KINGSTON, Jamaica–The announcement that dancehall artistes, Vybz Kartel and Shenseea were shortlisted for the 2025 Reggae Grammy Award rehashed a controversial decades-old argument among the masses.

With a soundtrack compilation for the Bob Marley film ultimately walking away with the win, many critics believe that for a music industry as globally impactful as Jamaica’s, it is high time the Recording Academy makes the distinction between reggae and dancehall.

Donna Hope, a professor of culture, gender, and society at the Mona campus of The University of the West Indies and a staunch advocate for Jamaica’s popular music, told the Jamaica Observer that the Grammys grouping of all genres of music coming out of Jamaica stirs controversy every year but says she does not foresee the Recording Academy making any distinctions anytime soon.

“It’s a storyline that arises annually. Reggae versus dancehall and the need for there to be a clear distinction, especially for a music award as significant as the Grammys,” Hope said. “For Jamaicans who know better, they are insisting that no dancehall people should be on it, worse a Vybz Kartel and Shenseea who represent pop-dancehall and hardcore dancehall. I have been hearing that. People are annoyed that the category is the Reggae Grammy Award, but Shenseea and Kartel still manage to get there when they’re not even reggae artists. But I keep on reminding people that the word reggae for people at the Grammys is a stand-in for Jamaican music.”

This year’s nominees in the Reggae category were Shenseea’s Never Gets Late Her, Vybz Kartel’s Party With Me, Collie Buddz’s’ Take It Easy, Evolution by The Wailers, and Bob Marley: One Love’s Music Inspired By The Film soundtrack.

Professor Hope shared that rather than being upset that dancehall and reggae artists have to battle it out for the same award, industry insiders with the ability to impact the final decision should exercise that right by becoming voting members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).

“People are annoyed, and I understand why, but we have never been able to get a distinction for the two genres where the Grammys are concerned or a split category. The Grammys is all about the process, and if you want to effect change, learn about that process and get involved,” she said. “In the minds of people outside of Jamaica, because of how we have lionised reggae, every music that comes from Jamaica is named reggae, and that’s one of the things we can’t escape. Perhaps we should find a way to get dancehall to pack that same punch on the international scene.”

Reminding persons that the Grammy Awards is not a local popularity contest, Hope says dancehall pundits must find ways to make the genre resonate on the global music scene.

“Being popular inside of Jamaica doesn’t mean you are popular in the eyes, ears, and minds of the people who are actively involved in the Grammy process. Your name can have a lot of resonance among our internal networks that also spread across the diaspora, but just because it makes a big splash locally and regionally doesn’t mean it will impact the international audience, especially a Grammy group,” she said. “Everyone involved in the dancehall industry must work together to make the genre as big as reggae. It’s not impossible. Shabba won a Grammy, Beenie Man won a Grammy, and Spice was nominated for a Grammy.”

For Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Richard ‘Breadback’ Bramwell, while a distinction between reggae and dancehall would be great, he believes the Recording Academy will only make that move if more Jamaicans allow their voices to be heard. He shared that the key to achieving the latter is by inundating the Academy’s voting membership.

As a voting member, Bramwell shared that all it takes to exercise one’s voice is an annual membership fee and referrals.

“I don’t think it’s fair to all the creatives, both reggae and dancehall, who have poured so much into their projects to be competing for one award. This year alone, there were so many solid dancehall projects that should have made the cut, and I won’t even get started on the number of reggae artistes who released quality projects and deserved a nomination,” he said. “Jamaica is an entertainment powerhouse. We have so many talented artistes that at this juncture, we should be able to have two separate categories for both major genres produced on the island. But how is the Grammys going to take us seriously if we don’t become more involved in the decision-making process? Every year we complain, but how many persons are willing to do what it takes to become voting members?”

“You know how it would look fi Jamaican music had two categories in the Grammys? It would go a long way in cementing our status as a music powerhouse. We as Jamaicans know reggae and dancehall as two different kinda music. It’s time the world makes that distinction too,” he continued.

Research conducted into the guidelines surrounding nominations and the voting process for the international awards revealed the specific requirements for entries to be considered for nomination.

According to Grammy.com, to be considered for an invitation to join the Recording Academy, one must get two recommendations from music industry peers and tell the Academy more about their career. Profiles must be completed by midnight on March 1 to be considered for that year’s class.

“New member submissions are considered by the Recording Academy’s Peer Review Panel each spring. If approved by peer review, candidates are invited to join the Recording Academy by July 9 and have until that year’s GRAMMY Awards voting deadline to accept,” the guidelines on the Academy’s official website outlined.

– Shereita Grizzle