The Best of Jamaica 2022 Awards Show will be aired on the Jamaicans.com Facebook and YouTube platforms January 1st, 2023, and will be hosted by media personality Jody Ann Gray and Xavier Murphy, the founder of Jamaicans.com.
The Best of Jamaica Awards Show is the biggest event of the year for Jamaicans.com, the world’s leading media platform for Jamaican and Caribbean news, travel, food, and culture. The Best of Jamaica is all about what people select with their votes as the BEST in each category and what our writers at Jamaicans.com, who cover a variety of topics every day, think is the BEST. The exciting results show will focus on 21 individual geographic regions around the world and will be available on Jamaicans.com’s YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook pages. The shows will reveal the best dining, shopping, recreation, and all-around Jamaican cultural experiences offered in each location. We will answer the following questions and more: What’s the Best Jamaican Restaurant, Best Jerk Chicken, Best Patties, Best Events where you live? Who is the Jamaican person of the year & the Best Social Media Personality?
The results from these cities/locations we will be revealed on the live Best of Jamaica 2023 show.
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Fort Lauderdale
- Dallas
- Hartford
- Houston
- Jamaica
- London
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- New Jersey
- Oakland
- Orlando
- Palm Beach
- Philadelphia
- Tampa
- Toronto
- Washington DC
- San Francisco
The Results Show of 2021 was very well received by its online viewers.
About the Hosts
Jody Ann Gray, a multimedia personality well known for her positivity, high fashion sense, and the close connection she makes with her audience, will return in 2022 and this year’s staging the benefit of her extensive broadcasting experience. Jody Ann, who had a clear passion for the media industry from an early age, overcame numerous obstacles to reach her goal as a media personality. She earned a degree in Media and Communication with honors from the University of the West Indies and became known as “The Cashpot Lady” when she called the lottery numbers of Jamaican television for more than a decade. Jody has also hosted many high-profile shows in Jamaica, including Rebel Salute, the Gillette Football series, and FiWi Choice, a weekly music countdown. Jody has worked as a voice-over artist with brands that include ScotiaBank, Digicel, Supreme Ventures, and FLOW, hosted cultural and Caribbean events, and appeared as a motivational speaker at high schools and corporate organizations.
With her distinctive voice and energetic personality, Jody Ann achieved high ratings and gathered a strong fan base at ZIP-103 FM and Kool 97 FM in Jamaica and on WZOP/WZPP FM in Florida. She continues to blaze new trails as a host for major events, such as the City of Miramar Jamaica Independence Celebrations, The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, and Majah Hype’s “Are You Dumb” comedy show. Citing her daughter as her greatest inspiration and motivator, Jody Ann continues to pursue professional growth and works to be a positive influence on people worldwide.
Xavier Murphy founded the Jamaicans.com platform in 1995 and is a pioneer of web-based technology for the Jamaican Diaspora. He is the host and producer of the popular web series “Jamaicans to the World,” which features stories of Jamaicans living in over 100 countries. He was also a producer on the syndicated TV series, “Caribbean Diaspora Weekly.” Xavier is very active in the South Florida community and has served in a leadership capacity for many organizations, including as president of the South Florida chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals. He is the current president of the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of Florida (JCOBAFL).
Xavier was honored in August 2012 as “Community Luminary for Cultural Arts/ Media and Community Development” by the Jamaican Consulate. He was honored in November 2012 as one of South Florida’s Most Accomplished Black Community Leaders and Entrepreneurs. In December 2015, the City of Miramar presented Xavier with a Proclamation for Jamaicans.com declaring that month, “Jamaicans.com Month.” In June 2016 The People Profile Awards in South Florida named him “Innovator of the Year.”
In 2019, Caribbean American Heritage Month USA (CAHMUSA) presented Xavier with a Caribbean American Heritage Award. He was honored in 2020 with a Proclamation by the City of Lauderhill commemorating his outstanding work in the Caribbean community. In June 2021 Xavier was named the Jamaica Diaspora Champion in Media by the Jamaica Diaspora and Friends Champion Awards (JDAFCA), and in August 2021 he was honored with a Cultural Icon Outstanding Jamaican American Award from the City of Miami Gardens for his contributions to the community provided through Jamaicans.com. In November 2021, the Consulate General of Jamaica honored him with a “Luminous Award in the Cultural Arts (Media, Entertainment, Culture).” In March 2022, Xavier was recognized by the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council with an Award for Diaspora Excellence and also with a Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) honor award for Jamaicans.com’s impact on the reggae industry in new media. In August 2022 Murphy was amongst Five Jamaicans recognized by the City of Miramar in Florida for their service to the community at the Jamaica 60th Anniversary Emancipendence Reception co-hosted by Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam and Victoria Mutual.
