Four songs and one album comprise the nominees in the Reggae Recording of the Year category of the 2026 JUNO Awards, Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

The nominees were announced on Monday by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Naomi Cowan is nominated for her debut album Welcome to Paradise. The other nominees are Dagga Riddim Cypher by Jojo You Made That, Yung 2nuff, Erin B, Topman Meeko, One Don and Enzooo, More Reggae/Funk it Up by Samora and Ammoye, Deh Ya by Kirk Diamond, and Ready For You by Exco Levi and Kheilstone.

This is Cowan’s first JUNO nomination. She expressed her enthusiasm about the nomination on her official Instagram page on Tuesday.

“First album, first JUNO nomination in Canada. God really surprised me yesterday with this one,” the post read. She also thanked those who have been supporting her career, including radio DJs and supporters.

This is Spanish Town-born Kirk Diamond’s seventh nomination. He has three wins under his belt.

He commented on Instagram, “Big love for all the support. Thank you @thejunoawards for another nomination. Congratulations to my bro @bmusicallyspeaking for creating this and trusting me with it.
@frodilla thank you for creating the video in Jamaica and Toronto bringing the vision to life.”

Kirk Diamond also congratulated the other nominees in the category.

With six wins, this is Manchester-born Exco Levi’s 13th nomination.

He too, reacted to the nomination on social media: “Honoured to receive my 2026 JUNO nomination. As we continue pushing a message of love and unity through reggae music across Canada. It hasn’t been easy. We’ve watched other genres receive major record deals and industry backing, often for chasing trends and momentary hype. But we will not bow. We carry the legacy of our founders Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and many others. Reggae has been played on every continent. It is the heartbeat of the people. And we will continue to fight for our rightful place,” said Exco Levi in the post on Instagram.

Originally from Clarendon, this is Ammoye’s 8th nomination. She is yet to bring home a JUNO Award.

“Thank you @thejunoawards for this honour. Excited to be nominated for our song More Reggae/Funk it Up with my sis @samoramusic. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, we are thrilled and grateful for your support. A huge thank you to team Ammoye & Team Samora,” Ammoyed commented on Instagram.

Justin Bieber and Tate McRae are the leading nominees in the 55th staging of the JUNO Awards with six nominations apiece.

Singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, best known for the hit songs Big Yellow Taxi and Help Me, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony, scheduled for March 29 at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum in Canada. The event will be hosted by comedian and singer Mae Martin.

Singer Nelly Furtado, who has worked with Jamaican artistes through the years including producer and recording artiste Courtney “Yogi” John, will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The Reggae Recording of the Year category has been a part of the JUNO Awards since 1985. It was first known as Best Reggae/Calypso Recording from 1985-1991. The award was not presented in 1992 and 1993 and, during that time, albums were subsumed into the World Beat Recording category.

The Best Reggae Recording category was reinstated in 1994 until 2002, when the name was changed to Reggae Recording of the Year in 2003.

Exco Levi won the award in 2025 with Born to Be Free.

Exco Levi.

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Kirk Diamond.