Organisers of the annual Sterling Gospel Music Awards (SGMA) are making some tweaks, which will make the occasion more encompassing.

“For the 2020 staging, Sterling added a new category, Online Radio Programme of the Year, which opened the door for members of the Jamaican diaspora to be included. All four nominees in this new category are Jamaicans living overseas (US and Canada) who have found a creative way of staying connected with their roots through Jamaican gospel music, while ministering on their various platforms,” Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, event organiser, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“It’s remarkable when creatives can think out-of-the-box and tap into the surge of technology to advance the growth of the industry; so we wanted to give them [online radio stations] a space for themselves, so that they don’t have to be competing with traditional radio stations” [for an award].

“We are taking Sterling, once again, to a whole new level, by expanding our categories to carve out a platform for additional music contributors who have done tremendous work in showcasing gospel music to the world, and deservingly should be recognised for their ardent efforts,” she continued.

Endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, the event’s media launch is scheduled for the R Hotel on Renfrew Road in Kingston tomorrow. The awards ceremony is scheduled for the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston on March 14, while an All-White Nominees & Sponsors Lyme is slated for the same venue the day before.

Cultural retention is also given significant focus in this year’s line-up of activities, with the event being guided under the theme “African Pride”.

Another group of contributors the organisers are planning to recognise are background vocalists.

“We’re gonna have a segment where they’ll be showcased… They’ll be performing by themselves; front-of-stage, not accompanying anyone,” said Barnaby-Cuff.

Categories include Video of the Year, Most Rated Event of the Year, Event DJ of the Year, Emcee Extraordinaire of the Year, Most Rated Radio Programme of the Year, S.W.I.F.T. Award (Social Media), Caribbean Artiste of the Year, and International Artiste of the Year.