A Reggae Guide To Grammy Awards 2022: Nominees, How To Watch
Updates:
SOJA has won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Reggae Album’
Here’s Why SOJA Won The Reggae Grammy Against Five Jamaicans
Grammy Awards 2022: Spice, Sean Paul, Jesse Royal, Gramps Morgan Hit The Red Carpet
The Grammy Awards are here again after a three-month delay, and back Live for its 64th staging—for the first time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas tomorrow, April 3.
In just a few hours the winners in each of the 86 categories will be announced.
The ‘Best Reggae Album’ Nominees
There is certainly an elevated level of excitement this year, as fans will get to see their favorite stars dress up for the red carpet. Several of the nominees for the Best Reggae Album category have already turned up in Las Vegas for the pre-Grammy celebrations.
The Queen of Dancehall Spice was commemorated at an aptly themed Blue Brunch at the Sugar Factory yesterday, while Gramps Morgan and Sean Paul were spotted at last night’s Reggae Dancehall Grammy party at the English Hotel in the Arts District of Las Vegas.
The 2022 nominations for Best Reggae Album are:
- 10 – Spice
- Live N Livin – Sean Paul
- Pajoma – Etana
- Royal – Jesse Royal
- Positive Vibration – Gramps Morgan
- Beauty in the Silence – Soja
Spice’s 10
Spice’s debut album, 10 is undoubtedly a big contender for the Best Reggae Album Grammy this year. The deejay, whose real name is Grace Hamilton, is the first hardcore female Dancehall act to be nominated for the Award.
Her 15-track collection came last August with a lively selection of songs featuring uptempo Dancehall and Reggae riddims and fusions of other genres. The album, which was executive-produced by Shaggy, includes collaborations with ‘Mr. Bombastic’ himself and Sean Paul on “the Dancehall track of the year,” Go Down Deh that made its way on NPR’s 100 Best Songs of 2021 list. Other guest appearances were with her 14 year-old-son Nicholas on the track Po Po, along with Olaf Blackwood and Melissa Musique.
The album earned a spot on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart, peaking at No. 6.
Sean Paul’s Live N Livin
With one Grammy award already under his belt, Sean Paul’s Live N’ Livin could cop him his second golden gramophone. The project, released in March last year, was a strong collaborative body of work, as all tracks but one feature a guest artist. There were twenty-two guests, most belonging to the new generation of Dancehall artists.
Live N Livin spent one week on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart at No. 9.
Etana’s Pamoja
Pamoja is Etana’s second Grammy nomination, the first female musician to be nominated twice in the Best Reggae Album category. Released on June 25, 2021, the 15-track collected featured Damian Marley, Alborosie, Vybz Kartel, and Stonebwoy among others, all “collaborating and sharing the same message of love and togetherness” – as the singer puts it.
Gramps Morgan’s Positive Vibration
Returning for what could be a third Grammy Award (the previous two via the band Morgan Heritage), Gramps Morgan’s third solo album Positive Vibration, which was produced by Canadian Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Johnny Reid, is also a favorite among fans and critics alike.
“Gramps Morgan beautifully blends Reggae and Country on his ‘Positive Vibration’ album … with songs that have a tropical island feel, with the added beauty of Country instruments like the steel guitar and dobro,” Forbes wrote. The 15-track project featured India.Arie, Shaggy, Lybran, Denroy Morgan, and Jemere Morgan.
Jesse Royal’s Royal
Jesse Royal’s sophomore album Royal offered sounds ranging from Reggae, Dancehall, Afrobeats, Soul, and Traphall music with the help of a culturally rich selection of featured guest artists. Included in the 11-track compilation are contributions from Protoje, Vybz Kartel, Stonebwoy, Kumar, Samory I and Runkus.
Royal is a strong representation of the singer’s Rastafarian heritage and the Jamaican Reggae music culture, whilst demonstrating the new movement of the genre, making its win for the golden gramophone this year highly promising.
SOJA’s Beauty in the Silence
Soja’s Beauty in the Silence spent three weeks on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, peaking at No. 2.
Other Jamaican Grammy Nominees
In addition to the Grammy Award’s Best Reggae Album nominees are other Jamaican musicians that are nominated for one or more awards in three categories.
Album Of The Year
In the Album Of The Year category, unlike the genre categories, all credited featured artists, songwriters, producers, recording engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers who worked on that album are automatically nominated. For genre categories, such Best Rap Album, Best Progressive R&B Album, Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, and Best Reggae Album, the current rules state that a featured artist or producer must contribute more than 51% of playing time on the album, in order to consider themselves “nominated”.
Shenseea has one nomination under her belt after Kanye West’s Donda got a nod for Album Of The Year. She was credited for her songwriting and vocals on OK OK Pt 2 and Pure Souls featuring Roddy Rich, which peaked at No. 12 and 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
Buju Banton is also nominated for Album Of The Year for his vocal contribution on Ye’s Donda, on the song Believe What I Say.
Jamaican-born artist BEAM is nominated twice for Album Of The Year. On Kanye West’s Donda, BEAM co-wrote Pure Souls and OK Ok pt 2.
On Justin Bieber’s Justice, which is nominated for AOTY, BEAM was featured on the song Love You Different. He also co-wrote Bieber’s There She Go featuring Lil Uzi Vert.
The other nominees for Album of the Year are:
- We Are – Jon Batiste
- Love For Sale – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
- Planet Her (Deluxe) – Doja Cat
- Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
- Back Of My Mind – H.E.R.
- Montero – Lil Nas X
- Sour – Olivia Rodrigo
- Evermore – Taylor Swift
Best Dance/Electronic Album
In the Best Dance/Electronic Album category, Major Lazer, a DJ trio of Diplo, Jamaican Walshy Fire & Ape Drums, which originated from Kingston, are among the six contenders with their Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded) project.
The other nominees are:
- Subconsciously – Black Coffee
- Fallen Embers – ILLENIUM
- Shockwave – Marshmello
- Free Love – Sylvan Esso
- Judgement – Ten City
Best Progressive R&B Album
Jamaican-American singer Masego picked up a nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album with his EP titled Studying Abroad: Extended Stay, on which Shenseea is featured on the sultry IzyBeats-produced collab Silver Tongue Devil.
The other nominees are:
- New Light – Eric Bellinger
- Something To Say – Cory Henry
- Mood Valiant – Hiatus Kaiyote
- Table For Two – Lucky Daye
- Dinner Party: Dessert – Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington
Where And When To Watch
This year’s 64th annual Grammy Awards will be hosted (again) by TV host and comedian Trevor Noah and will include performances by Lady Gaga, Nas, Silk Sonic, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., John Legend, Justin Beiber, Carrie Underwood, Lil Nas X, J Balvin, BTS, Jack Harlow, among others.
Tomorrow’s show will be aired on the CBS Television Network at 8:00-11:00 p.m., live ET / 5:00-8:30 p.m., live PT and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount.
Prior to the telecast, the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be streamed live on Grammy.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.