Grammy submissions deadline looms

The deadline for submissions for the 2026 Grammys, officially known as the 68th Grammy Awards, is this Friday August 29 and the expected flurry of activity from artistes, producers and record companies to meet the date is on.

For example, Spragga Benz, Mr Vegas along with Mojo Morgan of Morgan Heritage, all have albums dropping this Friday. The Recording Academy, the entity which oversees the Grammys, states that to be eligible, all works must have been released commercially and nationally distributed between August 31, 2024 and August 30, 2025. However, recordingacademy.com also states that the Online Entry Process (OEP) Access Period is July 16, 2025 - August 29, 2025. The entry must be submitted by a professional or voting member of the Recording Academy.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will feature 96 categories, including one for the Best Reggae Album. Some 75 albums were submitted last year, and although the number was considered low, it was still an increase from the 65 submissions made in 2023.

"With the Grammy categories, the more entries the merrier," music marketer and producer, Sean 'Contractor' Edwards told THE STAR.

"I think that the number of entries this year in the Best Reggae Album category should be around 60 to 80. There are some albums that are found ineligible and also there are some artistes who enter their singles in other Grammy categories because reggae does not have a category for singles," he added.

Edwards has proven to have a knack for predicting the albums which will make the nomination list, even if he doesn't necessarily predict winners.

"There are definitely some albums out of Jamaica that should be strong contenders for nominations for Best Reggae Album," he said.

"Some of these albums are from Lila Ike, Vybz Kartel, Mojo Morgan, and Baby Cham. Other albums to consider are from Shatta Wale, I-Octane, Da'Ville and Keznamdi, all whose marketing campaigns to promote their albums have already started," Edwards outlined. He pointed out that veteran producer, Winston 'Niney the Observer' Holness, also released an album this year, which should stir the pot in an interesting way.

"Niney's album is definitely a contender. At 80 years old he is not only producing, he is also the lead singer on all the tracks. His name carries weight with older Grammy voters," Edwards stated.

He added that some consideration will definitely be given to the American bands who have released reggae albums eligible for Grammy nomination.

"Among these bands are Groundation, The Movement, and Fortunate Youth. There have also been several riddim-driven album projects that have made an impact. These include Rvssian's Story Book Compilation and Khago's 2 Time Riddim," Edwards said.

Dancehall star, Skillibeng, released his nine-track EP International via RCA Records on August 8. When asked if he was going for a Grammy, his answer was: "God's willing." The project has collaborations with Ghanaian pop sensation Moliy, Dominican trap queen Tokischa, Ty Dolla $ign, Major Lazer, Young Nudy and others.

Edwards noted that there are no Marley albums at this time. Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By The Film won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. The soundtrack features reggae artistes covering Marley's classic songs. Other nominees in the category were Take It Easy (Collie Buddz); Party With Me (Vybz Kartel); Never Gets Late Here (Shenseea); and Evolution (The Wailers).

This year, there are two new Grammy categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover. Nominations will be announced Friday, November 7.

The 68th Grammy Awards takes place on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.