Gleaner Honour Award Winner for Entertainment

Musician. Performer. Super-star. Ex-Marine. Humanitarian. Born Orville Richard Burrell on October 22, 1968, Shaggy grew up in the island of Jamaica, before migrating to Flatbush, Brooklyn in his teens. He was raised in Flatbush, and got the nickname 'Shaggy' from the loveable, cowardly character in the popular 'Scooby Doo' cartoons.

Shaggy, we honour you for the life of uncompromising excellence you have led in the pursuit of your art. You have always displayed a high level of patriotism, dedication and commitment in all your endeavours, and we are proud to call you brother. Despite your mind-blowing successes, you continue to give back to the land of your birth. Last year, you gave a personal endorsement of Jamaica as a tourist destination at a time when the very foundations of our society were threatening to pull themselves up from their moorings in another ugly spasm of violence. In that sad time, you were a beacon of hope.

We commend you for being a man whose humility and humanity are beacons for us all to emulate. Shaggy has been involved in various other endeavours including charity, most notably the Bustamante Hospital for Children, to which he donated the princely sum of US$28,000 to purchase a life-saving unit for the hospital.

We applaud you for your incredible achievements, during the year, Shaggy was nominated for seven Billboard Awards ­ the most ever for any MCA Records artist. The nominations were for Artist Of The Year, Male Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Album Artist Of The Year, Male Album Artist Of The Year, Male Hot 100 Singles Artist- R&B, and Male Hot 100 Singles Artist Hip Hop Album.

You are a gentleman of honour and integrity. When your former label, Virgin, dropped you after the album, 'Midnite Lover' failed to follow the impressive performances of your debut and sophomore efforts, did you hang your head in shame? Did you retreat under the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? No. You took your setback in stride and promised to return. With a vengeance. And that you did. In just two short years, you have conquered the world with your unique musical stylings, and ignited the hearts and imaginations of millions of new fans worldwide. We recognise that even in the individualistic world of music, even as the name of 'Shaggy' grows internationally, so too does the stature of Jamaica because you have made no secret of where your roots and your heart lie.

We salute you for keeping your head through the ebbs and flows of your career. Through the maddening heights, and occasional lows, you have always remained, well, Shaggy ­ an affable, charismatic young man who is a credit to his country and his race.

Sir, we salute you for your determination and excellence. We hail your brilliance in the sometimes fickle world of pop music, and we acknowledge the tremendous responsibility you carry of being a worthy ambassador of the Jamaican heart, spirit and constancy to purpose in international circles.

For these reasons, we present you with pleasure, the 2001 Gleaner Honour Award of Excellence.