Similarly, the posthumous awards to Bunny Wailer (2018) and the perpetual nominations of Marley family members create a perception of nepotism and nostalgia. It often feels like the voters—many of whom are not reggae specialists—simply scan the list, recognize one name (usually Marley or a Wailer), and check the box. This discourages risk-taking and buries the dancehall and dub fusion artists who are actually pushing the genre forward.
When the category works, it shines a necessary spotlight on roots and culture. The recognition of artists like Steel Pulse (1987), Burning Spear (2000), and Buju Banton (2011’s Before the Dawn ) felt like just corrections to history. The 2025 win for Kabaka Pyramid’s The Kalling was a notable shift—a victory for the new guard, blending the lyrical dexterity of hip-hop with authentic, militant roots production. It proved the Academy could acknowledge evolution. grammys reggae
Implement specialized committees of active reggae musicians and journalists to filter nominations. If you cannot nominate dancehall or modern fusion without flinching, remove the category and fold reggae into the Global Music field. Either commit to the genre’s present or stop pretending a gold-plated trophy from an LA ballroom understands what "forward ever, backward never" truly means. Similarly, the posthumous awards to Bunny Wailer (2018)
Moreover, the nomination process often unearths gems. Each year, a list of five albums forces casual fans to look beyond Bob Marley compilations and dive into the works of Protoje, Chronixx, or Jesse Royal. In that sense, the Grammy functions as a useful, if imperfect, filter. When the category works, it shines a necessary