3 days ago
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The dust has settled on another Grammy season and the mood across reggae and dancehall circles is celebration, reflection, and forward-thinking strategy.
Right now, the conversation isn’t just about who won, it’s about what the wins, nominations and debates say about where Caribbean music is heading globally.
Alexx Antaeus returns to World Music Views to share his experience attending the most recent Grammys and how he made the right moves to ensure Keznamdi took home the trophy.
“For me, every year is an exciting year when it comes to the Grammys, because we all work very hard to make music and promote music,” Alexx says. “Then to see our peers go up there and collect awards — and to console our peers who didn’t win — at the end of the day, we all realize it’s about the music. Awards are nice, but we still have to keep on making great music. So I love the season.”
On This Year’s Reggae Field
He praised projects from Lila Iké, Mortimer, Jesse Royal, “it was a great year. Come on. All the albums… were great,”and noted the dancehall presence of Vybz Kartel.
“I loved it… and we just happened to have the best album — and that’s why we won with Keznamdi.”
Best Reggae Album winner at the 66th annual Grammy Awards, Alexx AntaeusClarifying the Win
Several persons have staked claim to winning Best Reggae album but according to the Recording Academy rules, only nominees are winners in the reggae category or anyone contributing 50% or more to the project.
“Specifically for Keznamdi, Keznamdi himself is the person who was nominated and who is now a winner and who is going to receive the statuette.
A 30 plus year member of the Recording Academy, Alexx says, “The only person getting the Grammy is Kez himself. The rest of us are participants of a Grammy-winning album.”
The Dancehall Argument
A dancehall Grammy has been long overdue with Harvey Mason Jr. telling WMV back in 2022, that in order for that to happen more people from the genre must make a formal case to the Recording Academy.
Three years late, the category, other for a single or an album is still nowhere near fruition. “We definitely have to separate reggae from dancehall… it’s like trying to put R&B and rap in the same genre. They’re similar, but they’re different,” Alexx Agrees.
He points to sales and global impact, naming stars like Sean Paul, Shabba Ranks, and Shaggy as proof of dancehall’s mass appeal.
“Dancehall deserves its own category.”
The Grammys are not about sales and in many cases do not reflect the best of music of that year and the reason for that Alexx says is, “great music is part of the game, but knowing how to properly market your project to the Grammy voters is just as important.”
He pointed to The Weeknd as one such artist and pivots to Jamaican dancehall artist Masicka who he calls his “favorite dancehall artist.” Only thing Alexx is in the minority and he says, “very few Grammy voters know who Masicka is.”
“You have to introduce the project to the voters… if they don’t know about it, they can’t vote for it.”
This year 73 albums were submitted for Best Reggae album and only 5 were chosen as nominees. “Even a nomination is a win,” Alexx says.
“You utilize the Grammy nomination, you utilize the Grammy win to raise your prices and expect to be better compensated for your hard work.”
Something he said he did immediately after winning Best Reggae Album in 2023 with Julian Marley’s Colors Of Royal.
“The Grammys and the Recording Academy are bigger than just the awards” Alexx says. He pointed to new membership drives, creator rights legislation, and MusiCares support. “It’s not just a Sunday… it’s all year round.”
Alexx has predicted three Grammy wins in recent years following the nominations, “I predicted Kabaka. I predicted us. I predicted Keznamdi.”
And now he is making a bold perdition months before nominations are announced.
“I’m predicting that 2027 Grammys… Best Reggae Album is going to be a dancehall album.”
Not tied to a name. Just a direction.
“That’s my prediction. “It’s about the music… but you still have to know how to play the game.”
English (US) ·