Nominations for the 63rd Grammy Awards will be announced on November 24. The Best Reggae Album category is one many reggae fans anticipate due to its unpredictability.
Usually, there are five nominees, and this time around, it could be a case of the young versus veterans.
The following are my predictions for Best Reggae Album nominations:
Got to Be Tough — Toots and the Maytals
Higher Place — Skip Marley
Upside Down 2020 — Buju Banton
Chiliagon — Spragga Benz
Look for The Good — Jason Mraz
Fixtape — Popcaan
Released in September 2019 via Easy Star Records, Chiliagon was the first full-length release for that company by veteran dancehall deejay Spragga Benz. It topped the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart in October with first-week sales of more than 500 copies.
American pop singer Jason Mraz released his maiden reggae project, The Look For The Good, on June 19 through BMG. The set includes the track Time Out featuring Sister Carol.
The Look For Good opened at number two on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart and has to date sold 8,953 copies.
Buju Banton won a Best Reggae Album Grammy in 2011 for Before The Dawn. Upside Down 2020 could earn the Gargamel his fifth nomination.
Upside Down 2020 was released by Roc Nation on June 26 and rose to number two on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart in July. A single from the album, Memories featuring John Legend, entered the Billboard R&B Adult Songs Chart last summer.
The album has to date sold 8,948 copies.
With six nominations under his belt including a win in 2005, the late Toots Hibbert is sure to snag a nomination this year.
Got to Be Tough by Toots and The Maytals was released by Trojan Jamaica/BMG on August 28, 13: days before the legendary singer’s death. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart shortly after Hibbert’s transition, and has to date sold 3,648 copies.
At 24 years old, Skip Marley could follow in the footsteps of his uncles Stephen, Ziggy and Damian Marley by copping a nomination.
His debut album Higher Place was released by Island Records on August 28 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart on September 11. It has so far sold 1,786 copies.
Two singles from Higher Place, Slow Down featuring HER and Make Me Feel with Rick Ross and Ari Lennox, have made multiple Billboard R&B charts.
Popcaan’s Fixtape, which has collaborations with Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR, French Montana and Dane Ray, debuted at number two on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart in August.
Released by OVO Sound/Warner Records on August 7, Fixtape has charted at number 15 on the Canadian Albums chart, number 94 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and number two on Billboard’s Reggae Albums Chart. Lead single Twist and Turn featuring Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, is currently climbing several Billboard tables.
The 63rd Grammy awards takes place on January 31 in Los Angeles.