Al Hamilton is seen as the grandfather of Award ceremonies in the black community. He launched the Commonwealth Sports Awards back in 1980 to celebrate achievements of sports men and women from the Commonwealth.

Al came to Britain from Jamaica in 1962 to develop his career as a photographer. However, he developed his career as a sports journalist / editor for Caribbean Times and Gleaner during the 1970s. Between 1982-1986 he co launched and was editor of Sports Scene.

In 1982 he was author of History of Black Pearls of Soccer. In 1987 he organised the first football tournament between Black British Players and the Jamaican national team which started the foundations of professional football and Jamaican qualifying for the e World Cup in Paris in 1998.

In1999 he was co author with Rodney Hines A-Z of Black Football. Al Hamilton has mentored and supported a whole of Black British sportsjournalist and developed extensive links with all black sports stars and athletics over the last 30 years. This is reflected in the continue success of the Commonwealth Sports Awards over the last 23 years and the longest established black awards event in Britain.