2020 Jamaica Gospel Song Competition Kicks-off With Audition Round

The Jamaica Gospel Song Competition, will kick off its 2020 cycle with a series of four regional auditions,aimed at unearthing upcoming Gospel artistes from all 13 parishes across the island.

2019 Jamaica Gospel Song Winner, Joanna Walker performs her winning song, Tastee and Seeat the Competition’s Grand Final, which was a part of the Jamaica 57 Independence Festival Celebrations.Beginning this Friday, January 17 with the Central region, the auditions will place Jamaica’s rising Gospel talents in front of a panel of noteworthy adjudicators who are successful, well established industry practitioners, to see who has what it takes to move on to the semi-final round of the island’s most renowned Gospel song competition.

“The Jamaica Gospel Song competition continues to provide opportunities to unearth and showcase the talents of new artistes, writers and performers.This is one of, if not the most successful Gospel competitions in Jamaica, and it opens doors for a lot of new artistes both local and internationally, every year.A lot of our entrants  have gone on to build a solid music career, including Kevin Downswell, Lubert Levy and Glacia Robinson, to name a few,”saidDirector of Marketing & Public Relations at the JCDC, Andrew Clunis.

“Quite a fewopportunities have also opened up for other past Jamaica Gospel Song contestants, not just the winners, through the training they have received from the workshops and their participation in the competition. And, in addition to the invaluable experience and talent development that the Competition offers, competitors have the opportunity to win cash prizes and awards,”Clunis further stated.

The Central Region will host the first regional audition this Friday, January 17, at the St. Mark’s Anglican Church Hall in Mandeville, Manchester and will cover the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon. The Western Regional Audition follows on Friday, January 24 at the Hollis Peter Lynch Hall Holy Trinity Church, Westgate St. James, and covers the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny.

On Friday, January 31, the Northern Region will see their auditions being held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Port Maria, St. Mary, and will cover the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland. While the Eastern Region, which covers the parishes of St. Catherine, Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Thomas, will see their audition at Eastwood Park New Testament Church of God in Kingston on Friday, February 7.

Persons interested in entering the competition should note that if they are unsuccessful at their initial audition/elimination, they may try again at another location; however they must do so with a different song. On spot entries will also be accepted at each audition. All applicants must be 16 years and older and be a resident of Jamaica.

Entry forms for the competition are available at the JCDC Head Office located at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston 10, all JCDC parish offices island-wide and online at www.jcdc.gov.jm.

Organized by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport,this competition has been challenging vocalists and song writers to become the best new gospel artist/writer of the year by expressing themselves through an original song for over 30 years.