As we celebrate our 10th anniversary and Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence, the IRPC contest honours women in and of reggae and all other genres of Jamaican popular music.  We wish to highlight the many roles of women in the Jamaican music industry, such as songwriter, singer, DJ, producer, artist manager, tour manager, booking agent, publicist, and entertainment journalist. The outstanding careers of these women have been central to the development and expansion of Jamaica’s greatest cultural export.

We also honour the women whose powerful roles in society as freedom fighter, cultural activist and nurturer are documented in Jamaican music. We are looking for creative visual expressions that evoke this year’s theme, showcasing women with the energy and vibe for which Jamaican culture is known at home and internationally.

Submissions open: February 1, 2022

It was 40 years ago when I found myself in Jamaica for the first time, drawn to that glorious burst of musical expression emerging from that Little Big Country. The result was the film “Rockers” and with it, a deep bond with the music and what the music represented to the people who were making it. An astonishing array of talent giving expression to a new cultural awareness that was instantly recognized and understood by people the world over.

Reggae was the music that was heard far and wide because it carried with it the aspirations of a new generation determined to… Read more