Tarrus Riley walked away the biggest winner at last Sunday night's inaugural staging of the Reggae Academy Awards (RAA), held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

Riley, who won in six categories, among them, Breakthrough Reggae Artiste, Best Solo Male Vocal Performer, Best Reggae Song and Most Popular Song, was overwhelmed with his big haul.

"Mi feel great, mi a live out mi dreams and it just feels nice, this is all great for the music and the country. Mi get six awards, the video get two and me personally get four," Riley said in an interview with THE STAR after the show.

Riley also commended the organisers of the event saying, "it's classy, it's all good, because dem sey encouragement sweeten labour. Right now, mi nuh haffi guh get nuh Grammy, wi have it right here in Jamaica".

And indeed, Riley might not have been too far off the mark when he said he had his own Grammy Awards in Jamaica, as the RAA went all out to ensure that the inaugural staging was a classy success.

Black carpet

Miss Jamaica World 2007 Yendi Phillipps (right), struts onstage with Aisha Davis during Tarrus Riley's performance of 'She's Royal'.

It was not red, but black carpet VIP treatment for the stars who turned out, dressed to impress. Video light and camera flashes were by no means on the short side, as dozens flocked to capture the stars as they collected awards and delivered stellar performances.

Performances came from the likes of Cherine Anderson who told of a Kingston State of Mind, Shaggy who spoke about Church Heathen, Katalys Crew and Prodigal Son who delivered the gospel, and Etana who remained close to her Roots.

Morgan Heritage sang of Down by the River, Tarrus Riley wooed the females with She's Royal, Queen Ifrica hit Below the Waist and Demarco paid tribute to all Fallen Soldiers.

Other performances for the night came from Assassin, Ce'Cile, Wayne Marshall, Voicemail, Harry Toddler, Elephant Man, Diana King, Toots Hibberts, Ziggy Marley and Marcia Griffiths, who brought the curtains down.

Belly-bursting jokes

In addition to the belly-bursting jokes from the evening's host, Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, and winners taking the stage and making that familiar speech, beginning with that all too familiar line, "first of all, I would like to thank father God", there were a few special awards that went out to the likes of Bob Marley, Chris Blackwell and Ernie Ranglin.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding presented the Reggae Icon Award to Rita Marley for her late husband, Bob. According to Prime Minister Golding, "reggae music and its practitioners have been all over the world tonight, we honour our own".

Chris Blackwell was presented with the Reggae Trailblazer Award by Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange for his outstanding contribution to reggae music. Ernie Ranglin was presented with the Reggae Legend Award by Chris Blackwell.

Overall, the inaugural Reggae Academy Awards was a successful event, where lively performances lit up the stage, hard-working persons in the entertainment industry were rewarded and all who attended left feeling proud to finally have their own 'Grammy Awards' in Jamaica.