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.
At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020, Koffee became the youngest person. Ziggy Marley holds the record for the most wins in this category, with seven wins as of 2017. Sharon Marley and Cedella Marley of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers hold the record for most wins and nominations by a female artist, with three wins out of eight nominations. The current recipient of the award is Keznamdi, who won at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards with his album Blxxd & Fyah.
Recipients
1980s Year Work Performing artist(s) 1985 Anthem Black Uhuru Captured Live Peter Tosh King Yellowman Yellowman "Reggae Night" Jimmy Cliff "Steppin' Out" Steel Pulse 1986 Cliff Hanger Alive in Jamaica Blue Riddim Band Play the Game Right Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Resistance Burning Spear Working Wonders Judy Mowatt 1987 Babylon the Bandit Steel Pulse Brutal Black Uhuru Club Paradise Jimmy Cliff Linton Kwesi Johnson in Concert with the Dub Band Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Dub Band Rasta Philosophy The Itals 1988 No Nuclear War Brutal Dub Black Uhuru Hold on to Love Third World People of the World Burning Spear UB40 CCCP: Live in Moscow UB40 1989 Conscious Party Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers "Breakfast in Bed" UB40 and Chrissie Hynde Hanging Fire Jimmy Cliff Toots in Memphis Toots Hibbert UB40 UB40
1990s Year Work Performing artist(s) 1990 One Bright Day Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers I.D. Wailers Band Liberation Bunny Wailer Live in Paris Zenith '88 Burning Spear Serious Business Third World 1991 Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley Bunny Wailer An Hour Live Toots & the Maytals Make Place for the Youth Andrew Tosh Mek We Dweet Burning Spear Now Black Uhuru 1992 As Raw As Ever Shabba Ranks Gumption Bunny Wailer Iron Storm Black Uhuru Jahmekya Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Victims Steel Pulse We Must Carry On Rita Marley 1993 X-tra Naked Shabba Ranks All Over the World The Wailing Souls Breakout Jimmy Cliff Committed Third World Rastafari Centennial: Live in Paris – Elysee Montmartre Steel Pulse 1994 "Bad Boys" Inner Circle Fe Real Maxi Priest Joy and Blues Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Mystical Truth Black Uhuru The World Should Know Burning Spear 1995 Crucial! Roots Classics Bunny Wailer Light My Fire Dennis Brown Reggae Dancer Inner Circle Rise and Shine Aswad Stir It Up Various Artists Strongg Black Uhuru 1996 Boombastic Shaggy Free Like We Want 2 B Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Hi-Bop Ska! The 30th Anniversary Recording The Skatalites Live It Up Third World Rasta Business Burning Spear 1997 Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary Bunny Wailer Greetings from Skamania The Skatalites Lyrically Potent Sister Carol Man with the Fun Maxi Priest Mr. Cool Gregory Isaacs 1998 Fallen Is Babylon Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Appointment with His Majesty Burning Spear Big Up Aswad Freedom of Speech Yellowman Rage and Fury Steel Pulse 1999 Friends Sly and Robbie Inna Heights Buju Banton Many Moods of Moses Beenie Man Psychedelic Souls The Wailing Souls Ska Father Toots & the Maytals
2000s {| class="wikitable" ! width="5%" | Year ! width="45%" | Work ! width="50%" | Performing artist(s) |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2000 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Calling Rastafari | Burning Spear |- | The Doctor | Beenie Man |- | Generation Coming | Third World |- | Living Legacy | Steel Pulse |- | Roots Revival | Aswad |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2001 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Art and Life | Beenie Man |- | Equality | The Wailing Souls |- | Let Me Be the One | Dennis Brown |- | Life Is a Miracle | Pato Banton |- | Private & Confidential | Gregory Isaacs |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2002 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Halfway Tree
| Island Warriors | Various Artists |- | Many More Roads | Ky-Mani Marley |- | Music Is Life | Beres Hammond |- | A New Day | Luciano |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2003 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Jamaican E.T.
