THE 2011 ZROD Top 7@7 Music Awards has been set for March 5 at the Sir Rupert Brier Cliffe Hall in Tortola, where a number of artistes will be awarded in 7 categories.

According to the group’s President, Craig Lake aka DJ Push Pop, the entertainers would be awarded for recordings and overall impact for the past year, and the winners are decided after the public had cast their votes which was open for several months and closes later this week. Since the awards were established four years ago the public have always cast their votes for their favorite nominee through texting via telephone mobile service provider CCT.

The categories being contested are Best Male Artiste, Best Female Artiste, Best Love Song, Rookie Group of the Year, Artiste with Most #1 Songs of the Year, Best Creative Song and the Top 7@7 2011-2012 Champion.

A special award would be given out on the night by the organizing group to someone for playing an instrumental and leadership role in the Cultural and Youth Development in Tortola.

According to Lake who is the founder of the Awards, the objectives of the awards seeks to motivate young and upcoming talent in Tortola, with the view of providing them with regional and international attention, so as to help in enhancing and motivating them. It also seeks at grooming local talent, while providing a platform, for young people to explore opportunities, with the view of deviating them from negative ills within society.

A number of companies have come on board to lend valuable sponsorship support among them being Bevis Sylvester who is being hailed along with his company for what has been dubbed as massive support, CCT Global Communications, JTV, Hon. Andrew Fahie, Ministry of Education, Hon. Elvis Harrigan, Hon. Omar Hodge, NAGICO Insurances, Mr. Myron Walwyn, The Moorings Hotel and Marina, Smith’s Gore, Road Town Wholesale, Colonial Insurance, Virgin Island News Online, Rioad Town Ffast Ferry, Mr. Mark Vanterpool, Hon. Keith Flax, Rotary Club of Tortola, Rotary Club of Road, Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith, Hon. Irene Penn – O Neal and Burke’s Garage Ltd.

Regional General Manager of Delta Petroleum said that his company is very happy to be once again supporting this event. He noted that they have witnessed the rapid and positive growth noting that the event continues to attract attention to the island. “This show is definitely growing at Delta Petroleum we believe that investing heavily in our young people can only yield success so we are happy to be associated with this event and would like to reaffirm our commitment to continue supporting similar initiatives,” he promised.

The Top 7 at 7 awards also looks at rewarding artistes for their work in the music industry, thus charging them to continue on the path of growth and development, and looking at urging them to lift the standard of the art form. Popular international artiste Sean Kingston was the main act when he performed last year while the overall award was won by Higher Level. The overall winners for 2009 and 2008 were Squad Up and O Reggae Boys respectively.

Meanwhile, Kingston was recognised for his invaluable and continuo’s support to the development of local young and upcoming artistes and was awarded with a special award from the Hon Andrew Fahie, Minister of Education and Culture last year.

A number of artistes would be awarded for making number ones, among them are MBJ, CB4Life, Stand Up, Top Notch Family, 5 Star Ballers, 3rd Degree, Showtime Band, Extreme Band, Monea, Travis, Bria, Country Boys and Vendom Boys.

Push Pop said that the awards committee is managed with the assistance off five DJ’s with two coming from St. Thomas and the others from Tortola. The Awards show will also see a number of live performances including those of US based Rock City who have already been confirmed. The Top 7@7 Music Awards was established in 2008 by .Lake aka Push Pop who is a radio DJ with the very popular ZROD 103.7 FM.

The renowned radio personality said that his aim is to envision, authenticate and dedicate an awards ceremony to the Virgin Islands music and entertainment, fashioned after the famed Grammy Awards, with grandeur and pageantry characteristic of such an awards ceremony. It was noted that Delta petroleum has secured the services of a number of major news network from the Caribbean to attend the show with the view of proving regional and international exposure to the artistes. {DATA & IMAGES COURTESY: PR}