This Renown Caribbean Diaspora Photographer Receives A Trailblazer Award

IED Trailblazer honoree Roland Hyde at l after receiving his award on Sept. 30, 2017. (Sheron Bunafyah Hamilton-Pearson/Facebook image)

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Oct. 3, 2017: Renowned Caribbean Diaspora fashion photographer, Roland Hyde, has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Media Award for his nearly four decades of work in the Caribbean community overseas.

Jamaican-born Roland Hyde was presented the fifth annual Image Entertainment & Distinction, (IED), Trailblazer Award on Sat. September 30, the at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.

Hyde is a New York based Fashion Photographer, who has been serving the Caribbean American communities continuously for thirty-seven years. He also produced television shows for fifteen years and directed several music videos over the last ten years.

At nine years old he owned a huge medium format camera, Yashica Y, a gift from his Pastor, Rev. Alonzo Frazier, to congratulate him on passing the Common Entrance Scholarship Exam to begin high school.

He obtained his education at William Knibb Memorial High School, University of the West Indies and Germein School of Photography, Center for the Media Arts, where he graduated with Honors and major Distinction by winning First Prize in the Senior Photography Exhibition and Photo Contest. He also won three First Prizes in a National Fine Arts Competition at the Denbeigh Shows.

On numerous occasions, he has been official photographer for four Jamaican prime ministers, other Caribbean leaders, Presidents: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter. President Nelson Mandela {South Africa}, President Olusegun Obasanjo {Nigeria}, Muammar Gaddafi{Libya}. Also Presidential Candidates: Hillary Clinton, Rev Jesse Jackson and Rev Al Sharpton. Covered Governors Andrew Cuomo, George Pataki, David Patterson; Mayors Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Bloomberg. Bill de Blasio; Senators Chuck Schumer, Christine Gillibrand; Congress members Yvette Clarke, Major Owens, Ed Towns, Charles Rangel and almost all New York politicians; Gen. Colin Powell; Nobel Prize Winners Sir Arthur Lewis and Maya Angelou, with photos taken at The White House, United Nations, Gracie Mansion, City Hall, Madison Square Gardens and Citi Field.

Hostd for the IED awards were Shaggy and Tara Wallace of VH1′s hit show Love & Hip-Hop New York.

Meanwhile, in entertainment, honorees for the Lifetime Achievement in Music Awards were Marcia Griffiths and The Mighty Sparrow while the International Award in Music was presentedn to Maxi Priest; and Vintage R&B singer Mel’isa Morgan received the IED Lifetime Image Award and Irie Jam Radio personality Roy Walters received the IED Media Award.