Jamaicans.com’s 27th annual Best of Jamaica Awards 2025 shone a spotlight on individuals whose work continues to shape Jamaican life at home and across the diaspora. Spanning media, culture, sport, fashion and community leadership, this year’s honourees reflect the breadth of Jamaican excellence and the importance of sustained contribution.
Individual awards were determined through a combination of public voting and judges’ selection, ensuring that both community impact and professional distinction were recognised. Together, these honourees represent the many ways Jamaican talent and leadership continue to influence global spaces.
2025 People’s Choice Awardees
The People’s Choice Awards reflect the voices of Jamaicans worldwide, with awardees selected through aggregated public nominations, recognising individuals whose work resonates most strongly with the public.
Basil Watson – Person of the Year
Internationally renowned sculptor recognised for his enduring global impact and contribution to Jamaican art and public memory.
Deandra Harrison – Social Media Personality of the Year
A media personality, actress and television, radio and event host, as well as a Prime Minister’s National Youth Awardee 2025 and former Miss Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen 2024. Through her social media platforms, she has built a space for authentic storytelling and consistent engagement with Jamaican life and culture, resonating strongly with audiences online.
Oblique Seville – Sportsman of the Year
Oblique emerged as a clear audience favourite after an outstanding 2025 season. He achieved elite status with a 100m gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and followed up with dominant 100m victories at the London Athletics Meet and Athletissima in Lausanne, cementing his place among the world’s top sprinters.
Cecile Levee – Fashion Icon of the Year
Cecile Levee is celebrated for her style influence. A food and wine industry professional, entrepreneur, lifestyle creator and author of Please Don’t Touch My Tomato and Don’t Touch My Banana, she brings sophistication and intention to how Jamaican women are represented across professional and creative spaces. As Levee herself puts it, “Glamour does not have to be that four-letter word… rich. But glamour does exude allure, sophistication, and refinement — after all, it is an art form.”
Busy Signal – Best Reggae Song for Close To Me
Busy Signal delivered a love song that resonated deeply with audiences, earning strong public support and the top vote for 2025. Following the success of Happy Birthday, which was named Best of Jamaica Best Reggae Song in 2024, the recognition reflects his continued ability to connect with listeners through relatable storytelling and classic Jamaican musical sensibility.
Lila Iké – Best Reggae Act
Recognised as one of the breakout reggae artists of her generation. A member of the In.Digg.Nation collective led by Protoje, her rise has been marked by both critical acclaim and global visibility. She has won back-to-back Best Female Reggae Artist awards (2024 and 2025) at the Caribbean Music Awards and delivered standout performances on NPR Tiny Desk, COLORSxStudios, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Her acclaim grew further in 2026 with a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album for her debut project Treasure Self Love — the only female nominee in the category — and selected as part of an ensemble performance at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards opening ceremony.
Tami Chin-Mitchell – Best Media Personality
A former reggae artist turned beloved television host, storyteller and media creative. Through her YouTube series Meet the Mitchells, she offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at motherhood and marriage with fellow reggae artist Wayne Marshall, sharing stories that humanise Jamaican family life and resonate with audiences at home and across the diaspora.
2025 Judges’ Pick Awardees
The Judges’ Pick Awards, selected by the Best of Jamaica Awards Committee, recognise individuals whose work demonstrates professional excellence, innovation and sustained cultural impact.
Yendi Phillips – Media Excellence Award
Recognised for her work as a media personality and content creator, Yendi Phillips has used storytelling to inform, uplift and connect audiences. Through her Odyssey with Yendi series, she shares untold personal journeys that centre healing, resilience and cultural identity, creating space for meaningful conversations that resonate deeply within the Jamaican community and beyond.
Milton Foster – Social Media Excellence Award
For using digital platforms to educate Jamaicans on language and culture, and for creating Language Linkup, an in-person learning initiative that extends this education beyond social media. His work promotes Jamaican identity, multilingualism and cross-cultural exchange through consistent, accessible and engaging content.
Alrene Richards-Barr, OD – Fashion Excellence Award
As a professional Jamaican woman in the diaspora who consistently represents excellence through her style, presence and leadership. Recognised for always showing up impeccably, she embodies confidence, cultural pride and professionalism, setting a standard for how Jamaican women are seen and represented in global spaces.
Chronixx and Inflo – Song Writing Excellence Award (Resilient)
Resilient is a powerful and timely song that offered strength and reassurance to Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa, resonating deeply as a reminder of resilience in the face of adversity.
Romain Virgo – Performance Excellence Award
For consistent strong live performances, vocal excellence and sustained contribution to reggae music, earning recognition for both artistry and stage presence.
2025 Merit and Special Recognition Awards
The Merit Awards represent one of the most important individual honours, recognising Jamaicans whose careers demonstrate sustained contribution to Jamaica and the diaspora, as well as leadership within their communities.
Irwine Clare, OD – Change Maker of the Year
Recognised for more than three decades of leadership, service and transformative impact on Caribbean youth, athlete development and immigrant communities. As the founder of Team Jamaica Bickle, he has built enduring systems of support for Caribbean student-athletes competing overseas, providing essential resources, mentorship and opportunity that have helped generations thrive on the world stage.
Beyond sport, Clare co-founded Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc., guiding thousands through the U.S. immigration process and strengthening civic engagement. His decades-long dedication to empowerment and community building has had a lasting effect on Jamaicans at home and across the diaspora.
Rae Williams – Merit Award for Media Excellence (Diaspora)
A multimedia journalist, anchor and author recognised for excellence in journalism and broadcasting. Celebrated as a proud Jamaican woman in international media spaces, her career reflects consistency, credibility and leadership across global platforms.
Danielle Williams & Ackera Nugent – Athletic Excellence Award
Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent are recognised for standout performances during the 2025 season.
A two-time World Athletics champion, Danielle Williams made history in 2025 by becoming the first Jamaican to win a Grand Slam Track title, after victory in the 100m hurdles at the inaugural event. She also reached her fifth World Championship final in Tokyo, won the Xiamen Diamond League, and secured her third consecutive Millrose Games 60m hurdles title in early 2026.
Ackera Nugent further established herself among the world’s elite sprint hurdlers in 2025, capturing the Diamond League Final trophy, earning a global medal at the World Indoor Championships, and winning the Grand Slam Track Short Hurdles title, marking a breakthrough year of international success.
Beenie Man & Etana – Music & Cultural Impact Award
Beenie Man and Etana are recognised for their significant contributions to reggae music and Jamaican culture. Though emerging from different generations and stylistic traditions, both artists have played influential roles in shaping the sound, message and global reach of Jamaican music.
Shaggy – Reggae Ambassadorship Excellence Award
Recognised not only for carrying the flag of reggae music and proudly representing Jamaica on the global stage, but also for his tireless humanitarian and philanthropic work. As an award-winning artist and committed advocate, his contributions extend beyond music, reflecting sustained service to community and country.
Recognising Impact Across Generations
Together, these individual awardees reflect the diversity of Jamaican excellence — from emerging digital voices to cultural veterans whose work spans decades. Their recognition at the Best of Jamaica Awards 2025 reinforces the awards’ role as a community-driven platform that values both popular influence and sustained professional contribution.
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