Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album

The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards for quality works in the reggae genre. Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording, the honor was presented to artists for eligible songs or albums. The Jamaican group Black Uhuru received the first award in 1985. Beginning with the 1992 ceremony, the name of the award was changed to Best Reggae Album. Starting in 2002, awards were often presented to the engineers, mixers, and/or producers in addition to the performing artists. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, eligible works are vocal or instrumental reggae albums "containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded music", including roots reggae, dancehall and ska music.^[1]

Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album
Awarded for	Quality reggae albums
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award	1985
Currently held by	Various artists, Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe) (2025)
Website	grammy.com

At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020, Koffee became the youngest person and the first woman to win the award. Ziggy Marley holds the record for the most wins in this category, with seven wins as of 2017. The current recipient of the award is the Bob Marley film soundtrack One Love.

Recipients

Inaugural recipients Black Uhuru

1986 award recipient Jimmy Cliff in 1997

Five-time award winner Stephen Marley (three times as a member of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers) in 2007

Six-time award winner Ziggy Marley (three times as the leader of his eponymous band), performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2007

Thirteen-time nominee and two-time winner Burning Spear.

Three-time award winner Bunny Wailer, performing in 2009

1996 award winner Shaggy, performing in 2006

2001 award winner Beenie Man in 2008

Three-time award winner Damian Marley, performing in 2015.

