Singer Kirk Diamond, who resides in Canada, is one of five nominees for this year’s Juno Award for Reggae Recording of The Year. The categories for the 49th staging of ‘Canada’s Grammy Awards’ were announced yesterday.

Diamond is upbeat about his nomination and an opportunity to win his first Juno.

“It’s a great feeling to achieve another nomination. It shows that the hard work is recognised,” Diamond told the Jamaica Observer.

It is his second nomination. The first was in 2015 for Love Inna Wi Heart.

Diamond is nominated for the song Greater, which was produced by Germany-based Hype and Partner. It is from his EP of the same title which also has songs produced by Smokeshop studios and his brother Kegan Douglas.

Originally from Spanish Town in St Catherine, Diamond migrated to Canada in the 1990s.

The other nominees for Reggae Recording of The Year are: The Light by Ammoye; Hold Up, Slow Down by Blessed; Neva Judge by Eyesus; and Love How You Whine by Kreesha Turner and K’Coneil.

This is the first nomination for Eyesus. Neva Judge, which topped reggae charts in North America last year, is produced by Konsequence Muzik. Hailing from Waltham Park in Kingston, Eyesus has resided in Canada since 2003.

It is the eighth nomination for St Thomas-born Blessed who won the category twice — in 2002 for Love (African Woman) and in 2006 for Reggae Time.

This is Ammoye’s fourth Juno nomination, and the second for Kreesha Turner.

Launched in 1970, the Juno Awards are promoted by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The Reggae category was instituted in 1985.

The Juno Awards will be handed out on March 24 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.