Avion Blackman Creates Upset with Album of the Year Win

Stitchie Sweeps Marlin Awards

Landlord & Solo Accepts Awards

Mr. Kingdom Ambassador Cleve Laing aka Stitchie took top honors at the 8TH Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards held Sunday July 23rd, in Nassau, Bahamas. Stitchie won a total of four (4) Marlins including Dancehall Recording of the Year, Dee-Jay Vocal Performance of the Year and Music Video of the Year for his fast spitting fire ball “Fast & Pray”. He also took home the evening’s top technical award “Producer of the Year” for his production work on his sophomore gospel release “Kingdom Ambassador”. Following close behind was Bahamian dub minister Landlord who took home one of the night’s biggest prizes, Song of the Year for his international super smash “We Need Peace” that features among others, reggae superstar Luciano. Landlord also won awards for Dub/Culture Recording of the Year for “We Need Peace” and for Adapted Praise & Worship Recording of the Year” for his reggae remake of the praise anthem “This is the Air I Breathe”.

However one of the evenings biggest upsets came in the Album of the Year category which saw Avion Blackman from Trinidad winning the evening’s top award for her culturally sensitive masterpiece “Onyinye”. Blackman who is the daughter of the late Ras Shorty I, the man credited as the inventor of Soca Music, won in a category that featured several heavy reggae and dancehall recordings like “On the Shout” by DJ Nicholas and “Kingdom Ambassador” by Stitchie. Blackman was considered by many as the dark horse in the evening’s top race as most thought for sure that the Album of the Year would once again go to Jamaica. Avion however proved this wrong and also became the first Trinidadian to win this category. She also won the Marlin Award for Contemporary Vocal Performance of the Year Female for her soft melodic ballad “Marvelous Beauty” and picked up a third Marlin for Packaging of the Year for “Onyinye”.

Grand Bahama export Mr.Lynx also won big taking home the award for Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year Male for the single “Shine Ya Light” from his album of the year nominated CD “Prophetic Fire”. Lynx won over some of Jamaica’s top reggae vocalists like Lester Lewis (Living with Jesus), Stitchie (Gospel Reggae) and newcomer Andrew Lawrence for his single “Prophecy”. Also taking home two (2) awards was Jamaican dancehall artist DJ Nicholas who won the awards for New Artist of the Year and Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year Duo/Group for his mega smash “Holy Ghost Church” that features female sensation Kerron Ennis.