DJ Amber Marks QORIHC Honour for Women in Jamaican Media

DJ Amber is marking a major career moment after close to 20 years on air, saying the award she recently received is about more than her own success. The veteran broadcaster says the honour also gives needed visibility to women helping to shape Jamaica’s media and entertainment sectors.

She was named among the honourees at the recent 10th anniversary staging of the Queens of Reggae Island Honour Ceremony Awards, known as QORIHC. The ceremony highlights the work of women in reggae, media, entertainment, business and community development.

For DJ Amber, the award carries special weight because it recognises professionals whose contributions are not always publicly celebrated. “For me, it feels really good to get this show of public appreciation,” she said. “Ladies who work in media, broadcasting, music, and entertainment jobs usually don’t get this kind of recognition. So it’s like a double joy for me to be awarded as a female and as an outstanding media practitioner.”

She said the recognition also points to the barriers women still face in spaces long led mostly by men. “It’s a male-dominated scenery for ladies overall,” she explained. “Whether you work in film, music, or the arts, all of these fields are male-dominated. So it’s great that QORIHC continues to recognise the good work of women like myself and others who were awarded…”

DJ Amber has built a strong place for herself in Jamaican radio over the years. She started her broadcasting journey at Linkz Radio in Savanna-la-Mar before moving to IRIE FM, where her easy, familiar way of speaking has helped her connect with a steady audience.

She believes that bond comes from being natural with listeners. “I don’t have a radio voice,” she said. “I just talk to my audience as I would my friends, family, or people I meet on the road.”

Her public work has also gone beyond the studio. DJ Amber has been recognised for humanitarian outreach, including relief drives for communities affected by natural disasters, support for public access to Jamaica’s beaches, and efforts to draw attention to social concerns facing ordinary Jamaicans.

She sees that kind of work as part of the duty that comes with having a media platform. “I believe that media personalities have a responsibility to use their platforms for social change,” she said. “The media is the perfect space to influence and support positive changes in society.”

DJ Amber said her parents helped shape those values, and community service remains central to both her life and career. While celebrating the QORIHC honour, she is also planning her next steps, including continued radio work, wider business activity, music production opportunities and more humanitarian projects.

“I stay busy even when you don’t see or hear me,” she said.

Looking back on this latest recognition, DJ Amber said she hopes her path motivates other women in media and entertainment. “When people hear my name 20 years from now, I’d love for them to remember me as a kind yet bold woman,” she said. “I want to be remembered for having done all the good I could in this lifetime.”