Leading with six nominations, Vegas is closely followed by Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, youngest son of reggae icon Bob Marley, with five. Sean Paul, Konshens, Romain Virgo and Third World earned four each, while Jimmy Cliff, Marcia Griffiths, Tarrus Riley and Busy Signal have all copped three nods.
Vegas’ double album Sweet Jamaica, released last year to coincide with his country’s 50th anniversary of independence, has been nominated for Best Album. The title track is nominated for Best Song, while “Bruk It Down”, another song from the album, has nabbed nods for Best Song, Best Crossover Song and Best Music Video.
In the Bob Marley Entertainer of the Year category, the contenders are Damian Marley and his brother Stephen, Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Roman Virgo, Sean Paul and Tarrus Riley.
Newcomer to the reggae scene, American entertainer Snoop (Dogg) Lion, has received nominations in three categories: Best Crossover Song “La-La-La”, Best Music Video “La-La-La” and Best Hip Hop/R&B Entertainer.
Some 200 reggae and world music industry individuals and groups have received nominations, including Rihanna, Beres Hammond, Alison Hinds, Mavado, Beenie Man, Machel Montano, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and the evergreen Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose.
The 2013 IRAWMA Lifetime/Hall of Famers are former music producer and Jamaica Prime Minister Edward Seaga, Derrick “Ducky” Simpson of Black Uhuru, disc jockey Denver “Jamusa” Silvera, producer Lloyd “Joe Fraser” Campbell and the Inner Circle band.
The Martin’s International-IRAWMA Award of Honour will go to producer Donovan Germain, events marketing specialist Carson “Eddy” Edwards, broadcaster Bevan “Duke of Earle” Earle and promoter Arthur Lugisse.
South Florida-based producer Willie Lindo, and publicists/promoters Winsome Charlton and Vonnie McGowan will be recognised for more than 40 years contribution to the music industry.
The full list of nominees for the 2013 IRAWMA awards follows:
1. Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year
* Jimmy Cliff
* Damian Marley
* Third World
* Sean Paul
* Tarrus Riley
* Romain Virgo
* Stephen Marley
2. Best Male Vocalist
* Christopher Martin
* Romain Virgo
* Tarrus Riley
* Busy Signal
* Beres Hammond
* Gyptian
3. Best Female Vocalist
* Marcia Griffiths
* Patricia Roberts
* Etana
* Queen Ifrica
* Nkulee Dube
* Alison Hinds
4. Best Song
* “Cheater’s Prayer” – Christopher Martin
* “Gyal A Bubble” – Konshens
* “Bruk It Down” – Mr. Vegas
* “Sweet Jamaica” – Mr. Vegas & Various Artists
* “Affairs of the Heart” – Damian Marley
* “Reggae Music Again” – Busy Signal
* “Don’t You Remember” – Romain Virgo
5. Best Album/CD
*Rebirth – Jimmy Cliff (Ume/Sunpower Records)
* Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged On Strawberry Hill – Toots and the Maytels (Metropolis Recordings)
* Peace of Mind – Rebulation
* Golden Jubilee 50 Collection – VP Records
* Sweet Jamaica – Mr. Vegas & Various Artists
* Reggae Music Again – Busy Signal
* Reggae Gold 2012 – VP Records
6. Best Crossover Song
* “Tomahawk Technique” – Sean Paul
* “La- La- La” – Snoop Lion
* “Bruk It Down” – Mr. Vegas
* “Make It Bun Dem” – Skrillex & Damian Marley
* “Diamonds” – Rihanna
* “Next Generation” – Laza Morgan
* “Touch the Sky” – Sean Paul
7. Gospel Oriented Song
* “Reggae Worship” – Christafari (USA)
* “Nascent” – Sherwin Gardner (T&T)
* “My Story” – Papa San (JA)
* “Radikal Yawd” – Prodigal Son (JA)
* “God Is On My Side” – Richie Stephens (JA)
* “Fyah” – Lt. Stitchie & Gen-X- (Ja/Trinidad)
* “Never Never” – Gitta Dan- (Trinidad)
8. Best Male Disc Jockey/Rapper
* Konshens
* Mavado
* Popcaan
* Mr. Vegas
* Tommy Lee Sparta
* Damian Marley
* Beenie Man
9. Best Female Disc Jockey/Rapper
* Lady Saw
* Ce’cile
* Macka Diamond
* Tifa
* Queen Ifrica
10. Best New Entertainer
* Chronixx – Ja.
