8 to get Grammy certs
Reggae’s legendary studio architects to be celebrated
The upcoming Grammy certificate ceremony, organised by Back 2 Da Future Music Limited in collaboration with The Royalty Network Inc and Steely & Clevie Productions, will honour foundational producers and engineers whose technical mastery and innovation elevated reggae and dancehall music to Grammy status and influenced the global music scene.
Eight pioneering creatives will be recognised at the exclusive red-carpet event on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at the Audi Showroom in Kingston, Jamaica.
Among those to be celebrated for their contributions to Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated works are the iconic production duo Steely & Clevie, Anthony Malvo, and Royalty Network Inc’s Phillip “Fattis” Burrell, Robert Livingston, Paul “Wrongmove” Crossdale, Christopher Birch, and Computer Paul.
Each has played an instrumental role in shaping the unique and vibrant identity of reggae and dancehall global music culture through their groundbreaking studio work.
Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson and Cleveland “Clevie” Browne, collectively known as Steely & Clevie, are recognised as trailblazers of digital dancehall. Their pioneering work will be honoured with multiple Grammy certificates for individual and collaborative efforts. Their influence runs deep, with credits on Grammy-winning and -nominated albums such as Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock (2004), Beenie Man’s Art and Life (2001), Wayne Wonder’s No Holding Back (2004), as well as Shabba Ranks’ As Raw As Ever (1992) and X-tra Naked (1993).
Anthony Malvo, a singer and producer known for his ear for hit-making reggae records, will receive his Grammy nomination certificate for contributions to Capleton’s Still Blazin’ (2003).
The late Phillip “Fattis” Burrell, revered founder of the Xterminator label and a cornerstone of roots reggae revival, will posthumously receive a Grammy nomination certificate for his production on Beres Hammond’s Music Is Life (2002).
Robert Livingston, a pivotal studio executive and long-time collaborator with Shaggy, will be recognised for his contributions to Shaggy’s Boombastic (1996), which earned a Grammy win, as well as his work on Clothes Drop (2006) and Maxi Priest’s Man With the Fun (1997), both of which earned Grammy nominations.
Keyboardist and arranger Paul “Wrongmove” Crossdale will receive Grammy certificates for his contributions to three Grammy-winning albums: Shabba Ranks’ As Raw As Ever (1992), Shaggy’s Boombastic (1996), and Beenie Man’s Art and Life (2001).
Dancehall producer Christopher Birch will be honoured for his studio work on Wayne Wonder’s No Holding Back (2004), which received a Grammy nomination and played a key role in bridging reggae with global pop sounds.
Finally, Computer Paul, a respected keyboardist and producer, will be awarded certificates for his work on Shabba Ranks’
As Raw As Ever (1992), a Grammy winner, and Bounty Killer’s Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery (2003), which was nominated.
“Producers and engineers rarely receive the public recognition they deserve,” said Kennedy Mensah, CEO of Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd. “These are the architects of sound whose fingerprints are on the hits that carried reggae and dancehall around the globe. Their names may not always be on the marquee, but they were always in the room where the magic happened.”
The 2025 Grammy Certificate Ceremony, to be live-streamed globally, continues the mission of honouring Jamaica’s creative trailblazers. These often-unsung contributors helped shape the island’s musical legacy on the world stage.
