Great albums despite challenges — Martin
Dr Ephraim Martin, president of Martin’s International and the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA), has lauded the efforts of reggae artistes worldwide who, despite the challenges associated with the current global health crisis and its debilitating effect on the entertainment industry, continue to do good work and produce strong albums and music.
His comments come following last week’s announcement of the nominations for the Grammy Awards, particularly the nominees in the Best Reggae Album category.
“On behalf of IRAWMA and the reggae fraternity, I want to congratulate the six nominees, Etana, Gramps Morgan, Jesse Royal, Sean Paul, Spice and SOJA, on their nomination for the 64th annual Grammy Awards,” he shared.
“During this COVID-19 pandemic year, reggae entertainers from across the globe produced more than 100 outstanding albums that were submitted for consideration for a Grammy nomination. This deserves commendation, and the nominees and albums selected deserve their nod. It is particularly pleasing to see one-third of nominees are female. I wish them all the best,” Martin concluded.
In the meantime, Martin noted that nominations for IRAWMA 2022, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the event, will be open to industry experts and entertainment media individuals in January of next year. The presentation show is scheduled for May 1 in Kingston, Jamaica.