Ikem Smith, a 24-year-old freelance visual artist and graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, is the winner of the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) 2016 VYBZING Jamaica Animated Music Video Challenge.

Ikem won the top prize of US$2,000 for his entry entitled: ‘Funky Beam School Band’.

Leighton Campbell took the second-place award of US$1,550 for his ‘ICT Force’, video; while Rushane Jones’ entry entitled: ‘Public Service Announcement About ICT Awareness’ took the US$1,250 third-place award.

The winner and runners-up were presented with their prizes during the Thursday’s (May 19) closing day of the CDB 46th annual Board of Governors meeting at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

Rushane also won the People’s Choice award of US$250, after receiving 240 votes during the public voting conducted on the VYBZING Facebook page between
May 2 and 13.

In March 2016, the challenge was issued to Jamaican animators to create a video on social and economic development issues and challenges that are impacting their lives.

The theme for the competition was ‘Beam Me Up with ICTs’ and was intended to encourage participants to focus on how ICT can transform the cultural, economic, social and educational lives of youth in Jamaica.

Source: Jamaica Information Service