Alexx Antaeus, a seasoned music producer and Recording Academy member for more than 30 years, secured his first Grammy win in 2023 for Colors of Royal, a collaborative album with Julian Marley.
Two years later, he found himself back in the running with Jah Sees Them – Amapiano Remix, a track from the same album, earning a nomination in the Best Remixed Recording, Pop & Dance/Electronic category. However, the award ultimately went to “Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix)” by FNZ & Mark Ronson, remixers (Sabrina Carpenter).
Also nominated were:
- Von Dutch – A.G. Cook, remixer (Charli XCX & A.G. Cook feat. Addison Rae)
- A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix] – David Guetta, remixer (Shaboozey & David Guetta)
- Alter Ego – KAYTRANADA Remix – KAYTRANADA, remixer (Doechii feat. JT)
In an exclusive interview with World Music Views, Antaeus reflected on his experience at the recently concluded Grammy Awards and the role reggae and dancehall professionals can play in shaping the Academy.
“We all had concerns about how things would unfold with the fires in Los Angeles,” he said. “A lot of the usual Grammy Week events were canceled, which was unfortunate because those events are crucial for networking and celebrating the industry. Every major record label hosts something.”
Despite the disruptions, the ceremony went ahead, and Antaeus described it as one of the most enjoyable he had attended in years. However, the Best Reggae Album category stirred controversy when Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired by the Film was announced as the winner.
The album faced scrutiny over its eligibility, as the Recording Academy only awards statuettes to contributors who make up more than 50% of a project. Given that the 10-track deluxe edition featured a different singer and songwriter on each song, it was unclear if any single contributor including artists, engineers or producers met that threshold.
The nominees in the category also included:
- Never Gets Late Here – Shenseea (the top-streaming dancehall album of 2024)
- Take It Easy – Collie Buddz
- Evolution – The Wailers
- Party With Me (EP) – Vybz Kartel
Antaeus echoed the sentiments of Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., emphasizing the need for more Caribbean-based industry professionals to participate in the Grammy voting process if they expect that their voices will be heard.
“The more voters we have who are connected to reggae and dancehall, the stronger our presence will be,” he said.
He also highlighted a critical issue within the reggae category: the lack of promotional efforts by this year’s nominees.
“Out of the five reggae nominees this year… nobody was promoting,” he explained. “It’s the job of the teams behind the artists.”
Harvey Mason Jr. told World Music Views in a previous interview, that, on average, 75 albums are submitted in the Best Reggae Album category each year, with roughly 500 projects submitted over the past six years. However, history shows that the Marley family has dominated the category, with Ziggy Marley winning eight times—more than any other artist. While Bob Marley himself never won a Grammy, the last three winners in the Best Reggae Album category have all been connected to the Marley legacy.
Despite reggae’s global influence, only 6% of Grammy Voting Members are connected to reggae music, according to the Recording Academy’s 2023 Member Class survey. Antaeus sees this as a major hurdle for emerging artists and even dancehall’s biggest stars.
“You don’t have 500 people voting out of Jamaica who know who Vybz is,” he said, referring to dancehall icon Vybz Kartel.
During the first round of voting, Antaeus cast his ballot for dancehall star Masicka, who submitted his Def Jam release Generation of Kings. However, the album failed to secure a nomination due to a lack of visibility among voters.
“Submitting is only the first step—you have to ensure that voters actually know about the project,” Antaeus said. “How am I gonna vote for a project if I don’t even know it exists? I voted for Masicka in the first round, but I’m one of the few who even know who he is.”
Had Bob Marley: One Love not won, Antaeus believes Collie Buddz would have taken home the award.
“If the Marley project didn’t win, Collie Buddz would have. He had the team to promote his album,” Alexx said. “People think the Grammys are about popularity or sales thats why you might have a superstar who lose to a lesser known producer or artist because that lesser known producer has more respect within the academy about their body of work.
Alexx’s book “is now available in bookstores. He reiterates, nobody knows who is going to win a Grammy, all we can do is make great music, follow the academy’s rules and hope for the best.”
