International reggae crooner Gramps Morgan, fresh from copping the prestigious (Reggae) Album of the Year Award for his debut solo disc 2 Sides of My Heart Vol.1 at this year's Excellence in Music Awards (EME) in Jamaica, has now secured a whopping five nominations for the 2010 International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) that will be staged on Sunday, May 02, at the York College Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York.

Gramps' nominations include: Best Song - Wash the Tears; Best Male Vocalist; Best Crossover Song - Therapyfeaturing India Arie; Best New Entertainer and Songwriter of the Year.

"I'm so excited and overwhelmed to have five nominations," said Gramps. "Since I launched my solo career I have had a number of pleasant surprises and this is certainly one of them. It is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. I thank the fans and the media for the support and my management team for the hard work that they have put into my project so far."

big album launch party

While in Jamaica, Gramps' label, Dada Son Entertainment and album distributor Tads International threw a big album launch party, where scores of celebrities, fans and industry tastemakers were treated to a very special duet performance with Gramps and Grammy winner India Arie.

Gramps' current success comes on the heels of a whirlwind year in 2009 that included a major US tour with Arie and John Legend. In August 2009 he performed back-to-back, sold out events at the world-famous Madison Square Gardens in New York and topped off the summer with a strong performance at Irie Jamboree, North America's premier reggae festival.

His debut album 2 Sides of My Heart Vol. 1 had one of the strongest reggae debuts ever, racking up impressive sales in its first week. Then in October at Citi Field Stadium in New York City, home to the legendary New York Mets baseball team, he delivered a sizzling pre-game performance of his hit single Don't Cry for Jamaica that warmed the hearts of thousands of baseball fans at the Mets vs Houston Astros game.

For 2010, Gramps plans to remain focused on his core mission which is to heal the world with his music.

Just last weekend he embarked on yet another first, taking the stage for two historic performances in Las Vegas, at the largest rugby event in North America, the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament.