The race is heating up for the 65th annual Grammy awards as the date for entries come to a close at the end of August. The reggae category in particular has seen some heavyweights drop projects this year and already people are talking about who will walk away with one of music’s most coveted trophy.
Among the albums released this year that may be considered for nomination include sets from last year’s (Donda) album of the year nominee Shenseea who dropped her Interscope debut ‘Alpha’ on March 11, 2022. 2020’s Best Reggae Album winner Koffee also dropped her debut album Gifted March 25, 2022. Spice, who was nominated for Best Reggae Album with 10, will be dropping her independent sophomore album ‘Emancipated’ tomorrow August 26. Masicka released his critically acclaimed album 438 on December 3, 2021. Black Uhuru, the group that won the very first Reggae Grammy in 1984 released New Day on May 13, 2022 and Sean Paul, who was nominated last year for Live N Livin released his Island Records debut Scorcha. U.K.-Jamaican music star Stefflon Don who released Clock Work with Spice last week is set to drop her debut album Island 54 in September. We may even see two time Reggae Grammy winner Shaggy in the mix this year with his reggae Sinatra covers “Come Fly With Me,” released May 25, 2022. The sole Marley who may have a project this year is Stephen Marley who produced an album of Nina Simone covers : ‘Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone’ on Ghetto Youths International label.
The closing date for entries in the 65th Annual Grammy Awards is 6pm PT/9pm ET on 8/31 but albums have until the end of September to release in order to be considered in all categories.
For the controversial and niche reggae category which was won by the mostly white Virginia based reggae band SOJA earlier this year, entries from both dancehall Ska music genres are eligible. Albums released from October 1, 2021 through to September 30, 2022 will be considered even though the deadline to submit is a month earlier.
Each year there are over 20,000 submissions to the Recording Academy across more than 25 categories such as pop, rock, rap, R&B, country, reggae, classical, gospel, and jazz, as well as production and postproduction work, including packaging and album notes.
The voting process according to the Grammys official website allows Academy voting members a vote in up to ten categories across up to three fields in the genre fields plus the four categories of the General Field to determine the winners. To ensure the quality of voting, members are directed to vote only in their fields of expertise.
At the 64th Annual Grammys, the voters choice for Best Reggae Album was met with social media backlash from Jamaicans including Bounty Killer and Reggae Grammy winner Beenie Man, due to the non-Jamaican group’s win.
New York’s Hot 97 program director Ebro has also chimed in expressing oblivion with the selection via twitter.
PR agent Christy Barber addressed several matters relating to the Grammys in a lengthy rant on The Bim Show with Bambino and Jade on Fyah 105 on the morning after the Grammy awards in April.
Although her support for the predominately white group’s win is clear, she explains that artists have an obligation to think about the Grammys early if they wish to win. “When it comes to the Grammy process you need to start thinking about this if it matters to you when you start recording,” she said.
For persons wondering what is the claim to fame for SOJA and other American reggae bands, she says “These bands are selling more in America than reggae artists in Jamaica.”
SOJA is known to perform 360 shows in 18 months spanning several countries.
The grammy nominated producer says, “Reggae music is international music, it is the most powerful music in the world, it inspires everybody…I am a white girl, blonde hair blue eyes from the midwest in America. I am not Jamaican, I am a Grammy nominated producer.” She assuredly stated “Nobody had a problem when it happened to me.”
Having worked with Damian Marley, Supercat and Spragga Benz in the past, Barber said “I am dancehall, hardcore dancehall to the core, getting me to listen to a roots record that might be a stretch.”
“At the end of the day it’s been a long time coming that one of these bands was gonna do it, I was so happy with Gramps, so happy with Sean Paul, even what shaggy did with Spice.”
As for winning a Grammy Barber said it comes down to one thing, getting in front of the voters. “We had a couple nominees this year that weren’t even grammy voters, you have to get in front of the grammy voters.
The US citizen said, “I have been a Grammy voter for 18 years and I take that more seriously than voting for the President Of The United States Of America.”
