Late dancehall star J Capri will be among four women to be honoured for their musical contributions at the Excellence in Music Ceremony 2026.

Formerly known as the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, the event will return to Jamaica in September for its 6th staging. At that time, J Capri will be posthumously awarded a British Recorded Music Industry (BPI)-certified Silver recognition for Whine & Kotch, her collaboration with Charly Black that became one of the defining songs of her career.

J Capri passed away in 2015, but Whine & Kotch continued to soar to unprecedented heights internationally.

According to organisers, the recognition will serve not only as an industry honour, but as another marker of a musical legacy that continues to outlive its creator.

Chevelle Franklyn, Heather Cummings, and Ma-Isheeba will also be recognised at the event organised by Back 2 Da Future Music Limited in partnership with Royalty Network Inc.

Ma Isheeba with her 2 certificates from 2024.

Franklyn is set to receive a BPI-certified Silver recognition for her contribution to Shabba Ranks’ Mr Loverman, adding to the two Grammy Certificates she received in 2024.

Heather Cummings will receive a Grammy Certificate for her contribution to Beres Hammond’s One Love, One Life, bringing her total number of recognised contributions to five, an acknowledgement of the often-unseen work of backing vocalists, whose harmonies and supporting voices can become an essential part of the character and emotional texture of a recording.

Ma-Isheeba, professionally known as Chyna, will also add another certificate to the pair she received in 2024.

Organisers say the four women to be honoured this year share a common story, one that illustrates the different ways Jamaican talent has travelled through the international music business — as featured artistes, lead voices and background singers, and through contributions to recordings that crossed genres and markets.

Chevelle Franklyn is set to receive a BPI-certified Silver recognition for her contribution to Shabba Ranks’ Mr Loverman.

The latter was reiterated by Kennedy Mensah, founder of Back 2 Da Future Music Limited, who shared that greater attention needs to be given to different roles played by creatives across the industry, especially in spaces occupied by women.

“Unfortunately, music is still a heavily male-dominated business. As such, we must ensure that we take every opportunity to shine a spotlight on the ladies who have added to the very fabric of musical excellence for decades,” he said.

Mensah said this year’s cohort was deliberately selected to represent different aspects of women’s contribution to recorded music, from featured artistes such as Franklyn and J Capri, to backing vocalists Cummings and Ma-Isheeba.

The decision also reflects the changing identity of the ceremony itself. The BPI presentations were introduced on a smaller scale in 2025, when Steely and Clevie were among those recognised, and were later extended to Robert Browne at the Florida staging in January 2026. This year’s ceremony will expand the presentations in Jamaica, placing the certification honours alongside the Grammy recognitions.

More importantly, the organisers are positioning the event as an opportunity to document contributions to music that might otherwise be lost as the industry moves on to its next generation of performers and recordings.

— Shereita Grizzle