The nominees for this year’s Grammy Awards have been named, and as is customary, local interests have their eyes fixed on the Best Reggae Album category

Five Reggae acts have been nominated for this year’s award, which marks the 25 years since the inception of the Reggae Grammy. The Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles on February 13. The Reggage Grammy will be presented in the pre-show which is not televised.

This year, the list of nominees is led by embattled deejay, Buju Banton whose Before The Dawn was released earlier this year while the artiste was incarcerated in a Florida jail on drug charges. The album is said to be a prophetic piece of work from the deejay, and marks his fifth Grammy nod.

Another poignant nomination is that for the album Isaacs Meets Isaac. This album is a collaboration between the late Reggae crooner, Gregory Isaacs and South African-based Reggae singer/songwriter, King Isaac. “This is an album that I am very proud of because every song on there is really just very strong,” Isaac told Splash, noting that he was drawn to Reggae based on the music spread across the globe by the King of Reggae, Bob Marley.

Veteran artiste and producer, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry makes another appearance at the Grammys, as he is nominated for his album, Revelation. Perry won his first Grammy back in 2003 for the project Jamaican E.T.

Jamaica’s rhythm twins, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, popularly known as Sly and Robbie, have a double nomination for this year’s awards. They are nominated for Made in Jamaica which also features Bob Sinclair, and One Pop Reggae which includes The Family Taxi.

This year, the second generation reggae act is represented by Andrew Tosh, son of legendary Wailer, Peter Tosh. The younger Tosh’s project, Legacy An Acoustic Tribute To Peter Tosh seems to have struck a chord with the Grammy voters , earning the nomination.

The Reggae category at the Grammy Awards, originally referred to as Best Reggae Recording, was first introduced in 1985 and the group Black Uhuru received the first award for their album, Anthem. The name of the category was changed to Best Reggae Album in 1992.

Reggae artiste and son of Bob Marley, Stephen Marley, holds the record for most Grammy Award wins in the Reggae category. He has won a total of five trophies — three times as a member of the sibling band, The Melody Makers, and twice as a solo act.

Shabba Ranks became the first deejay to take home a Grammy. First in 1992 for As Raw As Ever, then he followed up in 1993 with X-tra Naked.

Other Jamaican acts to take the Grammy Award for Reggae include, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley, Beenie Man, Inner Circle, Bunny Wailer and Burning Spear.