The South Florida city of Miramar staged its fifth Reggae Icon Awards on February 26 with Clive Murphy of The Tennors, bass guitarist Lloyd Parks, impresario Tommy Cowan and his wife Carlene Davis the 2026 recipients.

It was held at the Miramar Cultural Center’s Banquet Hall.

Murphy founded The Tennors in 1965, leading the trio on rock steady hits like Pressure And Slide and
Ride yuh Donkey. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I am very grateful to be recognised/honoured for all the work I have done for 63 years. It also gives me a good feeling to know that our songs can stand the test of time,” Murphy told the Jamaica Observer. “The first song with the word reggae was our song, Reggae Girl, and I was the person that spelled reggae the way it is being spelt today.”

Parks’ career also started during the 1960s as a vocalist with The Termites, a rock steady duo. He was presented with the Reggae Icon Award.

Best known as the founder/leader of We The People Band, he has played on countless hit songs such as
Hard Drugs and Number One by Gregory Isaacs, Should I and Ain’t That Loving You by Dennis Brown, and Cottage in Negril by Tyrone Taylor.

“I am extremely elated and appreciative of this award. I am excited to be honoured at this tine because most of the work has been done. It is a good time and the right time,” Parks said in an interview with the Observer.

Cowan and Davis were acknowledged for their work in secular and gospel music with the Marcus Garvey Award.

“I am grateful. The journey has not been an easy one and so when I receive these honours I first give thanks to God. The scripture that says in Galatians 6: 9-10, ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest.’ If we do not give up, therefore, as we have the opportunity, let’s us do good to all people,” Davis told the Observer.

Jamaican Eddy Edwards, a Miramar commissioner, said the Reggae Icon Awards has grown in prestige.

“The feedback from attendees have been nothing but fantastic. All honorees are elated and have expressed that, despite being honoured on many occasions, this one is special and dear to them,” he said.

Past recipients of Reggae Icon Awards include Pat Chin of VP Records, Third World, Mutabaruka, and Winston “Wee Pow” Powell, founder of the Stone Love sound system.

— Howard Campbell