| Anything for You | Freddie McGregor |- | Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery | Bounty Killer |- | Merci | Alpha Blondy |- | ''Still Blazin| Capleton |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2004 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Dutty Rock
| Ain't Givin' Up | Third World |- | Free Man | Burning Spear |- | Friends for Life | Buju Banton |- | No Holding Back | Wayne Wonder |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2005 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | True Love | Toots and the Maytals |- | African Holocaust | Steel Pulse |- | Black Magic | Jimmy Cliff |- | Def Jamaica | Various Artists |- | The Dub Revolutionaries | Sly and Robbie |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2006 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Welcome to Jamrock
| Black Gold & Green | Third World |- | Clothes Drop | Shaggy |- | Our Music | Burning Spear |- | The Trinity | Sean Paul |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2007 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Love Is My Religion
| Rhythm Doubles | Sly and Robbie |- | Too Bad | Buju Banton |- | Who You Fighting For? | UB40 |- | Youth | Matisyahu |- | rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | 2008 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Mind Control
| Anniversary | Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang |- | The Burning Spear Experience | Burning Spear |- | The End of an American Dream | Lee "Scratch" Perry |- | Light Your Light | Toots and the Maytals |- | rowspan="7" style="text-align:center;" | 2009 |- style="background:#FAEB86;" | Jah Is Real | Burning Spear |- | Amazing | Sly and Robbie |- | Intoxication | Shaggy |- | Let's Get Physical | Elephant Man |- | Repentance | Lee "Scratch" Perry |- | Vibes | Heavy D
2010s Year Work Performing artist(s) 2010 Mind Control – Acoustic Awake Julian Marley Brand New Me Gregory Isaacs Imperial Blaze Sean Paul Rasta Got Soul Buju Banton 2011 Before the Dawn Isaacs Meets Isaac Gregory Isaacs and King Isaac Legacy: An Acoustic Tribute to Peter Tosh Andrew Tosh Made in Jamaica Bob Sinclar and Sly and Robbie One Pop Reggae + Sly and Robbie and the Family Taxi Revelation Lee "Scratch" Perry 2012 Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life Stephen Marley Harlem-Kingston Express Live! Monty Alexander Reggae Knights Israel Vibration Summer in Kingston Shaggy Wild and Free Ziggy Marley 2013[List of 2013 nominees ] Rebirth Jimmy Cliff Miracle The Original Wailers New Legend – Jamaica 50th Edition Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hill Toots and the Maytals Tomahawk Technique Sean Paul 2014 In Concert Ziggy Marley The Messiah Sizzla One Love, One Life Beres Hammond Reggae Connection Sly and Robbie and the Jam Masters Reincarnated Snoop Lion 2015 Fly Rasta Ziggy Marley Amid the Noise and the Haste SOJA Back on the Controls Lee "Scratch" Perry Full Frequency Sean Paul Out of Many, One Music Shaggy The Reggae Power Sly and Robbie and Spicy Chocolate 2016 Strictly Roots Morgan Heritage Acousticalevy Barrington Levy Branches of the Same Tree Rocky Dawuni The Cure Jah Cure Zion Awake Luciano 2017 Ziggy Marley Ziggy Marley Everlasting Raging Fyah Falling Into Place Rebelution Live in Virginia SOJA Rose Petals J Boog Sly & Robbie Presents... Reggae for Her Devin Di Dakta and J.L 2018Grammy.com, 28 November 2017 Stony Hill Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley Avrakedabra Morgan Heritage Chronology Chronixx Lost in Paradise Common Kings Wash House Ting J Boog 2019 44/876 Sting and Shaggy As the World Turns Black Uhuru A Matter of Time Protoje Rebellion Rises Ziggy Marley Reggae Forever Etana
2020s Year Work Performing artist(s) 2020 Rapture Koffee As I Am Julian Marley The Final Battle: Sly & Robbie vs. Roots Radics Sly and Robbie and the Roots Radics Mass Manipulation Steel Pulse More Work to Be Done Third World 2021 Got to Be Tough Toots and the Maytals Higher Place Skip Marley It All Comes Back to Love Maxi Priest One World The Wailers Upside Down 2020 Buju Banton 2022 Beauty in the Silence SOJA Live N Livin Sean Paul Pamoja Etana Positive Vibration Gramps Morgan Royal Jesse Royal 10 Spice 2023 The Kalling Kabaka Pyramid Com Fly Wid Mi Shaggy Gifted Koffee Scorcha Sean Paul Third Time's The Charm Protoje 2024 Colors of Royal Julian Marley and Antaeus Born for Greatness Buju Banton Call Roots Riddim 2023 Collie Buddz No Destroyer Burning Spear Simma Beenie Man 2025 Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe) Various Artists Evolution The Wailers Never Gets Late Here Shenseea Party with Me Vybz Kartel Take It Easy Collie Buddz 2026 Blxxd & Fyah Keznamdi From Within Mortimer Heart & Soul Vybz Kartel No Place Like Home Jesse Royal Treasure Self Love Lila Iké
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
2010 controversy
Buju Banton's (real name Mark Anthony Myrie) nomination for the 2010 award sparked controversy and protest due to homophobic lyrics within his music. Banton's most controversial song, released in 1988, is "Boom, Bye Bye", which "promote[s] the murder of gay men by shooting or burning". 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". 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. The 2010 award was presented to Stephen Marley. Banton was nominated in 2011 for the album Before the Dawn. Other reggae musicians that have been accused of promoting anti-gay lyrics include Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Shabba Ranks and Sizzla.
See also List of reggae musicians List of roots reggae artists List of ska musicians Music of Jamaica Reggae genres
ReferencesGeneral Note: User must select the "Reggae" category as the genre under the search feature.Specific'''