Twelve years after his music became part of will.i.am and Cody Wise’s UK No. 1 hit It’s My Birthday, dancehall star Aidonia is set to receive a BPI-certified Platinum disc in recognition of his contribution to the international smash. The 2014 hit, released by Interscope, spent 17 weeks on the Official UK Singles Chart and went straight to No. 1, becoming will.i.am’s fifth solo chart-topper in Britain.
Aidonia’s connection to the record stems from his dancehall track Fi Di Jockey, elements of which were incorporated into It’s My Birthday. More than a decade later, that contribution is set to be formally recognised at the sixth staging of the Excellence in Music Ceremony 2026, where the Jamaican artiste will receive a Platinum disc connected to the commercial success of the hit in the United Kingdom. The recognition puts another spotlight on the far-reaching influence of Jamaican dancehall, whose sounds have repeatedly travelled from local studios and sound systems to some of the world’s biggest pop records.
The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. Organised by Back 2 Da Future Music Limited in collaboration with Royalty Network Inc., the Excellence in Music Ceremony, formerly known as the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, recognises Jamaican and Caribbean artistes, musicians, producers, songwriters, engineers and other creative contributors whose work has helped shape successful reggae, dancehall and global recordings. This year’s expanded ceremony will also feature BPI-certified Silver, Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum discs alongside Grammy Certificates.
For Aidonia, the honour represents a significant international acknowledgement of a contribution that many music fans may not have known existed. A recording rooted in Jamaican dancehall ultimately became connected to a mainstream pop hit that topped the UK charts and amassed more than half a million UK chart sales. As the Excellence in Music Ceremony prepares to shine a light on the creators behind major recordings, Aidonia’s Platinum recognition stands as another reminder that Jamaican music’s global impact often extends far beyond the names listed on a song’s front cover.
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