Plans are now in high gear for the production of the much anticipated first REGGAE ACADEMY AWARDS. The event unfolds on Sunday February 24th at 8.00 PM at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, and according to representatives of the RIAJam and the REGGAE ACADEMY, a first class live presentation is in store for patrons attending the show.

REGGAE ACADEMY chairman and RIAJam representative Lloyd Stanbury has indicated that a very experienced team of event and show producers is now in place and working hard to ensure a well organized and smooth production. The team includes Robert Bryan of Grizzlys Entertainment who will be responsible for venue management, stage, sound, lighting and design, LAntoinette Stines who will be in charge of choreography, movement and costumes, Ibo Cooper who is technical musical director, Dean Fraser band leader and musical arranger, Sharon Burke of Solid Agency with responsibility for media and artist relations, and Clyde McKenzie who is responsible for the script. Lighting director is John DaCosta. The team will also benefit from the experience of former Hollywood based music and film producer Josef Bogdanovich who now operates in Jamaica through his company Downsound Records.

The REGGAE ACADEMY AWARDS has been designed and will be presented as a made-for-television event and will be shot in HD. Stanbury explains that the decision to go HD has proven to be a very expensive proposition, but indicated that the long term broadcast value of this inaugural event could be prejudiced if done in other formats which are likely to become obsolete in years to come. With the very limited financial resources of the RIAJam, we therefore took the decision to seek a TV production partner who would be able to both invest in the awards and facilitate international TV broadcasts in order to secure a return on the TV production investment. Two overseas based TV production and distribution entities have so far expressed interest, and these are being pursued on the basis that RIAJam will retain the worldwide rights in the final product.

In a recently held media reception hosted by RIAJam and attended by Minster of Tourism Edmund Bartlett and Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia Grange a very clear message was sent from the government with regard to the need for and its support of a properly produced first class international awards event for Reggae.

The REGGAE ACADEMY AWARDS has so far received local sponsorship endorsement and support from Television Jamaica/TVJ who has secured the exclusive rights for broadcast of the awards show in Jamaica and is onboard as the official media partner. The Gleaner has also signed on as the official print media partner, and sponsorship agreements are about to be signed with Partners Financial and Investments, the Hilton Hotel and Beaumont Car Rentals and Tours. The Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Trade and Invest/JAMPRO and the Bob Marley Foundation have also officially endorsed the event.