2003 award recipient Lee "Scratch" Perry, performing in 2008

2004 award winner, Sean Paul

Year[I]	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1985	Black Uhuru	Anthem	Jimmy Cliff – "Reggae Night" Steel Pulse – "Steppin' Out" Peter Tosh – Captured Live Yellowman – King Yellowman	[2]
1986	Jimmy Cliff	Cliff Hanger	Blue Riddim Band – Alive in Jamaica Burning Spear – Resistance Judy Mowatt – Working Wonders Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Play the Game Right	[3]
1987	Steel Pulse	Babylon the Bandit	Black Uhuru – Brutal Jimmy Cliff – Club Paradise Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Dub Band – Linton Kwesi Johnson in Concert with the Dub Band The Itals – Rasta Philosophy	[4]
1988	Peter Tosh	No Nuclear War	Black Uhuru – Brutal Dub Burning Spear – People of the World Third World – Hold On to Love UB40 – UB40 CCCP: Live in Moscow	[5]
1989	Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers	Conscious Party	Jimmy Cliff – Hanging Fire Toots Hibbert – Toots in Memphis UB40 – UB40 UB40 and Chrissie Hynde – "Breakfast in Bed"	[6]
1990	Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers	One Bright Day	Bunny Wailer – Liberation Burning Spear – Live in Paris Zenith '88 Third World – Serious Business Wailers Band – I.D.	[7]
1991	Bunny Wailer	Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley	Black Uhuru – Now Burning Spear – Mek We Dweet Toots & the Maytals – An Hour Live Andrew Tosh – Make Place for the Youth	[8]
1992	Shabba Ranks	As Raw As Ever	Black Uhuru – Iron Storm Bunny Wailer – Gumption Rita Marley – We Must Carry On Steel Pulse – Victims Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Jahmekya	[9]
1993	Shabba Ranks	X-tra Naked	Jimmy Cliff – Breakout Steel Pulse – Rastafari Centennial: Live in Paris – Elysee Montmartre The Wailing Souls – All Over the World Third World – Committed	[10]
1994	Inner Circle	"Bad Boys"	Black Uhuru – Mystical Truth Burning Spear – The World Should Know Maxi Priest – Fe Real Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Joy and Blues	[11]
1995	Bunny Wailer	Crucial! Roots Classics	Aswad – Rise and Shine Black Uhuru – Strongg Dennis Brown – Light My Fire Inner Circle – Reggae Dancer Various artists – Stir It Up	[12]
1996	Shaggy	Boombastic	Burning Spear – Rasta Business The Skatalites – Hi-Bop Ska! The 30th Anniversary Recording Third World – Live It Up Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Free Like We Want 2 B	[13]
1997	Bunny Wailer	Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary	Gregory Isaacs – Mr. Cool Maxi Priest – Man with the Fun Sister Carol – Lyrically Potent The Skatalites – Greetings from Skamania	[14]
1998	Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers	Fallen Is Babylon	Aswad – Big Up Burning Spear – Appointment with His Majesty Steel Pulse – Rage and Fury Yellowman – Freedom of Speech	[15]
1999	Sly and Robbie	Friends	Buju Banton – Inna Heights Beenie Man – Many Moods of Moses The Wailing Souls – Psychedelic Souls Toots & the Maytals – Ska Father	[16]
2000	Burning Spear	Calling Rastafari	Aswad – Roots Revival Beenie Man – The Doctor Steel Pulse – Living Legacy Third World – Generation Coming	[17]
2001	Beenie Man	Art and Life	Pato Banton – Life Is a Miracle Dennis Brown – Let Me Be the One Gregory Isaacs – Private & Confidential The Wailing Souls – Equality	[18]
2002	Damian Marley	Halfway Tree	Beres Hammond – Music Is Life Luciano – A New Day Ky-Mani Marley – Many More Roads Various artists – Island Warriors	[19]
2003	Lee "Scratch" Perry	Jamaican E.T.	Alpha Blondy – Merci Bounty Killer – Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery Capleton – Still Blazin' Freddie McGregor – Anything for You	[20]
2004	Sean Paul	Dutty Rock	Buju Banton – Friends for Life Burning Spear – Free Man Third World – Ain't Givin' Up Wayne Wonder – No Holding Back	[21]
2005	Toots and the Maytals	True Love	Jimmy Cliff – Black Magic Sly and Robbie – The Dub Revolutionaries Steel Pulse – African Holocaust Various artists – Def Jamaica	[22]
2006	Damian Marley	Welcome to Jamrock	Burning Spear – Our Music Sean Paul – The Trinity Shaggy – Clothes Drop Third World – Black Gold & Green	[23]
2007	Ziggy Marley	Love Is My Religion	Buju Banton – Too Bad Matisyahu – Youth Sly and Robbie – Rhythm Doubles UB40 – Who You Fighting For?	[24]
2008	Stephen Marley	Mind Control	Burning Spear – The Burning Spear Experience Lee "Scratch" Perry – The End of an American Dream Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang – Anniversary Toots and the Maytals – Light Your Light	[25]
2009	Burning Spear	Jah Is Real	Elephant Man – Let's Get Physical Heavy D – Vibes Lee "Scratch" Perry – Repentance Shaggy – Intoxication Sly and Robbie – Amazing	[26]
2010	Stephen Marley	Mind Control – Acoustic	Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul Gregory Isaacs – Brand New Me Julian Marley – Awake Sean Paul – Imperial Blaze	[27]
2011	Buju Banton	Before the Dawn	Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac – Isaacs Meets Isaac Lee "Scratch" Perry – Revelation Bob Sinclar and Sly and Robbie – Made in Jamaica Sly and Robbie and the Family Taxi – One Pop Reggae + Andrew Tosh – Legacy: An Acoustic Tribute to Peter Tosh	[28]
2012	Stephen Marley	Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life	Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express Live! Israel Vibration – Reggae Knights Ziggy Marley – Wild and Free Shaggy – Summer in Kingston
2013	Jimmy Cliff	Rebirth	The Original Wailers – Miracle Sean Paul – Tomahawk Technique Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters – New Legend – Jamaica 50th Edition Toots and the Maytals – Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hill	[29]
2014	Ziggy Marley	In Concert	Beres Hammond – One Love, One Life Sizzla – The Messiah Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters – Reggae Connection Snoop Lion – Reincarnated
2015	Ziggy Marley	Fly Rasta	Lee "Scratch" Perry – Back on the Controls Sean Paul – Full Frequency Shaggy – Out of Many, One Music Sly and Robbie and Spicy Chocolate – The Reggae Power SOJA – Amid the Noise and the Haste	[30]
2016	Morgan Heritage	Strictly Roots	Rocky Dawuni – Branches of the Same Tree Jah Cure – The Cure Barrington Levy – Acousticalevy Luciano – Zion Awake
2017	Ziggy Marley	Ziggy Marley	Devin Di Dakta & J.L – Sly & Robbie Presents...Reggae For Her J Boog – Rose Petals Raging Fyah – Everlasting Rebelution – Falling Into Place SOJA – Live in Virginia	[31]
2018	Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley	Stony Hill	Chronixx – Chronology Common Kings – Lost in Paradise J Boog – Wash House Ting Morgan Heritage – Avrakedabra	[32]
2019	Sting & Shaggy	44/876	Black Uhuru – As The World Turns Etana – Reggae Forever Ziggy Marley – Rebellion Rises Protoje – A Matter of Time	[33]
2020	Koffee	Rapture	Julian Marley – As I Am Sly and Robbie & the Roots Radics – The Final Battle: Sly & Robbie vs. Roots Radics Steel Pulse – Mass Manipulation Third World – More Work to Be Done	[34]
2021	Toots and the Maytals	Got to Be Tough	Buju Banton – Upside Down 2020 Skip Marley – Higher Place Maxi Priest – It All Comes Back To Love The Wailers – One World	[35]
2022	SOJA	Beauty in the Silence	Etana – Pamoja Gramps Morgan – Positive Vibration Sean Paul – Live N Livin Jesse Royal – Royal Spice – 10	[36]
2023	Kabaka Pyramid	The Kalling	Koffee – Gifted Sean Paul – Scorcha Protoje – Third Time's The Charm Shaggy – Com Fly Wid Mi	[37]
2024	Julian Marley & Antaeus	Colors of Royal	Buju Banton – Born For Greatness Beenie Man – Simma Collie Buddz – Call Roots Riddim 2023 Burning Spear – No Destroyer	[38]
2025	Various artists	Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe)	Collie Buddz – Take It Easy Vybz Kartel – Party With Me Shenseea - Never Gets Late Here The Wailers – Evolution	[39]

^{^[I]} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

2010 controversy

2010 nominee and subject of controversy Buju Banton, performing in 2007

Buju Banton's (real name Mark Anthony Myrie) nomination for the 2010 award sparked controversy and protest due to homophobic lyrics within his music.^[40][41] Banton's most controversial song, released in 1988, is "Boom, Bye Bye", which "promote[s] the murder of gay men by shooting or burning".^[42] Following the artist's nomination, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center placed an advertisement in the Daily Variety encouraging Grammy officials to denounce music that "promotes or celebrates violence against any group of people".^[40] The advertisement, which took the form of a letter signed by gay rights and civil rights activists, asserted that honoring Banton was awarding "extraordinary hateful work". The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences responded by insisting that artists are honored for quality music "regardless of politics". Banton has been quoted as saying that he sees "no end to the war" between himself and gay men.^[40][43] The 2010 award was presented to Stephen Marley. Banton was nominated in 2011 for the album Before the Dawn.^[28] Other reggae musicians that have been accused of promoting anti-gay lyrics include Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Shabba Ranks and Sizzla.^[44][45]

See also

• List of reggae musicians
• List of roots reggae artists
• List of ska musicians
• Music of Jamaica
• Reggae genres