Addressing a sizeable and visibly eager gathering at the Caribbean Business Club in Kingston, Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, delivered the keynote address at the official launch of the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam) Reggae Academy and the Reggae Academy Awards on Monday evening.

Preceding as they did a special consultation called by the prime minister with members of the industry the following evening, her presence signals a much keener interest on the part of the political directorate in the Jamaican music industry.

Lloyd Stanbury, Chairman of the Reggae Academy, described the Reggae Academy and Awards as a Jamaica based project with global reach. "It is an international Reggae recording industry project that will recognise and celebrate the artistic achievements of talented musicians and singers. It will also recognise important, behind-the-scenes contributors such as producers, songwriters, engineers and music video directors."

A long awaited organisation, RIAJam was established in 2003 with a view to providing a vehicle to promote and facilitate music business practitioners to upgrade recorded music and music video products. The mission of RIAJam is to raise the level of professionalism in the recording industry and return financial and other benefits to the Jamaican economy from music products released by locally based artistes and music professionals in the global market.

Several leading music production companies, music studios, record manufacturers and music distributors in Jamaica have already become members of the Association. One such member is Jeremy Harding, Producer, Artiste Manager and member of the Reggae Academy Steering Committee.

Harding welcomed the RIAJam and noted that, "Other organisations have come and gone, and we continue the search for a model that works for us. The RIAJam is a step in the right direction. Since no one entity can effectively steer the entire music business, it is, therefore, important to have several bodies that can express the views of industry professionals. And, while RIAJam may not meet the needs of every single member, it is a great start."

The Reggae Academy was formed with funding assistance from the EU, supported by the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which is administered by Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO). It is being developed on the basis of a structure similar to the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which is the body responsible for the Annual Grammy Awards. The Reggae Academy Award will be the first awards project to be based on the nominations and voting, without regard to popularity, music sales or chart position. Voting will be made by members of an industry body, comprised of persons involved in the making and promotion of sound recordings. Membership to the Academy is open to Reggae music industry practitioners around the world and attracts an annual membership fee.

According to Stanbury, RIAJam will design and develop the Reggae Academy, to provide the infrastructure for staging the first Annual Reggae Academy Awards, planned for February 2008. "The Awards categories will include just over 30 awards to be voted on by Reggae Academy members, as well as, two 'People's Choice' awards, which will have public participation by way of email and text message voting. The programme will also include inductions of outstanding personalities to the Reggae Hall of Fame." The show will be the final event in a three-day series of activities that will include seminars and business networking.

A nationwide competition will be initiated in the coming weeks to determine the design for the award itself.

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