Isaac Blackman, The Prodigal Son and Mt.Tabor Praise & Worship Ministry Are Top Winners at Marlin Awards 2009

March 30^th 2009 (Nassau, Bahamas): Trinidad & Tobago Native Isaac Blackman had lots of reason to jump up to the ceiling during the 2009 Marlin Awards held on Sunday March 29^th at the Diplomat Center in Nassau, Bahamas. Isaac walked or danced away with the most awards that night, emerging with a total of four (4) Marlin Awards including New Artist of the Year, Ethnic Recording of the Year, Music Video of the Year-Solo and one of the evening’s top prizes, Song of the Year, all of his global mega hit “To the Ceiling”. Due to several circumstances Isaac was not in attendance, however his sister Avion Blackman was on hand to accept the awards on behalf of her little brother.

Jamaican gospel dancehall recording artist The Prodigal Son won three (3) awards including the most prestigious prize of the night, Album of the Year for his double-disc opus “Songs From My Midnight / Break of the Day”. He also won the award for Dub Recording of the Year for “Bongo Town” and Dee-Jay Vocal Performance of the Year Duo/Group for “Ketch A Fire” featuring his brother Jason Mighty.

Bahamian Praise & Worship team, The Mount Tabor Praise & Worship Ministry also won three (3) Marlin Awards including one for Adapted Praise & Worship Recording of the Year for their remake of the contemporary worship anthem “Amazed” and another for Praise & Worship Recording of the Year for their original hit single “Don’t Do It Without Me” featuring world renowned pastor/author and recording artist Bishop Paul S.Morton

Mount Tabor also made history by becoming the recipients of the first ever Record of the Year Award, one of two online voting categories introduced by the Marlin Awards this year and coordinated and managed by Jamaican media personality Arnold Kelly & his Caribbean Hour organization. Bahamian Classical singer JoAnn Callender took home three (3) awards including one for Special Event Recording of the Year for her Jazz inspired Christmas single “Silent Night”. She also won two awards along with Manifest for the Hip/Hop meets opera smash “I Shall Rise”.

Other top winners included new recording artist Kristine Alicia who took home two (2) awards including Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year-Female and Artist of the Year, the second online voting award where the consumers and lovers of Caribbean Gospel got a chance to cast their votes for the first time. Simeon Outten also won two (2) awards including Rake & Scrape Vocal Performance of the Year and Traditional Recording of the Year for “Thank You”, a testimonial record about how he and his family overcame the lost of their home and personal belongings following a major hurricane several years ago. Hip/Hop artist and CEO of Dunamus Soundz Records, Manifest won for Hip/Hop Recording of the Year and Hip/Hop Sung Collaboration for his rap meets opera sensational smash “I Shall Rise” that features the stunning vocals of Bahamian Classical singer JoAnn Callender.

Also taking home two (2) awards this year was Mr. Kingdom Ambassador himself Stitchie winning Dancehall Recording of the Year-Solo for “Lord Almighty” and Packaging of the Year for his latest CD “Real Life Story”. African born/London based urban foursome Four Kornerz won their first two (2) Marlin Awards, one for Contemporary Recoding of the Year for “Gonna Make It” and the other in the technical category for Engineered Recording of the Year for their excellent production work on their debut CD” Soulectric”.

Other top award winners included Omari (Reggae Recording of the Year-”Help”), Monty G featuring Trinidad reggae singer Positive (Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year-Duo-”I Want to Know”), Christian Massive (Junkanoo Recording of the Year-”Create”), Toronto Mass Choir (Adapted Caylso Recording of the Year-”Heavens Medley”), Sean Daniel (Soca Recording of the Year-”Di Real Ting”), DJ Nicholas-Dancehall Recording of the Year -”Back to the Owner”), CJ (Jazz Recording of the Year-”I See Love”), Marvia Providence (Calypso/Soca Vocal Performance of the Year-Female-”Rock of Ages”), Troy Anthony (Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year-Male-”Rise Up”) and Gotee Recording Artist Ayiesha (Pop/Rock Recording of the Year-”Happy”). The late Jamaican gospel dancehall artist Kasim ‘Moses’ Grant also won a posthumous award for Culture Recording of the Year for his single “Feels It, Knows It”.

Including Moses (1980-2009), the Marlin Awards also took time out to acknowledge the contributions of several other artists who have passed on since the staging of the last awards in 2006 including the late Jamaican female artist Sister Sharon Dyer-Sharpe (1962-2007), Bahamian hip/hop artist and Monty G’s brother Rashad “Mista” Green (1977-2007) and Bahamian reggae singer and songwriter Lawrence Daxon (1970-2009).

The Rev.Arthur Preacher Rolle Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bahamian legendary group “The Elevations” and The President’s Award was given to veteran gospel DJ, sound and broadcast engineer Darnell Forde aka Psalms 150 DJ for his invaluable contribution towards the development and growth of Caribbean Gospel Music.

The Marlin Awards are produced by Harris Communications and are held bi-annually in Nassau, Bahamas. For more information contact Harris Communications at 242-327-1251. You can also email them at marlinawards@gmail.com or visit them online at www.marlinawards.com and www.myspace.com/marlinawards.