Jimmy Cliff - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Jamaican playwright/ director Trevor Rhone and actor/musician Jimmy Cliff have been nominated among the 100 Black Screen Icons in film and television spanning over the last 100 years. The two are the only Jamaicans who have been nominated.

100 Black Screen Icons is the first online poll of its kind that will serve as a learning resource for many.

Among the nominees are: Oscar- winning actors Halle Berry and Denzel Washington. Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, Bill Cosby, Djimon Hounsou, Spike Lee, Terrence Howard and Whoopi Goldberg are also among the nominees.

100 Black Screen Icons aims to highlight 100 of the most significant international black personalities in film and television. It features directors, actors, producers, writers, composers and others who have made a significant contribution to the development of the moving image. The list was compiled with the assistance of several expert film practitioners.

Trevor Rhone is known worldwide for the film, The Harder They Come, a story about a country boy (played by Jimmy Cliff) who tried to make it as a singer in Kingston.

Other notable works include Smile Orange, which he directed, Top Rankin, Milk and Honey (1988), winner of the 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay and One Love (2003). For Rhone, the nomination is an absolute pleasure.

After learning about it, he said the first thing he did was to reflect on his works to see how he had arrived at such greatness.

"My only regret is that my mother and aunt, who are the architects of my life, are not here for me to tell them," he told Flair.

He describes moving from a little boy growing up in Bellas Gate in rural St. Catherine to the man he has become as a "major accomplishment".

Still basking in recent nomination, Rhone has also been named a fellow of Rose Bruford College which he attended in Kent, England.

Reggae artist par excellence, Dr. (Hon.) Jimmy Cliff, may stand out in the minds of many Jamaicans for his great hits such as Many rivers to cross, Rebel in me, and from his latest album Terror.

But internationally, many still remember his portrayal of the character 'Ivan' from the movie The Harder They Come. This is the movie that earned him the nomination. Speaking with Flair, Cliff said the nomination is a good thing for him but even better for Jamaica and the Caribbean.

"I consider myself among good company and hope the nomination opens the doors for me to get some funding for the filming of The Harder They Come II," he said. Cliff is now on a break before embarking on a European tour next month, but revealed that there are many interested parties in the project. "People are keen because of the vibe they get from the movie, so we will continue to pursue possibilities aggressively," he said. He does not expect the nomination will change him, though he admits a win would be good. "I will continue to live humbly and respectfully."

To vote for either Trevor or Jimmy, go to 100blackscreen icons.com and register to vote. Voting ends on June 29.