Reggae celebrates 30 years of Grammy

Reggae celebrates 30 years of Grammy nominations and winnings! With the advent of Reggae becoming a global musical genre, the acknowledgment of Jamaica’s most potent force of music was accepted by the Grammy Award Committee for the first time in 1984.  In the said year, five albums were nominated for the coveted award for Album of the Year. The first artist and album nominees were Jimmy Cliff – Reggae Night, Steel Pulse – Steppin’ Out, Peter Tosh – Captured Live, Yellowman – King Yellowman and the winning album, Anthem by the world renown, Reggae group Black Uhuru which was produced by Sly & Robbie on the Island Records Label.

Those nominations and a named winner set the precedence for the next three decades.  Here is a look back at the last 30 years of nominees and winners and the 2015 nominees in the Best Reggae Album Category of the 57th Grammy Awards. 1986 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Jimmy Cliff – Cliff Hanger
• The Blue Riddim Band – Alive in Jamaica
• Melody Makers featuring Ziggy Marley – Play the Game Right
• Burning Spear – Resistance
• Judy Mowatt – Working Wonders

Winner:  Jimmy Cliff – Cliff Hanger 1987 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Steel Pulse – Babylon The Bandit Lyrics
• Black Uhuru – Brutal
• Itals – Rasta Philosophy
• Jimmy Cliff – Club Paradise
• Linton Kwesi Johnson & the Dub Band – Linton Kwesi Johnson in Concert with the Dub Band

Winner:  Steel Pulse – Babylon The Bandit Lyrics 1988 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Peter Tosh – No Nuclear War
• Burning Spear – People of the World
• Third World – Hold on to Love Lyrics
• UB40 – UB40 CCCP (Live in Moscow)
• Black Uhuru – Positive

Winner:  Peter Tosh – No Nuclear War 1989 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers – Conscious Party
• Jimmy Cliff – Hanging Fire
• Toots – Toots in Memphis
• UB40 – UB40
• UB40, Chrissie Hynde – Breakfast in Bed

Winner:  Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers – Conscious Party 1990 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers for One Bright Day
• Bunny Wailer – Liberation
• Burning Spear – Live In Paris
• Third World – Serious Business
• Wailers Band – ID

Winner:  Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers for One Bright Day 1991 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Bunny Wailer -Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley
• Black Uhuru -Now
• Burning Spear -Mek We Dweet
• Toots & the Maytals – An Hour Live
• Andrew Tosh -Make Place for the Youth

Winner: Bunny Wailer – Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley Album Name: Soul Rebel 1992 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Shabba Ranks – As Raw As Ever
• Black Uhuru – Iron Storm
• Bunny Wailer – Gumption
• Rita Marley – We Must Carry On
• Steel Pulse – Victims
• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Jahmekya

Winner: Shabba Ranks – As Raw As Ever 1993 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Shabba Ranks – X-tra Naked
• Jimmy Cliff – Breakout
• Steel Pulse – Rastafari Centennial: Live in Paris – Elysee Montmartre
• The Wailing Souls – All Over the World
• Third World – Committed

Winner: Shabba Ranks – X-tra Naked 1994 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Inner Circle -Bad Boys
• Black Uhuru – Mystical Truth
• Burning Spear – The World Should Know
• Maxi Priest – Fe Real
• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Joy and Blues

Winner: Inner Circle – Bad Boys 1995 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Bunny Wailer – Crucial! Roots Classics
• Aswad – Rise and Shine
• Black Uhuru – Strongg
• Dennis Brown – Light My Fire
• Inner Circle – Reggae Dancer
• Various artists – Stir It Up!

Winner: Bunny Wailer – Crucial! Roots Classics Album Name: Crucial 1996 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Shaggy – Boombastic
• Burning Spear – Rasta Business
• Third World – Live It Up
• Skattalites – High Bop Ska
• Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers – Free Like We Want 2 B

Winner: Shaggy – Boombastic 1997 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Bunny Walier – Hall Of Fame
• Gregory Isaac – Mr Cool
• Maxi Priest – Man With The Fun
• Sister Carol – Lyrically Potent
• Skatalites – Greetings From Skamania

Winner: Bunny Wailer – Hall Of Fame 1998 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers – Fallen Is Babylon
• Aswad – Big Up
• Burning Spear – Appointment With HIS Madjesty
• Steele Pulse – Rage And Fury
• Yellowman – Freedom Of Speech

Winner: Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers – Fallen Is Babylon 1999 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Sly & Robbie – Friends
• Buju Banton – Inna Heights
• eenie Man – Many Moods Of Moses
• Wailing Souls – Psychedelic Souls
• Toots & The Maytals – Ska Father

Winner: Sly & Robbie – Friends 2000 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Burning Spear – Calling Rastafari
• Aswad – Roots Revival
• Beenie Man – The Doctor
• Steele Pulse – Living Legacy
• Third World – Generation Coming

