Governor-General’s Achievement Awards honours 39 Jamaicans at 35th staging at King’s House

The 35th staging of the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards was held at King’s House on July 2, with 39 Jamaicans recognised for leadership, academic achievement and service to their communities under the theme, “The Power of Us, Where Vision Meets Excellence.” Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen and the Most Honourable Lady Allen attended the ceremony, which was hosted by Andrea Chisholm.

In remarks during the function, Sir Patrick said the awards were meant to honour “the very best of who we are as Jamaicans” and argued that progress comes when personal vision is backed by community support. He told awardees that none had advanced alone and said excellence grows out of collective effort. Sponsor representative Dana Cameron, group public relations manager at Jamaica Broilers Group Limited, also said the theme reflected a deeply Jamaican habit of people rallying around one another, especially in difficult times.

The event included a prayer by Kenloy Smith and musical performances by eight-year-old Nekwon Brown, identified as a Grade Three student at Greater Destiny Preparatory and Kindergarten and the 2026 JCDC performing arts music finals winner in the solo category and best overall vocal Jamaican popular performance, and by 2022 Digicel Rising Stars winner Mazin Sutherland.

Awards were then presented across the three age categories for parishes islandwide. St. Elizabeth awardees were Layana Levy, Kenloy Smith and Dr. Lola Bennett; Westmoreland, Jamar Grant, Melvin Honeyghan and Ansel Mowatt; St. James, Fitz-Ann Nelson, Janiel Mackieone and Dr. Marcia Johnson-Campbell; Trelawny, John Seivwright and Raheem Fender; Hanover, Teckwan Ellis, Ramona Wilson-Grant and Keneisha Pine Palmer.

The Middlesex honourees were St. Ann’s Alexia Booth, Carl Brown and Lindsey Isaacs; Clarendon’s Sasha Manning and Michael Thomas; St. Mary’s Sean J. Henry, Desmond Edwards and Dornett Angus Lewis; Manchester’s Tashae Yulett, Kashief Shaw and Genevieve Newman-Borland; and St. Catherine’s Joel Shaw, Sasha Williams and Kadia Claire.

From Surrey, Portland’s awardees were Noenie Freeburn, Trudy-Ann Miller and Raymond Grant; Kingston’s were Regine Bennett and Janoy Lee; St. Thomas’s were Damore McQueen, Felicia Bailey and Clive Anthony Warmington; and St. Andrew’s were Orande Singh, Tiffany Cole and Rona Morgan Burchenson.

Responding on behalf of the honourees, Dr. Marcia Johnson-Campbell said the recipients came from different fields but shared a commitment to service, resilience and hope. She said the recognition was not an endpoint, but “a renewed call to serve with greater humility, greater purpose, and greater excellence.”