KINGSTON, Jamaica — A number of prominent Jamaicans will be recognized at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston today (Friday, December 5) during the inaugural staging of the Caribbean Blog and Social Media Awards 2014. The event, formerly the Jamaica Blog Awards, as scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm.

According to the organisers the ceremony is aimed at celebrating the best blogging and online talents in the region. One of its principals Corve Dacosta told OBSERVER ONLINE that the event aims to be a true representative of standards for Caribbean journalists and content creators, while recognizing leading figures online.

The Jamaica Observer’s deputy chairman, Adam Stewart; WISYNCO principal, William Mahfood and Grace Kennedy CEO, Don Wehby, lead the nominees in the ‘Best CEO’ category which will be decided by a panel and an online voting process. An online voting process will also decide the ‘Best in Jamaica Observer Headlines’ category.

The special award for excellence in mainstream and social media will be given to Nationwide radio’s, Abka Fitz-Henley, for his coverage of the high-profile Vybz Kartel murder trial, while broadcaster, Dionne Jackson Miller leads the list of nominees for the Best News and Current Affairs Journalist category. Entertainers Tessanne Chin, Chronixx and Ce’Cile are nominees in the best entertainer category.

Among those nominated in the ‘Best Politician’ category is Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition Leader, Andrew Holness; state ministers Julian Robinson, along with Opposition senators, Robert Montague and Kamina Johnson Smith.

The goal of the Caribbean Blog Awards the organisers said is to empower and celebrate Caribbean content creation. The Jamaica Observer, Digicel Jamaica, Red Stripe and Daily Veritas are among the major sponsors.