Richie Innocent hopes his seventh nomination for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer will land him the elusive Mutabaruka Award at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) which takes place on March 30 at the Coral Springs Center for The Arts in South Florida.
Amaziyah The Great, Judith Falloon-Reid and Wise Wurdz are the other contenders in that category, to be decided by voting which closes on March 30.
“I am grateful to be considered once again by the industry players and it is always good to be acknowledged within the sphere where you get to share and engage the listening public locally and internationally,” he said.
Last year, the New York-based artist released ‘Perseverance’, his first book of poems. It includes the controversial ‘Body Camera’ which suggests surveillance apparatus be attached to spouses suspected of cheating. Four months ago, he hosted ‘Richie Innocent And Friends: Echoes of Expression’, a show that featured a number of poets including Fallon-Reid and Jackson, who won the IRAWMA for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer in 2024.
While he has never won, Richie Innocent believes it is important to attend the IRAWMA which was first held in 1982 in Chicago by fellow Jamaican, Ephraim Martin.
“I have always turned up to share the moment with my colleagues and I have always remained hopeful that I may get the opportunity to hold the award eventually yet also knowing that the decision is also by way of the ballot and so far, the votes are yet to be in my favor, but through perseverance I keep working,” he said.