Reggae North Music Awards welcomed

TORONTO:

When the curtain closed on the inaugural Reggae North Music Awards (RNMA), many reggae artistes and lovers of the music left the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Ontario, thinking that they were a part of the beginning of something special.

Mark Bennett, who is the president of the awards, and also a reggae artiste who performs under the name “Tony Anthony”, said his team was incredibly proud and grateful for how everything came together on September 28.

“Sunday night was a celebration of the vibrant reggae and dancehall community in Canada, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement and love for the music. The performances were powerful, the audience was engaged, and the recognition of these talented artistes was truly special. It’s an honour to see how much people appreciate reggae and dancehall music and the hard work that went into making the event such a success,” he said.

Of the 180 submissions they received from across Canada, there were winners in 18 categories, as well as the Living Legend Award that was presented to veteran singer Jimmy Reid.

“We wanted to create a platform to honour and celebrate the incredible reggae and dancehall artistes who are contributing to the genre, especially those outside the traditional reggae strongholds. The Reggae North Music Awards aims to highlight the talent and cultural impact of reggae and dancehall in places where it may not always get mainstream recognition. It’s about giving artistes the spotlight they deserve,” said Bennett who is from St. Catherine.

He said they were punctual, and the show ended fifteen minutes before the scheduled closing time. Bennett is already in discussions with the management of the theatre about next year’s show.

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Steele who received the Reggae Song of the Year (Male) for “ You Know You Want to Be Loved”; Tonya P who copped the Songwriter of the Year, and Reggae Song the Year (Female) for “ Free”; and Jimmy Reid, 80, were among those honoured.

Reid moved from the community of Jackson in Sligoville, St Catherine, where he was born to live with his grandmother in Kingston and would audition for Arthur “Duke” Reid, a popular record producer, disc jockey and label owner.

He sang with various reggae musicians before doing his first single, “ The Time Will Tell,” and moved to Toronto in 1975.

The musician won awards at the Canadian Reggae Music Awards founded by artiste Winston Hewitt in 1984, and the Canadian Reggae Music Achievement Award established by radio personality Delroy “Speedy” Sterling years later. Both events are now defunct.

Tonya P says the Reggae North Music awards felt special coming from her community, especially when she considered that at Canada’s Juno Awards her peers were not usually around to witness the celebration.

“It really does bring a whole other dynamic to the awards, and also knowing that we were actually being judged and critiqued by our peers and other people in the music industry,” she says, noting that her first accolade was at the Canadian Reggae Music Awards in 2007.

Thinking then that the ceremony was top tier, she says Reggae North exceeded that and picked up from where Hewitt left, bringing it to 2024.

She released her first song in 2005 but before then she was known as a teenager singing dancehall.

Her father, Clive “Kubba” Pringle, was a well-known promoter in Jamaica and would organise the annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash in Negril. The Canada-born singer said that this was how she got started as she was around many great Jamaican artistes.

Steele, who is from Lucea, Hanover, and has been singing for more than 25 years, says winning the Reggae Song of the Year was very satisfying for him because it has been a while since he won an award. He said he was especially pleased with the reaction of the audience when his name was announced.

“It was very satisfying for me to know that people are really still in tune to what I’m doing all these years and still want to see good things happen for me.”

He says the Reggae North Music Awards has started on a solid foundation and he is hopeful that the momentum continues.

Among the recipients were Exco Levi, Entertainer of the Year, and Trap/Fusion Dancehall Song of the Year, Male, featuring Charly Black; Phenique, Female DJ of the Year, and Dancehall Song of the Year, Female; Ammoye, Female Vocalist of the Year; Kirk Diamond, Male Vocalist of the Year; and Eyesus, Male DJ of the Year.

Other winners were Spex Da Boss, Radio DJ of the Year; Jermaine Finn, Producer of the Year; Neto Youth and Daddy Mory, Video of the Year; Jahni Record, Top Album/EP of the Year; The Human Rights, Group of the Year; Chippy Don, Top Dancehall Selecta DJ of the Year; J. Stvrr, Dancehall Song of the Year, Male; and Indiyah-Rye, Trap/Fusion Dancehall Song of the Year, Female.