ERC’s jingle competition winners walked away with over $2M in prizes

– Adaiah Griffith cops 1st prize

Adaiah Griffith was adjudged the winner of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Jingle Competition followed by Alcesa Grenville Wong in second place and Roger Hinds also known as ‘Young Bill Rogers’ came in third.
The consolation prize winners were Shaquana Goodluck, Erica Rupine, Rondel Holder, Nehemiah Williams, Nicholas Singh, Diana Chapman and Stacey Rowe-Setal.
The three main prize winners each received a trophy and shared almost $1.5 million in prizes. Consolation prizes of $100,000 each and certificates were also awarded to seven contestants to round off the top ten submissions.
The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on Friday last at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown.
This celebratory evening brought together creative minds, stakeholders, and supporters to honour the talented participants who showcased their artistic expressions of unity, diversity, and inclusion.
The Jingle Competition, launched on November 1st of this year, sought to promote the ERC’s mission of fostering harmonious relations among Guyana’s diverse ethnic groups. Participants from across the nation were invited to submit jingles that highlighted themes of togetherness, understanding, and mutual respect. The Commission received a total of 51 valid entries.
After a rigorous judging process, the top 10 finalists were selected based on creativity and originality, lyric clarity and diction and their Jingles relevance to the themes.

The esteemed judges, comprising of Guyana’s legendary singers and composers Sukrane Budhoo, Leon Couchman, Poonam Singh, Burchmore Simon, and Shawn Bhola evaluated all the entries to determine the winners.
Deputy-Chairman of the ERC, Charles Ogle noted that “the wonderful Jingles that were submitted are intended to be used as a unifying force to counter the known tensions that arise during the general elections period. With the 2025 General Elections upon us, it is the hope of the ERC, that these Jingles with their messages of love, peace, tolerance and togetherness will resonate widely with all, cultivating an atmosphere of ethnic harmony and understanding across Guyana.”
Ogle, who was speaking on behalf of the Chairman, Shaikh Moeenul Hack, who unfortunately could not be part of the ceremony, highlighted that “The work of building bridges and fostering mutual respect does not end here. This competition is a step, a significant step, on a journey that requires each of us to be ambassadors of peace and understanding in our communities.”
Chairman of the ERC PR Media Sub-Committee Commissioner Neaz Subhan in his brief remarks expressed optimism of the competition’s impact. “This Jingle Competition is yet another medium for the ERC to get the message over of harmony, respect and unity. We believe these Jingles will be a potent part of bringing our people together and will have an impact on Guyanese here in Guyana and abroad.”