Emerging Reggae Talent Snubbed at Grammys

The nominations are in for the Best Reggae Album of the year and once again the younger talents from this genre were over looked. This year nominees are as follows: Toots and the Maytals with "Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hills", Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters with "New Legend Jamaica 50th Edition", Jimmy Cliff with "Rebirth", The Original Wailers with "Miracle" and Sean Paul the only supposedly Dancehall Reggae artist with "Tomahawk Technique". It is somewhat appalling that an album that sold 34,000 units got nominated; yet an album with over 52,000 units was not. Am I missing something here? I have always thought that the Reggae genre was vibrant enough to carry more categories in the Grammy Awards. Can't there be a "Reggae Recording Academy"? Such is the case with Latin, there is a Latin Recording Academy of such there is the Latin Grammy.

According to Bill Freimuth, VP of Awards at the Grammys, "A minimum of 40 titles is required for consideration for a new category". Despite that revelation I am sure within the reggae community there are more that 40 titles to sustain more categories. I think Mr. Freimuth is says Reggae is neither vibrant nor diverse enough to accommodate another categories. I believe emerging artists with substantive material will be given consideration for future Grammy Awards, this includes male acts such as Assassin (Agent Sasco); Mr. Vegas, Luciano, I-Wayne, Sizzla, Mavado and female acts like, Tessanne Chin, CéCile, Etana, and Tanya Stephens just to name a few. These acts are constantly over looked and if it means adding another category, then there is no reason there cannot be 40 submissions for considering a new category. Reggae industry players should also sign up as voting members with the Recording Academy so they will have a voice, enabling them to push for more categories and even a Reggae Recording Academy.

Despite the fact that there is still lots of work, that needs on the overall infrastructure of Reggae. This genre sees talent rise daily. What folks, including Freimuth fail to understand is that reggae has the unique opportunity of having what I call "sub-genres" and Dancehall is one such sub-genre. It maybe easier said that done as Freimuth pointed out, but has anyone even given it serious thought or consideration. Personally I would love to see Reggae take a more prominent place in the Grammys and award winners receiving their award/s on Grammy night just like other artists do. For those of us in the Reggae community, who are with this need to lobby this cause and register. So your voices and votes will make a difference in effecting change.