By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 3, 2025

   Eight Belizean artists were recognized for their outstanding creativity and leadership at the annual Awards for Creative and Cultural Excellence hosted by the September Celebrations Commission at the House of Culture on Wednesday afternoon, September 3.

   Leroy “The Grandmaster” Young won the Zee Edgell Award for Literary Art. Young overcame many personal struggles before he became known for his unique poetic style in the late 1990s, when his improvised performances with commentary on social injustice, political corruption, police brutality, and Belizeans’ everyday life on 7News won him recognition as a highly influential Belizean dub poet and spoken word artist. His published works include Made in Pinks Alley and Generation X, and he has released a debut album of his lyrical chants, Just Like That…, with Stonetree Records.

   Mary “Mamie” Martinez won the Rosita Baltazar award for Dance. Trained in classical ballet under Mrs. Mary Valdez, Mamie inherited the mantle of dance instructor, when she became the Director of the Ballet Arts School, training students of ages 4 to 18 years in classical ballet. Her students performed in the school’s annual shows which featured performances of famous ballets like Bayadere, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. She also accepted the Sisters’ of Mercy invitation to work with the St. Catherine Elementary dance program.

   Derrick “Dickey” Straughan won the Andy Palacio award for original Belizean music. A jazz sax maestro, Straughan returned to Belize in 1980 with a mission to shift the practice of local musicians from playing covers of other recorded artists, to composing their own original music, trumpeting our national identity. He recruited the top talent from two premier music bands, the Harmonettes and the Vibrations, to form Bamiki Bandula. Together, under his leadership, they pioneered a unique, original Belizean sound of local rhythms blended with jazz techniques.

   Andy Chuc, of proud Maya Masewal (Yucatec Maya) ancestry and raised in San Pablo Village, Orange Walk District, won the Don Elijio Panti award for protecting and developing indigenous knowledge. As a member of the To’one Masehualoon NGO, he expresses his heritage through artistic illustrations and musical projects inspired by Yucatec Maya folklore, and he passionately advocates for the revitalization of the Yucatec Maya language and identity.

   Gilvano Swasey won the George Gabb award for original visual art and design. His diverse artistic output has won Swasey recognition as a pivotal figure in the Belizean art community, and he has served as a curator for the Imagination Factri and the Museum of Belize, where he has promoted established and emerging artists.

   Margaret Welcome won the Leela Vernon award for creative community action or practice, representation and safeguarding of cultural heritage. She has been making handicraft for over 40 years. Originally from Gales Point, she kept alive the skill of titai weaving when she moved to her new home in Teakettle, where she further refined her skills to make baskets, lamps, and now even doors.

   Sharmaine Garcia won the Beverly Smith-Lopez award for the practice, teaching and general transmission of acting in theatre and film. Garcia won recognition in Belizean theatre and performing arts for her role in the play, “John John’s Blue”, and she had produced such shows as Channel 5’s “Be the Next Superstar”. She also directed the 3rd season of the Punta Fuego radio play, which had a strong marine conservation message.

   Diane Haylock, one of the original Square Peg Players, who also had a minor part in the 1980 Christopher Walken movie, Dogs of War, won the outstanding cultural leadership award. She directed such acclaimed productions as, “We Won’t Pay, We Won’t Pay” (2005), and “Cyaant Walk Da Mi Plantaish” (2006). She has employed the arts as a platform for social commentary, community engagement, and national reflection. She also served as the president of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), where she championed policies and programs to strengthen Belize’s cultural institutions and elevate creative expression across multiple art forms. She also advanced cultural diplomacy as Belize’s Ambassador to the Republic of China on Taiwan, where she presented Belize’s heritage and creativity on the international stage.

   Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture Hon. Francis Fonseca, in his capacity as president of the September Celebrations Commission, presented the awards, along with BTB director, Evan Tillett.