘sterling’ means excellent. In expressing gratitude to the ministry for their endorsement, she added that it was a “humbling feeling to be recognised at the national level”. She also highlighted the growth made since the first staging.

Sponsor, Basil Barnaby of Devmassive, said like his company, the Sterling Gospel Music Awards is big on development. Alexander Pike, general manager of R Hotel, said they were pleased to be aligned with the event, and observed that, as his hotel is changing Kingston’s landscape, Sterling is doing the same with gospel music.

Andrei Roper, brand manager, KFC, was pleased that for the second year they will be sponsoring the Legend Awards.

Opportunity to elevate

“Last year, they gave us the opportunity to elevate our sponsorship further by presenting the Legend Awards, and we thought it was a great opportunity. This year, we decided to come back on board again,” he shared with The Gleaner.

The red-carpet affair will be held March 14, at the Courtleigh Auditorium, under the theme ‘African Pride’. With emcee Ian Ellis and performances from Edwards, Downswell and Prodigal Son, there is promise of a wonderful evening.

“This year we will be awarding long-standing background vocalists in the segment called the BVs in Action. Background vocalists right across the industry will be showcased,” Barnaby-Cuff explained. Nine long-standing BVs who have served the industry for as long as 30 years will be receiving awards.