* Wyre – Kenya
* Cen’C Love
* No-Maddz
* Potential Kid
* Tommy Lee Sparta
* D-Major
11. Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer
* Alison Hinds
* Machel Montano
* Kes The Band
* Iwer George
* Skinny Fablous
* The Yankee Boy
* Kerwin Du Bois
12. Best Latin-Oriented Entertainer
* Pitbull
* Romeo Santos
* Jinni Rivera
* Prince Royce
* Don Omar
13. Best African Entertainer
* Fally Ipupa – Congo
* D’banJ – Nigeria
* P-Square – Nigeria
* Nkulee Dube – South Africa
* Liquideep – South Africa
* Daddy Muss – Sierra Leone
* Sarkodie – Ghana
14. Best Soukous Entertainer
* Papa Wemba
* Dany Engobo
* Werrason
* Top-One-Frisson
* Samba Mapangala
* J-Blue El Buddha
15. Most Popular R&B/Hip Hop Entertainer
* Lil Wayne
* Nicki Manaj
* Tre Songz
* Jay-Z
* Rick Ross
* Snoop Dogg-Lion
* Kanye West
16. Best Reggae Rock Entertainer
* SOJA
* Cas Haley
* Green
* Groundation
* Rebullation
* Slighty Stupid
* Collie Buddz featuring New Kingdom Band
17. Best Chutney Entertainer
* Kenneth Supersad
* Kris “KI” Persad
* Raymond Ramnarine & Dil-E-Nadan
* Rikki Jai
* Drupatee Ramgoonai
18. Best Music Video
* “Bruk It Down”- Mr. Vegas
* “Gyal A Bubble”- Konshens
* “Heels On”- Lady Saw
* “La-La-La”- Snoop Lion
* “Affairs of the Heart”- Damian Marley
* “She Doesn’t Mind”- Sean Paul
* “Thousand Pickney”- Cladius England
19. Best Poet
* Oku Onuora
* Mutabaruka
* Cherry Natural(Marcia Wedderburn)
* Majah Bless
* Malachi Smith
20. Most Cultural/Educational Entertainer
* Anthony B
* Capleton
* Tarrus Riley
* Luciano
* I- Octane
* Masud Sadiki (St Kitts and Nevis)
* I-Wayne
21. Most Outstanding Show Band/Group
* Third World
* Morgan Heritage
* Rootz Underground
* Inner Circle
* Raging Fyah
* Fab 5
22. Most Consistent Entertainer
* Barrington Levy
* Calypso Rose
* Marcia Griffiths
* Half Pint
* Freddie McGregor
* Third World
* Yellowman
23. MOST PROMISING ENTERTAINER
* Projege
* Henry “Sadiki” Buckley, Jr.
* Konshens
* Romain Virgo
* J Boog- Hawaii
* Chronixx
* Pressure Buss Pipe- US Virgin Islands
24. Best Instrumentalist
* Dwight Pickney
* Dean Fraser
* Monty Alexander
* Sly and Robbie
* Arturo Tappin
25. Most Popular Sound System/Selector
* Stone Love (Jamaica)
* Mighty Crown (Japan)
* Earth Ruler (US)
* Heavy Hammer (Italy)
* Bass Odyssey (Jamaica)
26. Concert of the Year
* Reggae Sumfest – Jamaica
* 9 Mile Music Festival – Miami
* Respect Jamaica 50 – London
* Rototom Sunsplash – Spain
* Rebel Salute – Jamaica
* Best of the Best – Miami
* Reggae Summer Jam – Germany
27. Most Outstanding Dance Group
* X Klusiv Dancers (Jamaica)
* Active Dancers (USA)
* Djembe Druming (Africa)
* Flawless (England)
* Shady Squad (Jamaica)
28. Best Compas/Racine Entertainer
* T-Vice
* Djakout #1
* Tropicana D’Haiti
* Orchestre Septentrional
* Barikad Crew
* Roosevelt “BIC” Saillant
29.Best Caribbean Entertainer
* Machel Montano
* Alison Hinds
* Third World
* Mighty Sparrow
* Calypso Rose
* Fab 5
30. Recording Studio Producer of the Year
* Donovan Germain
* C. Danny Breakenridge
* Black Chiney
* Shane Brown Jukeboxx Productions
* Stephen “The Genius” McGregor
* Not Nice
* Major Lazer
31. Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award
* Capleton
* Shaggy
* Elgeta Thompson-Martin
* Ziggy Marley
* Calypso Rose
32. Royal Ambassador of Reggae and World Music
* Freddie McGregor
* Morgan Heritage Family
* Toots Hibberts
* Marley Family
* Copeland Forbes
* Marcia Griffiths
* Jimmy Cliff
* Tommy “Yes Indeed” Cowan
33. South Florida Entertainer of the Year- 2012
* Kashief Lindo
* Code Red Band
* J-Beatz
* Sophia Brown
* Sons of Mystro
* Honorable
* Karr Diamond
34. South Florida Emerging Star Under 21 Yrs Old
* Sons of Mystro
* Johana Jean-Baptiste
* Soleil Rowe
* Nikesha Lindo
35. South Florida Most Popular Dance Party DJ
* Sound Revolution
* Black Chiney
* Waggy T
* Sweetness Sound
* HMV
* DJ C – Roy
* Super Twitch
36. South Florida Best Gospel Entertainer
* Dobby Dobson
* Audley Rollen
* Second Chance
* Jonathan Laurince & True Worshippers
* Larry Weir
* Ken Parker
* Sharon Wiles
37. SPECIAL HONOUR: Lifetime/Hall of Fame Achievement
* Black Uhuru
* JAMUSA- Denver Silveria
* Inner Circle
* Hon. Edward Seaga
* Lloyd “Joe Frazier” Campbell
* Johnny Nash
38. SPECIAL HONOUR: Martin’s International – IRAWMA Award
* Donovan Germain – Penthouse Records
* Eddy Edwards – Riddims Marketing
* Duke of Earle
* Arthur Lugisse – St. Maarten/Florida
39. SPECIAL HONOUR: South Florida Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the Music Industry-Over 40 Years.
* Vonne McGowan
* Winsome “Lady C” Charlton
* Willie Lindo
Reprinted from Caribbean360