VI Icon awards Recognize Local Talent
by Jane Bakewell
Several years ago, “son of the soil,” Kareem-Nelson Hull, a telecommunications manager, came up with the idea of creating the Virgin Islands Icon Awards, an Academy Awards-like ceremony to honor outstanding BVI talent in many fields. He may not have known then, but he was letting a proverbial “Genie out of the bottle.”
Held on Virgin Islands Day, a holiday celebrated on the 1st of July, the local star-studded event was sold out packing the Multi- Purpose Sports Complex. Glitz and glamor was the dress code for women, who did not fail to appear in body hugging sequined gowns; they were accompanied by men in their “hip version” of the black tie dress code. It appears this will be an annual event, as organizer Kareem and his team had forecasted.
With years of marketing skills under his belt, Kareem wanted to plan a show, that in his words, is: “How the Big Boys do it.” Through a series of contacts, he was able to connect with the organizers of the Bahamian Icon Awards and the planning began. The categories were narrowed down to 26 allowing for five nominees in each category. Categories included culture, art, music, sports, the environment, fashion design, and others – with room even for a Social Media Influencer.
“We had over 30 people involved in the judging, “Kareem explained, as he wanted the process both rigorous and fair. The Production Team had a lead judge in every category evaluating each contestant’s body of work. “These were not life-time achievement merit awards, rather we wanted to encourage those with ongoing work in their field.”
The public was also encouraged to vote and submit their choices and once the top five nominees were selected, it was clear the judges and the popular vote were on the same page.
The event, was purposefully inclusive and “youth oriented,” with a training school alongside in a learning Event Production. Brent Hoyte, the young thirty-something winner of the Social Media Influencer award, has spent a great deal of his time creating original music and animated video production. Appealing to youth with a positive Christian message is an aim.
“It was humbling to get this award,” he confessed, “but I owe it to a lot of my high school teachers, who encouraged me to aim for goals and keep my values. There is a comedic side of me and there is room for clean comedy.”
Fashion Design winner, Kristin Frazer of Trefle Designs, “hit the ball out of the park,” so to speak. Not only did she win the Icon Award in fashion design, within a few weeks she was on her way to Paris for the Olympics. She had designed the outfits the BVI athletes wore in the Opening Ceremony!
“I do what I love,” she explained in a text on the way back from France.” Through design, music and story-telling, it was an honor to win on behalf of all mentees and other creatives in the BVI. It is encouraging to know your talents are appreciated and seen.”
Sarah Penney of Green VI, who picked up the Environmental Award for the non-profit Green VI was pleased to see that the Icon Awards were inclusive of the Environment. “We are a community organization and any personal pride I had in winning was in the fact we were recognized for what we do.”
Part of Green VI’s work in the business community, in collaboration with government, is finding partners who want to commit to a “Green Pledge. The Pledge entails strong commitments to sustainability with a measurable action plan and timeline.
“The work I do has a strong sense of purpose and I love it because in both the community and globally, it actually effects change. Leaders, she explained, should become sponsors and we hope to do that next year.”
The Virgin Island Icon Awards (VI Icons) has sponsorship from the Office of the Premier as well as other businesses. It now sports a web page and Facebook presence, where one can see the many categories the event was able to cover in all. Over 125 individuals were recognized for their contributions.
Kareem is the executive producer and an author himself of the bi-lingual, “Virgin Islands Dictionary.” The dictionary is a compilation of local colloquial sayings with interpretation. At the Icon Awards, Kareem won the Writer and Publishing Award. Now employed in the Premier’s office, he is using his “free time” planning the 2025 event that will fall on the same holiday week in July. There will be new categories, he explained, as well as subdivisions under the ones already established.
He feels that acknowledging the icons in our midst not only fulfills the adage to “give flowers to the living” but broadens the visibility of the talent that may go unseen in the British Virgin Islands. Talent that we can see already has a place on the world’s stage.
To learn more about the VI Icon Award go to:
https://virginislandsiconawards.com
Read The BVI Insider story about Kristen Fraser, one of the 2024 Virgin Islands icons:
