Beenie Man’s ‘Simma’ May Be Lone Dancehall Album To Make Grammy Cut

King of the Dancehall Beenie Man may be the lone flag bearer for the Dancehall genre when nominations for the 66th annual Grammy Awards are announced on Friday. Although the category, dedicated to celebrating Jamaican music, is dubbed Best Reggae Album, it recognizes albums by both Reggae and Dancehall artists. Still, when the final five or six are named tomorrow, Reggae artists are expected to dominate the category.

Following last year’s trend where only Sean Paul’s Scorcha represented the Dancehall, Beenie Man’s Simma album, released on August 31, may be the genre’s only project that makes the cut this year.

Simma, which features collaborations from Shaggy, Sean Paul, Louie Culture, Superstar, HoodCelebrityy, Charly Blacks, Dexta Daps, Shenseea as well as international stars Stonebwoy and Mya, is Beenie Man’s 17th studio album.

If the entertainer is nominated for the 2024 awards, it will be his fourth nomination, following Many Moods Of Moses, The Doctor, and Art and Life, which took home the Grammy Award back in 2001.

Patrick Roberts, who was once Beenie Man’s manager, told DancehallMag that the album could very well make the Grammy cut.

“Twenty plus years after his first Grammy win in 2001, if he were to get another win it would be a great accomplishment. To have an album weh yuh can even submit again after so many years in the business, the sky is the limit for Beenie Man. It’s iconic,” he said.

Simma was independently released via Beenie’s MD Music Group.

The submission pool for the Best Reggae Album category has shrunk this year, with only 65 entries, compared to 67 in 2023 and 125 in 2022.

Here are some other albums we believe will make the cut on Friday.

Buju Banton – Born for Greatness

Three years after his last nomination in 2020 with the album Upside Down, Buju Banton is expected to make the list yet again with his project, Born For Greatness. Released on September 8, the 17-track album is Banton’s 12th.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Bob Riddim – Destiny

Reportedly recorded with Bob Riddim, during the final year of his life, Destiny by the late Lee Scratch Perry was released posthumously and features the likes of Grammy winner Kabaka Pyramid, Blvk H3ro, Wayne J and Yaadcore. Scratch Perry, who won the award back in 2003 for his album, Back on the Controls. He is also a five-time nominee in the category.

Blvk H3ro – On A Mission

Blvk H3ro‘s 15-track debut studio album, On A Mission, could see the entertainer earning his first-ever nomination for music’s most prestigious award. According to the artist, the album took three years to complete and features the likes of Teejay, Skillibeng, Anthony B and Dre Island.

Marcia Griffiths – Golden

Surprisngly, Marcia Griffiths, who is known as the Queen of Reggae, has only ever been nominated once for a Grammy award. Released on September 8 via Hemisphere Music and Donsome Records, her latest project, Golden, may earn her a second nod. The album, which came a few months shy of her 60th anniversary in music, features songs produced by her son, Errol “The Kemist” Thompson, Adrian Hanson of Donsome Records, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, Clive Hunt, Donovan Germain, and Silly Walks Discotheque out of Germany.

Burning Spear – No Destroyer

The album, No Destroyer, if nominated, would be Burning Spear‘s 13th nomination. He has two wins under his belt, including Jah Is Real over a decade ago.