Jamaica Gospel Star Competition premieres today

The top 10 finalists of this year’s Jamaica Gospel Star Competition will make their debut this evening during a live televised performance that will be aired on PBCJ Jamaica and on the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) YouTube channel. This year’s finalists were selected from a pool of 108 entries by an experienced and qualified panel of gospel music experts spanning artistes, musicians, producers and vocal coaches.

The Gospel Star Competition is a rebrand of the JCDC iconic Jamaica Gospel Song Competition, which has touched the lives of countless gospel singers and songwriters for over three decades. Unlike its predecessor, which focused on its finalists performing and building momentum for their original song, the Jamaica Gospel Star Competition will see contestants performing non-original/cover songs in a weekly televised performance and elimination show, showcasing reggae, dancehall gospel, traditional gospel, as well as their individual selections.

The two deciding factors for which a performer stays or goes each week will be the number of votes from the at-home audience — via call or text — and scores from judge.

The four-part TV series will culminate with the competition’s grand final on Saturday, July 30 at the National Arena in Kingston.

The finalists and parishes being represented are:

Amoya Thompson-Smith - Manchester

Sasha Gay Sutherland — St Catherine

Regina Campbell — Kingston and St Andrew

Chantal Smalling — Manchester

Danielle Mayne — Manchester

Michaela Jack — St Catherine

Johanna Morgan — St Catherine

Kimone Martin — Kingston and St Andrew

Daron Mitchell — Kingston and St Andrew

Chantal Simon — St Catherine

Erica Lumsden was selected as the first Jamaica Gospel Star in 2021. She has had a steady performance schedule since winning the competition and getting ready to release her single, He’ll Be There.