Good Vybz Awards highlights film, theatre talent

With an 'Oscar-like' setting for the inaugural staging of the Good Vybz Awards show, some of the winners have expressed confidence that it will reshape the overall film and theatre space.

"Cornelius [Grant, the event's organiser] is brave and when the history of Jamaican great film-makers is being written, his name cannot be left out. He has been trying and out of nothing, he's doing something that big, big corporations are not doing to uplift others. The event was really huge and showed a shift in reshaping the film and theatre scene," Joshua 'Brother Desmond' Tomlin told THE WEEKEND STAR. "This award show uplifts people and mek [dem] see themselves in a different light while believing more in their talents." Tomlin, who has been in theatre and film for more than 30 years, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Comedian Leighton Smith, who received the Comedian of the Year award, said the awards show will motivate younger talent to run towards film and theatre arts.

"Once you're a part of an environment in which you know you can be rewarded, it motivates you or open your desire to be more involved in it," he opined. Smith, who has been a stand-up comedian and actor for more than 25 years, said he felt "honoured" to receive his first official award.

"I know I put in a lot of work in comedy so I know it would come one day. But, nothing happens before the time and sometimes when it happen too early, yuh tend to guh easy," he said.

Smith said being recognised by Grant was also very special as it marked a full circle moment for them.

"I was the first one who put him on a stage to do MC duties; I trained him. And after I received the award he said to me, 'It is such a good thing when the student can come back come recognise the teacher'. And that to me was very profound of him," he said.

For Tomlin, he said his award means that his 'labour of love' is finally paying off.

"When yuh doing yuh work, yuh nuh really a look to say anything is to come in the years ahead. Yuh dweet because yuh waah fi get pay and sometimes no whole heap a pay nuh inna it. So some addi time mi used to just dweet fi di love because yuh naah guh see di thing a guh down and don't stretch out a helping hand. Acting is my baby and yuh always ago tek care a yuh baby," Tomlin said.

A beaming Grant said that the red-carpet show, which was held at the auditorium of St Patrick's Primary School in St Andrew, was overall a "good experience".

"The expression from the guests when they stepped in the room had many later expressing that they feel like they were at an Oscar event... The main aspect of this award show was to highlight my talents from my company Good Vybz Entertainment, because others' popularity really overshadows some people sometimes who are really talented," he opined. He said having walked a relatable path, he feared for his talents to experience a similar fate.

"So I just got this idea and I acted on it and this show is what successfully came from it," said Grant.

He continued: "A lot of celebrities that are being undermined is sometimes based on how much media spotlight dem get. But it doesn't mean they are not as talented as who getting the spotlight."

Among the dignitaries who supported the event were film commissioner Jackie Jackson, Jamaica Film and Television Association president, Nadean Rawlins. There were also performances from reggae artistes Duane Stephenson and Abena Mystic along with Orville Hall's Dance Expressions.