For more than 45 years, Michael ‘Mikie’ Bennett has been a driving force in Jamaican music, creating music, nurturing talent, and helping to shape an industry that has become one of the country’s most powerful cultural exports. Along the way, he has also mentored generations of up-and-coming musicians, earning him a place among the industry’s enduring figures. That decades-long contribution was recognised on Thursday, when Bennett was named among 140 Jamaicans to be recognised at this year’s National Honours and Awards ceremony on Heroes’ Day in October.