The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission is now accepting entries for the 2025 Jamaica Festival Song Competition.

Jamaicans who aspire to be shortlisted finalists have until March 14 to submit their original entries for a chance to win over $3 million in cash and prizes, along with the ultimate bragging rights of joining the exclusive club of past winners in this iconic competition.

For the 2025 season, entrants will be required to submit their entries electronically using the JCDC’s new online applications platform, JCDC Awards Force. This medium allows for a more streamlined process and easy review of entries, as entrants can track their entries and see the adjudicators’ feedback.

Entrants must pay $2,000 for entry fee to validate their submissions.

Entries for the 2025 Jamaica Festival Song Competition must be from any genre of Jamaican music and must capture the Jamaican spirit while promoting patriotism.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, a long-time supporter of the Festival Song Competition, believes the contest is a vehicle for the promotion of the things that are authentically Jamaican, and truly captures a moment in time in Jamaica’s cultural history and heritage.

“The Jamaica Festival Song Competition is such a valuable aspect of our modern-day culture. It is that piece of intangible heritage which provides us with a marker as to what is happening in society. Almost everyone can tell what year it was based on the respective festival song entries. That tradition must continue. So I’m using this opportunity to encourage our vocalists, writers and producers to knock heads and help us make the festival song for 2025 one to remember.”

The competition has become a cultural institution since it was first staged in 1966, and as a result it is one of the event most anticipated during the annual Emancipation and Independence season, providing the musical backdrop for the celebrations

The reigning winner is Kimeila “Candy” Isaacs, a visually impaired artiste who triumphed over nine other acts to secure the title with her track “#onejamaica”.

Over the years, other winners have gone on to write their names and songs into the annals of Jamaica’s music history. These include many-time winners Eric Donalson (Cherry O Baby, Land of My Birth, Sweet Jamaica, Proud to Be Jamaican); Toots Hibbert (Bam Bam, Sweet and Dandy, Pomps and Pride); Stanley and the Turbines (Come Sing With Me, Dem A Fi Squirm, Fi Wi Island a Boom); and Roy Rayon (Come Rock, Love Fever, Give Thanks and Praises).

Grammy Award winner Buju Banton is also among the winners of this competition. He won in 2020 with his track I Am A Jamaican.

For further information including the competition’s rules and regulations, persons may visit www.jcdc.gov.jm   or contact the JCDC Office in their parish.