Winner: Burning Spear – Calling Rastafari 2001 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Beenie Man – Art And Life
• Pato Banton – Life Is a Miracle
• Dennis Brown – Let Me Be the One
• Gregory Isaacs – Private & Confidential
• The Wailing Souls – Equality

Winner: Beenie Man – Art And Life 2002 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Damian Marley – Halfway Tree
• Beres Hammond – Music Is Life
• Luciano – A New Day
• Ky-Mani Marley – Many More Roads
• Various artists – Island Warriors

Winner:  Damian Marley – Halfway Tree 2003 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Lee “Scratch” Perry – Jamaican E.T.
• Alpha Blondy – Merci
• Bounty Killer – Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery
• Capleton – Still Blazin’
• Freddie McGregor – Anything for You

Winner: Lee “Scratch” Perry – Jamaican E.T. 2004 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Sean Paul – Dutty Rock
• Buju Banton – Friends for Life
• Burning Spear – Free Man
• Third World – Ain’t Givin’ Up
• Wayne Wonder – No Holding Back

Winner: Sean Paul – Dutty Rock 2005   Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Toots & the Maytals – True Love
• Jimmy Cliff – Black Magic
• Sly and Robbie – The Dub Revolutionaries
• Steel Pulse – African Holocaust
• Various artists – Def Jamaica

Winner: Toots & the Maytals – True Love 2006 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Damian Marley –  Welcome to Jamrock
• Burning Spear – Our Music
• Sean Paul – The Trinity
• Shaggy – Clothes Drop
• Third World – Black Gold & Green

Winner: Damian Marley – Welcome to Jamrock 2007   Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Ziggy Marley – Love Is My Religion
• Buju Banton -Too Bad
• Matisyahu – Youth
• Sly and Robbie – Rhythm Doubles
• UB40 – Who You Fighting For?

Winner: Ziggy Marley – Love Is My Religion 2008 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Stephen Marley –  Mind Control
• Burning Spear – The Burning Spear Experience
• Lee “Scratch” Perry – The End of an American Dream
• Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang – Anniversary
• Toots & the Maytals – Light Your Light

Winner: Stephen Marley – Mind Control 2009 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Burning Spear – Jah Is Real
• Elephant Man – Let’s Get Physical
• Heavy D – Vibes
• Lee “Scratch” Perry – Repentance
• Shaggy – Intoxication
• Sly and Robbie – Amazing

Winner: Burning Spear – Jah Is Real 2010 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Stephen Marley – Mind Control – Acoustic
• Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul
• Gregory Isaacs – Brand New Me
• Julian Marley – Awake
• Sean Paul – Imperial Blaze

Winner: Stephen Marley – Mind Control – Acoustic 2011    Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Buju Banton – Before the Dawn
• Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac – Isaacs Meets Isaac
• Lee “Scratch” Perry – Revelation
• Bob Sinclar and Sly and Robbie – Made in Jamaica
• Sly and Robbie and the Family Taxi – One Pop Reggae
• Andrew Tosh – Legacy: An Acoustic Tribute to Peter Tosh

Winner: Buju Banton – Before the Dawn 2012 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Stephen Marley –  Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life
• Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express Live!
• Israel Vibration – Reggae Knights
• Ziggy Marley – Wild and Free
• Shaggy – Summer in Kingston

Winner: Stephen Marley – Revelation Pt. 1 – The Roots of Life 2013 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth
• The Original Wailers – Miracle
• Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique
• Sly & Robbie and the Jam Masters – New Legend – Jamaica 50th Edition
• Toots & The Maytals – Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hill

Winner: Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth 2014 Best Reggae Recording The nominees were:

• Ziggy Marley – In Concert
• Beres Hammond – One Love, One Life
• Sizzla – The Messiah
• Sly & Robbie and the Jam Masters – Reggae Connection
• Snoop Lion – Reincarnated

Winner: Ziggy Marley – In Concert The 2014 Grammy nomination list boasts six albums in the Best Reggae Album Category. As the momentum grows for one of the biggest nights in music, this year in particular Reggae artists, distributors, engineers, various media entities, musicians, producers, record labels, songwriters and musical connoisseurs are anticipating the announcement of the 30th Reggae Grammy Award! 20015 Best Reggae Recording The nominees are:

• Lee Scratch Perry – Back on the Controls
• Sean Paul – Full Frequency
• Shaggy – Out of Many, One Music
• Sly & Robbie and Spicy Chocolate – The Reggae Power
• SOJA – Amid the Noise and the Haste
• Ziggy Marley – Fly Rasta

Congratulations to all the nominees in all genres of the 2014, 57th Grammy Award Nomination. May the best album wins! Will the Reggae nominees “WALK” the red carpet this year? The 57th Grammy Awards show will be held on February 8, 2015.  Click for a full list of Grammy Nominees   Written by : Empress Skortcher