Durrant Pate/Contributor

The ten finalists for this year’s Jamaica Festival Song Competition have been named.

Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange, who announced the 10 finalists, advised that the songs are being mastered and the recordings will be released soon.

She called on broadcasters “to play the songs so that the public will get to know them and be able to choose their favourite for Jamaica 60”.

The ministry, through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), is now arranging to put the finalists on social media and global music streaming platforms. The winning song will be selected following two televised shows on July 14 and 28. 

The song will be selected by a combination of judges’ scores and telephone voting by members of the public. There’s a prize of J$3 million for the winning song to be shared by the producer, the writer, and the singer.

The annual competition, which forms part of Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence Day celebrations, was initially canceled last month due to substandard entries. After reopening the competition, Minister Grange said she received over 209 new entries within a week.

The finalists are:

Title: I’m A Proud Jamaican
Stage Name: Magic Flute
Writer: Joshia Beckford and David Luckain
Producer: David Luckain and Owen Renalls

Title: Nuh Weh Nice Like Yard
Stage Name: Sacaj
Writer: Danece Jacas
Producer: Newell Morgan

Title: Diamond Jubilee
Stage Name: Orkid
Writer: Carol Panton
Producer: Gladstone Wright

Title: Jamaica Sweet Again
Stage Name: Dez I Boyd
Writer: Desmond Boyd
Producer: Carl Morris

Title: Jamaica Nice Again
Stage Name: Inspiyah
Writer: Lionel Bernard
Producer: Dale Virgo

Title: Defend Jamaica
Stage Name: Nitty Kutchie
Writer: Richard Stephenson
Producer: Richie Stephenson

Title: Out of Many
Stage Name: Nazzleman
Writer: Oneil Scott
Producer: Christopher Tyrell

Title: Sixty (Anniversary Time)
Stage Name: One1
Writer: Milton Wray
Producer: Milton Wray

Title: Rock To Da Beat
Stage Name: Intrestt
Writer: Davion Bent
Producer: Lloyd James King Jammy

Title: Bring Back the Love
Stage Name: Stamp
Writer: Rory Robert
Producer: Sidney Thorpe

The JCDC will be ramping up the Jamaica Festival Competition workshops over the next 12 months to ensure there are improved entries for next year.