Number of Reggae Grammy ‘considerations’ too low – Contractor

Sixty-five albums have been listed as being under consideration in the Best Reggae Album category of the 2024 Grammy Awards, which is returning to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 4.

However, producer Sean 'Contractor' Edwards is expressing concern that the number of entries is too low and has been decreasing, and that reggae runs the risk of losing its own category.

"There was a time when we used to have way more than 100 entries under consideration. Sixty-five is low," the marketer and executive producer of the Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica series told THE STAR.

For the 2022 Grammy Awards, there were 126 submissions in the Best Reggae Album category and Grammy-nominated producer Cristy Barber warned that the category could be merged.

"Other categories have up to 800 submissions. They are folding categories left, right and centre, and we could get folded into World, which also has African and soca. I wouldn't want that to happen," Barber, who is a voting member of the Recording Academy, said in a December 2021 interview with The Gleaner. She added, however, that since the pandemic, the number of entries have been dwindling across all categories.

The World Music category has since been split into two: Best Global Music - Album; and Best Global Music - Performance. This year, three of the biggest reggae acts appear on the consideration list on the Best Global Album category: Stephen Marley with his critically acclaimed Old Soul; Shaggy with the soca-flavoured In the Mood; and Morgan Heritage with The Homeland. Others being considered are Burna Boy, Baaba Maal, Davido, Stonebwoy and Wizkid.

Morgan Heritage is also being considered in nine categories, including Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album, Non Classical; Song of the Year; and Best Global Music Performance.

Edwards shared that with Morgan Heritage being a well-known name in Africa, the Global Music category would "not be a tough one for them".

His Tropical House Cruise To Jamaica (The Asian Edition), a various artistes compilation, made the consideration list of 65, from which five reggae albums will be nominated.

"Just to make the list is exciting because it means you met all the requirements. It's also encouraging because you know once you get enough votes, you stand a chance if being nominated. It's my second straight year being on the list and it can be disappointing if you don't make it. I am even more excited for artistes on the album who have never been on the list like Chris Gayle and the new artistes on the project," Edwards shared.

Some of the albums under consideration are Simma - Beenie Man; Undeniable - Jah Cure; Golden - Marcia Griffiths; Born For Greatness - Buju Banton; Colors of Royal - Julian Marley and Antaeus; No Destroyer - Burning Spear; I Give You Love - Mykal Rose; 4.14 - Valiant; 22 - Yaksta; Bad Juvi Mixtape - Pablo YG; and Jamaica Festival Song 2023 Competition - Various Artistes.

The eligibility period for the 2024 Grammys was for recordings released October 1, 2022, through September 15, 2023. Only recordings that are commercially released in the US are eligible for consideration. First round voting opened on October 11.