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Vybz Kartel Big Winner At 2026 IRAWMA After Taking Nine Awards

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Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel was the biggest winner at the 43rd International Reggae and World Music Awards on Sunday night, taking nine awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Recording Artist of the Year, and Best Caribbean Entertainer.

The Dancehall star, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, entered the 2026 IRAWMA ceremony as the leading nominee with 11 nods across nine categories. By the end of the show at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in South Florida, he had picked up seven solo awards and two shared wins.

Kartel won the Hon. Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year, the Peter Tosh Award for Recording Artist of the Year, the Gregory Isaacs Award for Best Song for God Is the Greatest, and the Toots Hibbert Award for Best Album/CD for Heart and Soul. He also took the Jimmy Cliff Award for Best Crossover Song, Best Male DJ/Rapper, and Best Caribbean Entertainer.

His two shared wins came through You Remind Me, the DJ Khaled track featuring Kartel, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer and Mavado. The song won Best Collaboration Reggae Song and Best Music Video.

Kartel was not present to collect the awards, but later thanked IRAWMA and his supporters in a message on Instagram. “Tonight, I give thanks to the International Reggae And World Music Awards for this incredible honor,” he wrote. He said the moment belonged to his fans “as much as it belongs to me.”

He added: “And last but certainly never least… thank you GOD. For the strength, the lessons, the purpose, and the blessings. Without Him, none of this is possible. Humbled. Grateful. Still working.”

Other Jamaican and Caribbean acts also collected awards on the night.

Shenseea won Best Female DJ/Rapper, Masicka’s Her Name Is Love won Best EP Recording, Spice won Best Dancehall Stagecraft Entertainer and the Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award, Busy Signal was named Best Singjay Entertainer, and DJ Mac won Producer of the Year.

Sean Paul’s Faith We A Keep won Most Popular Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Song, while Popcaan was named Best Entertainer – Social Media Influencer. Reggae Sumfest won Festival of the Year, and Tony Matterhorn took Best Sound System/Dance DJ.

The ceremony also honored several veteran figures in reggae, dancehall and world music. Mavado received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to dancehall and Caribbean culture, while Burning Spear, whose real name is Winston Rodney, received the Lifetime and Master of Reggae and World Music Culture Award.

Burning Spear with his award

Marcia Griffiths, Spragga Benz, Wayne Armond, Awilo Longomba and Gramps Morgan were also among those recognized. See full list of winners below.

  1. Hon Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year — Vybz Kartel
  2. Peter Tosh Award for Recording Artist of the Year — Vybz Kartel
  3. Jacob Miller Award for Best Male Vocalist — Gramps Morgan
  4. Best Female Vocalist — Etana
  5. Gregory Isaacs Award for Best Song — Vybz Kartel (“God Is the Greatest”)
  6. Toots Hibbert Award for Best Album/CD — Vybz Kartel (“Heart and Soul”)
  7. Jimmy Cliff Award for Best Crossover Song — Vybz Kartel
  8. Hon-Shelvin L. M. Hall Award for Best Gospel Entertainer — Dr. Carlene Davis-Cowan
  9. Best EP Recording — Masicka (“Her Name is Love”)
  10. Best Male DJ/Rapper — Vybz Kartel
  11. Best Female DJ/Rapper — Shenseea
  12. Best New Entertainer — Nhance
  13. Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer — Yung Bredda
  14. Best Dancehall Stagecraft Entertainer — Spice
  15. Best Singjay Entertainer — Busy Signal
  16. Best African Dancehall Entertainer — Shatta Wale
  17. Best Afrobeats Entertainer — Flavour
  18. Best Collaboration Reggae Song — DJ Khaled, Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer & Mavado (“You Remind Me”)
  19. Best Reggae Rock Entertainer — The Movement
  20. Best Youth Entertainer — 1 Emmaa
  21. Best Music Video — DJ Khaled, Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer & Mavado (“You Remind Me”)
  22. Mutabaruka Award for Best Poet/Spoken Word Entertainer — Richie Innocent
  23. Bunny Wailer Award for Most Cultural/Educational Entertainer — Sizzla
  24. Dennis Brown Award Most Promising Entertainer — Black Sherif
  25. Best Instrumentalist — Dean Fraser
  26. Best Sound System/Dance DJ — Tony Matterhorn
  27. Most Outstanding Dance Group — Militant Dance Family & Zigi
  28. Best Caribbean Entertainer — Vybz Kartel
  29. Jean B. P. DuSable Award for Best Haitian Entertainer — Rutshelle Guillaume
  30. Record Producer of the Year — DJ Mac
  31. Best Comedian — Majah Hype
  32. Festival of the Year — Reggae Sumfest
  33. Concert of the Year — Shattafest
  34. Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award — Spice
  35. Most Popular Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Song “Faith We A Keep” — Sean Paul
  36. Best Reggaeton Entertainer — Daddy Yankee
  37. Best Social Media Influencer (Reporters) — Ameyaw Debrah
  38. Best Entertainer – Social Media Influencer — Popcaan
  39. Best South Florida Entertainer — Shuga
  40. Florida Salute Best South Florida Dancehall DJ — DJ Tony Mix