Historic ‘Best Reggae Album’ Moments At The Grammy Awards
At the 27th annual Grammy Awards held in 1985, Reggae music made its historic debut amongst the globally respected genres that have long since borrowed from its creative intrigue. Since then, Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans alike have proudly copped Grammy Awards in the Best Reggae Album category—originally called the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording—and cemented their places with the music industry’s highest honor.
Ahead of the 64th Grammy Awards, which will take place Sunday night, here are some historic moments and a look back at the Best Reggae Album category through the years.
Black Uhuru – First Reggae Artists To Win A Grammy
Reggae group Black Uhuru were the first-ever Best Reggae Album winners at the Grammy awards ceremony in 1985 for their album Anthem. The band defeated other equally impressive works, namely Jimmy Cliff’s Reggae Nights, Steel Pulse’s Steppin’ Out, Peter Tosh’s Captured Live, and Yellowman’s King Yellowman.
Ziggy Marley – Most Wins For Best Reggae Album
Bob Marley’s son and the former lead vocalist of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Ziggy Marley has a whopping 7 Grammy award wins, some even coming in back-to-back each year. His first 3 wins were awarded while still a member of his family band for their albums Conscious Party in 1989, One Bright Day in 1990, and Fallen Is Babylon in 1998. In 2007, Ziggy won again for his solo album Love Is My Religion, then seven years later in 2014 for his album In Concert, then again in 2015 with Fly Rasta, beating Shaggy and Sizzla in the category, and finally once more in 2017 for his self-titled release Ziggy Marley.
Steel Pulse – First Non-Jamaicans to Win Best Reggae Album
In 1987, British Roots-Reggae band Steel Pulse were the first non-Jamaicans to win the renowned award with their album Babylon the Bandit. It won against Black Uhuru’s Brutal, Jimmy Cliff’s Club Paradise, Jamaican-born British-based dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson’s In Concert with the Dub Band, and The Itals’ Rasta Philosophy for the Best Reggae Album win. Steel Pulse was first formed in Handsworth Birmingham at the Handsworth Wood Boys School, with members David Hinds as lead vocalist, Basil Gabbidon and his brother Colin, Ronald McQueen, and Mykaell Riley.
Shabba Ranks – First Dancehall Artist To Win Best Reggae Album
Though King Yellow Man was the first Dancehall artist to be nominated for Best Reggae Album in 1985, Shabba Ranks stands as the first Dancehall act to take home the award for his album As Raw As Ever in 1992. Shabba topped Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Bunny Wailer, Black Uhuru, and Steel Pulse during that year.
Shabba won again with X-Tra Naked in 1993, against Jimmy Cliff, Steel Pulse, The Wailing Souls, and Third World.
Judy Mowatt – First Female Nominee Best Reggae Album
Just one year after the Grammys included Reggae music amongst their categories, Judy Mowatt would become the first female ever to be included in the list of nominees in 1986 in the Best Reggae Album category for her compilation Working Wonders. Unfortunately for Judy, her male counterpart Jimmy Cliff took home the award that year, after losing to Black Uhuru previously.
Sting & Shaggy – First Collaborating Soloists To Win Best Reggae Album
Some fans of Rock star Sting questioned why he ventured into Reggae music and did an entire Reggae album with Jamaican star Shaggy. Little would those fans know that the collaborative project 44/876 would go on to win the Best Reggae Album award in 2019. Sting also became the second non-Jamaican act to win the Award.
Koffee – First Female and Youngest Artist To Win Best Reggae Album
When 20-year-old Spanish Town native Koffee won Best Reggae Album in 2020 for her EP Rapture, music lovers were equally happy as they were perhaps, stupified. This being, the young singjay had barely been on the scene for a year properly and many argued that her EP wasn’t a full-length production. Some persons even suggested that veterans within the category that year had more authentic Reggae music. Other nominees in Koffee’s history-making year included Julian Marley, Steel Pulse, Third World and Sly and Robbie & the Roots Radics.
Etana, Spice – First Time Two Women Were Nominated Simultaneously
Last November, for the first time in the 36 year history of the Best Reggae Album category, two women, one being Reggae songstress Etana and the other being Queen of Dancehall Spice, were nominated simultaneously for the award.
Spice was nominated for 10, while second-time nominee Etana, copped a nomination for her album Pamoja. The other nominations were Sean Paul for his Live N Livin album, Jesse Royal for Royal, Gramps Morgan for Positive Vibration, and American band SOJA for Beauty in the Silence.
The winner will be announced at the ceremony for the upcoming 64th Annual Grammy Awards, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this Sunday, April 3, 2022.