The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), is admired worldwide for its organization, stability and for the fairness it has brought to the American music industry for decades. The RIAA made the American music industry one with songs and album chart rankings that are appreciated generally as credible and lead to the annual staging of the Grammy Awards.

In contrast, the Reggae industry has been one of Jamaica's most effective sources of income, however this most revered genre of music throughout the world has benefited foreign territories more than its headquarters.

Thankfully, the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJ) has created the Reggae Academy Awards to counteract this trend.

The first annual Reggae Academy Awards ceremony is slated to be held on Sunday, February 24, at the National Indoor Sports Centre. According to organizers, activities leading up to the ceremony will include a road tour that will stop at six locations around the island, namely, Montego Bay, St. Thomas, Ocho Rios, Savanna- La- Mar, Clarendon and Kingston. Its objective is to promote interest in the awards and encourage the public to vote in the two popular award categories, "Most Popular Artist" and "Most Popular Song."