The inaugural Caribbean Music Awards ceremony will be hosted by Wyclef Jean on Aug. 31 at King’s Theater in Brooklyn, New York. The event is being put on by the Caribbean Elite Group (CEG), which publishes a print and digital publication called Caribbean Elite Magazine. A host of Caribbean musicians are scheduled to perform during the show, as well, including Nailah Blackman, Dexta Daps, Jada Kingdom, Ding Dong, and Kranium.
 

Several special awards are slated to be given out during the ceremony. Multitalented Trini Machel Montano will receive a lifetime achievement award during the show. Reggae star Beres Hammond is also set to be honored with an Elite Icon Award.
 

The 26 categories being honored at the Caribbean Music Awards cross a range of genres, including reggae, dancehall, kompa, soca, and zouk. Voting for the awards started on April 6 and ended on July 31. Tickets to the event cost $60.50 to $161 and are on sale online. The awards ceremony will also be live-streamed on YouTube.

The top nominee for this year’s awards is Trini soca group Kes, which secured five nominations. Masicka, Montano, Ding Dong, and Shenseea are tied for second place with four nominations each. Seven other artists received three nominations apiece.

This is not the former Fugees rapper’s first hosting gig. He hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm, Sweden in 2000. For that show, Jean made his entrance on the back of an elephant. So, we anticipate his entrance at the Caribbean Music Awards will be just as memorable.
 

The Haitian artist has won three Grammys throughout his career. Two of the awards were for his work on 1996’s The Score, while the other was for his work as a co-producer of Santana’s Supernatural in 1999. He has also received a Golden Globe Award for his work on the Hotel Rwanda song “Million Voices” in 2005.