Leroy “The Grandmaster” Young Honored with Creative & Cultural Excellence Award

The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and the National Celebrations Commission have named Leroy “The Grandmaster” Young as one of the recipients of the 2025 Creative and Cultural Excellence Award, recognizing his contribution to Belizean arts and culture.

Born on August 7, 1967, in Pinks Alley, Belize City, Young is celebrated as one of the country’s most influential poets and spoken word artists. His lyrical style—a fusion of speaking and chanting performed against rhythmic backdrops —has earned him national acclaim.

Despite early struggles with addiction and personal hardships, Young rose to prominence in the late 1990s through poetic performances on Channel 7 News, where he captured audiences with his raw reflections on current affairs. His works addressed social injustices, political corruption, police brutality, and the struggles of everyday Belizean life, delivered with authenticity drawn from lived experience.

Young went on to publish two poetry collections—Made in Pinks Alley (1999) and Generation X (2000)—and released his groundbreaking debut album Just Like That… in 2004 under Stonetree Records. In 2017, his journey was captured in the DVD Poet of Pinks Alley, produced by the Image Factory Art Foundation.

Today, Young hosts the arts program G2 on a People’s United Party-affiliated radio station, where he continues to mentor creative voices.

In announcing the award, NICH praised Young for “transforming personal adversity into art that resonates with the Belizean people.”