Wayne Wonder, one of dancehall music’s most enduring acts, will be rewarded for that longevity on February 2 with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Reggae Genealogy show which takes place at Broward Mall in Plantation, South Florida.

Grammy-winning band Inner Circle and music producer Donovan Germain will be similarly recognised by Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, promoters of Reggae Genealogy.

Known for songs such as No Letting Go and Bonafide Love, Wayne Wonder will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award on March 30 from the International Reggae And World Music Awards (IRAWMA) at Coral Springs Center for the Arts.

“It speaks to my consistency, dedication and passion that I’ve poured into my work over the years. To be recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award is not just about my time spent in the industry but about the impact, relationships and contributions I’ve made along the way. It’s incredibly humbling and a reminder of the legacy I’ve built over these 30-plus years and it’s an honour to know that my contributions have left a lasting impression,” he told Observer Online.

Raised in the Kingston community of McIntyre Villa (popularly known as Dunkirk), Wayne Wonder hit his stride as a hitmaker at Germain’s Penthouse Records. Germain produced Bonafide Love, which featured Buju Banton, and Saddest Day of My Life, another of his biggest hit songs.

No Letting Go, released in 2002, is his signature song. In 2004, it peaked at number three in the UK, and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

– Howard Campbell