Nominations now open for Belize at 42 Awards

Nominations for the Belize at 42 Awards are now being accepted.  This year’s awards program has seven categories, and are aimed to honor those contributing to Belize’s culture, heritage, and arts.  The public is called to nominate people who are integrally involved in the development of the country in these areas.  Love News spoke to Kim Vasquez, Director of the Institute of Creative Arts.   

Kim Vasquez, Program Officer, Institute of Creative Arts: ‘So the awards the Belize at 42 cultural heritage and arts awards there are seven categories. There is the Andy Palacio award for original Belizean music, the Leelaa Vernon award for cultural heritage, the Don Elijio Panti award for indigenous knowledge. The Zee Edgell award for literature and we have the George Gabb award for visual art and design and the Rosita Baltazar award for dance. So you can go to the national celebrations commission facebook page for the criteria, there are some guidelines that you need to follow when you are submitting or nominating persons for these awards but again the awards are open to anyone that fits the criteria and you are free to nominate more than one person as well.”

Vasquez further explained the significance of the awards and why it is important to recognize those who contribute positively to the country.

Kim Vasquez, Program Officer, Institute of Creative Arts:  “When we were coming up with the awards that we continue to recognize these persons for their contributions to cultural heritage to the arts. So each one was selected based on the significant contributions they had made in their respective fields and we hold them up as examples for persons in those respective fields and to the wider Belizean population to remember and honor their contributions yes but as well to give recognition to each one of these fields. The awards are a way to push politicians to become more involved in culture and in the arts but I think more than that what it is to give recognition to those who are doing the work and we have a really vibrant cultural and creative sector in Belize. There are people of all ethnicities, of different ages across each one of these different categories and so we really want the Belizean public to reflect on those people in your community that have been working for a number of years it doesn’t really matter again but that you see contributing and making a difference toward cultural heritage to come up toward the arts that you nominate them.”

The Belize at 42 Awards is an initiative launched in 2021. Nomination submission closes on May 12, 2023