Anybody’s guess on Reggae Grammy nominees - Contenders to be named Friday

The nominees for the 2024 Grammy Awards will be announced this Friday in an event that will be live-streamed starting at 11 a.m. ET.

Already names are being touted for the top five picks in the Best Reggae Album category, in which there are 65 albums under consideration. But very few music critics are ready to go out on a limb and publicly name their choices. Producer and music marketer Sean 'Contractor' Edwards, however, is fearless and told THE STAR which albums he has chosen to possibly secure a nomination from the Recording Academy on November 10.

"I think Burning Spear's album should be nominated because he is a pillar in reggae music. Right now you could say that Burning Spear is the living king of reggae music. I think Julian Marley's album, which is a great album, should definitely be nominated ... he is the only Marley in the race this year. Marcia Griffiths should get a nomination because of the work she has put in over the years, and so too Mykal Rose ... they have an extensive body of work, " Edwards said.

Griffiths' album is titled Golden, Colors of Royal is the entry from Marley and Antaeus, I Give You Love is the offering from Mykal Rose, and Burning Spear's album is titled No Destroyer.

The executive producer of the compilation Tropical House series, Edwards said his entry should also be among the nominees "because we are the album in the reggae category with the most global appeal reaching out to one billion people in India ... having Chris Gayle as the headliner".

Among the artistes on Tropical House Cruise To Jamaica (The Asian Edition) are Chris Gayle, Ms Lauryn Hill, Morgan Heritage, Sizzla, and Capleton. The album debuted at number one on the iTunes Reggae Album Charts upon its release last December.

Edwards also shared that American reggae band Common Kings "should be there somewhere because they are flying high". Celebration, the group's sophomore album, features 2023 Grammy winner Kabaka Pyramid. Their debut album, Lost in Paradise, released in February 2017, received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Reggae Album category, and topped the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart.

"When it comes to crossing over into the dancehall side, we could have Buju Banton ... we could have Beenie Man representing the dancehall," Edwards said.

He opined that reggae artistes putting out albums in other categories was not a bad thing. Stephen Marley's, Old Soul, Morgan Heritage's The Homeland and Shaggy's soca-flavoured In the Mood are all under consideration in the Best Global Album category.

Edwards added, "I think that when the artistes do other genre it should be entered there and it is good to see them opening up into other genres ...but I think definitely that they should release reggae albums because it strengthens the reggae category when you have names like Morgan Heritage, Stephen Marley and Shaggy in the reggae category."

The 66th Grammys returns to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4.