Jody-Anne Lawrence, Gleaner Writer

Men came out in their black neck-ties and best suits and the ladies in their stylish cocktail dresses for the ULTRA Black Tie Awards.

The ULTRA Black Tie Awards dinner that recognised people and organisations' contribution to the entertainment sector also launched its ULTRA Internship Programme at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Friday, the inaugural event. The internship programme is in collaboration with YUTE (Youth Upliftment Through Employment). Both organisations have come together to provide jobs in the entertainment sector. Director of ULTRA Entertainment, Deane Shepherd, gave an introduction to the programme and introduced Executive Director of YUTE, Alicia Glasgow, who gave a short speech on the expectations of the initiative. The venture was also supported by Sagicor Investments, which made a donation of $100,000.

The awards recognised event planners and caterers for their contribution to the entertainment industry. Some winners were Digicel, for Sponsor of the Year; Main Event took Execution Agency of the Year; while Don Creary received Party Animal of the Year.

live entertainment

What would an entertainment dinner be without live entertainment? This need was filled by Konshens, who had several women screaming at their tables. He performed a few oldies and some of his hits, which included Realest Song and Weak.

A certificate of excellence was given to all participants for their contribution in their fields for public relations, decor, as well as to several other companies, including The Gleaner. Deane Shepherd brought the night to a close, thanking all the guests.

Even though the awards show had a few kinks that needed to be ironed out, the initiative was a welcome change as it highlighted the organisations and persons behind the scenes of some of these grand events that are staged nightly across the city. We anticipate even greater involvement next year.