20 outstanding young people to receive PM Award for Excellence

TWENTY YOUNG people will be presented with the 2023 Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence (PMNYAE) for achievements in various fields, at a ceremony scheduled for April 20 on the lawns of Jamaica House, starting at 5 p.m.

The award recipients will be selected from a list of more than 100 applicants, which was shortlisted to 40 persons.

Equating the PMNYAE to the National Honours and Awards, which is held annually in October, Chairman of the PMNYAE Selection Committee, Fabian Brown, said the award “is the highest honour that the country can bestow upon its young people for the great work and talent they display in the various categories”.

He said he was “very impressed and encouraged” by the calibre of applications that were submitted.

“Our young people are making us proud in every nook and cranny of our country,” he said, adding that “it is safe to say that our nation is in very good hands”.

Recipients of this year’s awards will be recognised for their exceptional achievement in the categories of sports, agriculture, youth development practitioner, youth serving organisation, arts and culture, academics, leadership, journalism/social media influencer, entrepreneurship, nation-building, international achievement, innovation in science and technology, and environmental protection.

There will also be the Prime Minister’s Special Award, to be presented to an individual or organisation for exceptional achievement in their field of study or work.

The PMNYAE was introduced in 1998 to recognise young Jamaicans, 15 to 29 years, who have excelled and contributed to national development.

The award endorses each recipient as a positive role model for their peers, and seeks to promote attitudinal change and social renewal by reinforcing the positive values of self-discipline, hard work, dedication, and humility.