The Jamaica Gospel Competition was introduced by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission in 1987, as the Commission pursued its vision of unearthing, developing and showcasing the best of Jamaican culture. It has quickly become an iconic presentation of indigenous gospel music in Jamaica.

The competition since inception has attracted on average over 260 artistes, producers and song writers of original gospel music each year.

In 2008, island-wide auditions were introduced, with the hope of attracting more artistes and tapping into a wider gospel talent pool across Jamaica. This year, more than 200 gospel hopefuls auditioned across the island and at this level, competitors were evaluated based on the originality of the songs they presented. This was followed by an elimination round, where the judges made selections based on performance and overall delivery. At the semi –final round, entrants were invited and from that grouping, the ten finalists were selected.

The 2009 competition, under the theme “I Believe in Praise”, will take a new twist this year with the traditional road shows or ‘street blockers’ being replaced with an all island tour being called the “I Believe” tour, that will allow each parish to witness the ten finalist performing live.

Since April, the artistes have been participating in a series of workshops, which are intended to provide them with the necessary grooming and training, while familiarizing them with the music industry. The workshops have been addressed by professionals within the Jamaican Gospel music industry. The road-shows will provide the participants with an opportunity to perform for large audiences and further hone and develop performance skills before the final show.

At the final show, the participants are encouraged to provide a professional performance and are assisted by the JCDC to choreograph and prepare their acts. This year’s final show will be held on Saturday, July 25 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

See a list of our past National Gospel Song winners