Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter

Lloyd Stanbury, project coordinator of the Reggae Academy. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer and Deejay Zumjay is taking a watch-and-see approach to the proposed Reggae Academy. - File

An outstanding performer may just be the lucky winner of a Jamaican-based reggae music award in 2008 - if he or she is a member of the International Reggae Music Academy.

According to entertainment attorney, Lloyd Stanbury, the project coordinator and member of the Reggae Academy's steering committee, the organisation was established to cater to people involved in the recording industry.

"Wherever you are in the world, as long as you are involved in reggae music you will be able to join, whether radio deejays, singers, or deejays, whoever. They will also have a say in developing the categories, the nomination process and the voting process of the reggae awards. That is the main function," he said.

The award ceremony Stanbury refers to is called the International Reggae Industry Awards, put on by the Reggae Academy, which he says will kick off in 2008.

"We don't see it happening until 2008, because we want 2007 to get ready and to allow people to apply. So, in 2008, people will be getting awards for their work in 2007," he said.

possible categories

He also spoke of a few of the possible categories. "That is still being worked out by the steering committee and we will also be getting feedback from the members, but we might have 'The Best Dancehall or Reggae Song' and that would go to the songwriter. You might have the 'Best Dancehall or Reggae Compilation Album' and things like that," Stanbury said.

"The Academy, apart from enabling the awards show to take place, will also be dealing with the business of music. We will be having workshops so artistes will be able to get more information about the business. For example, we will be dealing with the importance of having management representation, legal representation, understanding what contracts in entertainment are about. Mainly things to do with agreements. Some artistes get into agreements mainly out of friendship, or because of a vibe, then when the song earns $1 million dollars they get into a fight," he said.

As for unifying the often fractious sector, Stanbury says this is another of the Reggae Academy's missions.

"You will have people in the industry voting for their peers, so apart from educating people about the business we also want it to unify people. There would also be a number of benefits we could bargain for as a united front. For example, with airline tickets - we bring in the most money, so discounts is something we could discuss. That's what people do in other countries. But we have to come together first. By building the Academy we can build a large united front," he said.

According to Stanbury, there has been more responses from the overseas market, though they did a one-month advertising campaign on a local cable television. Strangely, some artistes either don't know about it, or saw the advertisement and were baffled.

Artiste, Hollowpoint, says he has never heard of the Reggae Academy before, but would be interested in joining. He also says an award from them would mean a lot more to an artiste because it was chosen by his peers.

highest level

"Definitely, because that means you are at the highest level because a yuh bredrins and other artistes in the business vote fi di award," he said.

Another artiste, Zum Jay, says he saw the ad, but asked, "Is it something that was on some cable station saying that you should join? I don't know exactly what it's about."

As for joining the Academy, he says, "Me woulddah haffi watch it first. I don't know the motive, so I would have to see what it is all about before me join, but you never can tell."

Stanbury says the Academy will be continuing their ad campaign and those interested in joining can apply online (www.reggaeacademy.com), "or people can pick up forms and get information from a number of studios including, Studio 2000, All Access Entertainment, Stage Records Studio, Arrows Recording Studio and Mainstreet Studio."