After seven nominations, singer Ammoye still gets excited whenever her name is listed among the nominees in the JUNO Reggae Recording of the Year category.

The nominations in the 53rd annual event were announced earlier this week. Ammoye earned a nomination for the song Stir This Thing, which features reggae artiste Turbulence.

The JUNO Awards are Canada’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards.

Ammoye, who was first nominated in 2013, is yet to take home an award

“Yes, this is my 7th nomination, and the feeling still doesn’t get old! I’m thrilled, grateful and excited! How I feel about my chances this time around is hopeful and, at the same time, I’m in a space of allowance. Each of us would love to win, I’m sure, and I do feel and know that whatever is meant to be will be. Regardless of the outcome, we are all winners, and I’m excited for everyone in my category of reggae recording of the year,” Ammoye disclosed in an interview with Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

The other nominees in the category Reggae Recording of the Year are Roots Girl by Jah Mila, Rush Dem by Omega Mighty featuring 4Korners and Haviah Mighty, Dread by Kirk Diamond and Finn, and Feel Like Home by Exco Levi.

Ammoye’s previous nominations were Radio (2013), Baby It’s You (2014), Sorry (2017), The Light (2018), Give it All (2021), and Water (2023).

“What it would mean to me winning a JUNO now would be a dream come true for me. It would be satisfying and gratifying because, coming to Toronto in 1994 as a young teenager from Jamaica with a dream in my heart to be a performer, a successful singer/songwriter which was to many a pipe dream, far-fetched. I saw the opportunity for me to pursue my dream and I took it on fearlessly. It’s taken courage, will, strength, fortitude, faith, hope, patience, and a lot of commitment, dedication, hard work, tears and sweat to get me through as I navigated my way here. And so winning would just be a huge blessing of encouragement, fulfilment and inspiration for me and any young artiste having a dream to not play small or settle for mediocrity, but to go after that dream knowing you are worthy and deserving of seeing it come true” Ammoye shared.

Asked whether she felt slighted after so many nominations and she’s yet to secure a win, Ammoye said: “The old version of Ammoye before my spiritual awakening in 2012 would probably take it personally and play victim, but who I am today, I take it all in stride. There’s a reason for everything; this I know and everything is here to teach me something. This experience of receiving all these nominations and haven’t gotten a win per say yet, I believe is all about acceptance, patience, resilience, and teaching me how to be supportive of my fellow peers who have won so far. This experience teaches me how to play well if you will in the sandbox or on the playground of life. So, I choose not to feel slighted but empowered. I know my win will come, it’s only a matter of time. Until then I’ll celebrate the wins of those who have won so far!”

Her nominated song Stir This Thing was produced by Adrian “Donsome” Hanson for Donsome Records.

“I’m super proud of this track with Turbulence. It’s my first official collaboration with a major artiste. I love and respect his works and it’s an absolute honour to share a track with this king. The collaboration came about through Adrian, who I have been working with over the years. He had sent me the track in 2021 and immediately hearing it I loved it and it stirred something within me that made me want to pen something right away. I wanted to take my time with the creative process with this track, though, so I sat with it at different times over a period of time until the idea of Stir This Thing came to birth,” the artiste said.

She continued: “It’s a subtle ode to my biggest influence in music — Bob Marley’s
Stir it up, the song is about stirring what’s been lying dormant for a while; be it a relationship, the state of our world, or be it a situation that isn’t flowing and needs to be addressed, stirred up metaphorically, and brought back into the flow, brought back to life to bring joy, peace, fulfilment, and happiness. Adrian reached out to several artistes, and long story short Turbulence received it, resonated with it, and went right away in the studio and recorded his parts, and voilà, the collaboration was complete.”

Stir This Thing, which was released in October last year, is currently #2 on the Rebel Vibez Top Ten Canadian Reggae chart.

“While I was in Cairo, Egypt, on a spiritual pilgrimage and the response since then and so far has been tremendously positive. The feedback has been great so far, so I’m thoroughly thrilled to have a nomination from the JUNO’s acknowledging the efforts we have put into this song and works we’ve been doing so far,” said Ammoye.

Originally from Halse Hall in Clarendon, she got her start in music by singing in the church choir.

She moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1994.

The JUNO Awards will take place in Halifax, Canada, on March 23. It will be broadcast on the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).