Reactions To The Grammy Awards Selection For Best Reggae Album 😳

[vc_row qt_container=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text]People that have paid attention to the Grammy award for best Reggae album over the past two decades have been very vocal about their displeasure with the nominees, and the winners. We actually caught up with David Hines of the legendary band Steel Pulse who were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

This year added more fuel to the fire for those who already had a problem with the Grammy awards for best Reggae Album. With the winners being a white band from America added more of a reason for people to voice their displeasure with this years results for best Reggae album.

Many Jamaicans rushed to social media to voice their anger with SOJA’s Grammy victory, with some stating that the Grammys made a mistake. Others see it as a slap in the face to Jamaicans and a betrayal of our music and culture, while others wonder how SOJA managed to win over Sean Paul, Spice, Jesse Royal, Gramps Morgan, and Etana in the first place.

With that said now let’s put the emotions aside and get the facts. I took some excerpts from Cristy Barber, the president of the Marley family’s Ghetto Youths International when she spoke about the Reggae Grammy situation.

One of the problems is that many reggae artists have been left out of consideration for a Grammy Award because they have not paid membership dues and because of a lack of promotion of these artists. The problem in this, people are uneducated about the Recording Academy process.

Another issue is the people who represent reggae music do not vote, and the solution is that people who represent the genre and who have the “creative credentials” to do that should actually register to vote.

For those who lack the knowledge and would like to create some solutions to these issues here is the reggae Grammy process:

1) Every genre has its own screening committee to ensure that each album is released within the calendar year in the US; nothing over five years old can be considered, and it has to be considered over 75 percent of that genre.

2) Then there is the first round of voting in which the ballot is sent to all members who have paid their membership dues, the Grammy voters. All the artists who make it through the screening committee, which comprises about 60 members, are considered on the first ballot. Each voter picks five from among those. The five to receive the most votes in the first round end up on the final ballot. This is the process for every genre.

3) The Recording Academy comprises industry voters, but not everyone can be an industry voter. To be an industry voter, a person has to have six creative credentials that the Academy believes makes that person an expert in the music industry. Creatives include producers, musicians, songwriters, sound engineers, video directors, video producers, the people who write the liner notes, the people who design the album packaging. Marketers, journalists, record label presidents are not considered creatives. Barber says there are about one billion people in reggae who are considered creatives.

4) To receive the creative credential, a person only has to work on six projects, fill out an application, turn in proof of their involvement in the projects, and pay a yearly membership fee of US$100. Other than the fee, the paperwork only has to completed once.

Hopefully this information will help stop the complaining and help others become more involved..

Below are a few reactions from twitter users concerning the Grammy award for best Reggae Album.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” qt_container=”true”][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Jamaica gave the world Reggae, huge congratulations to our Grammy nominated Reggae Artistes!

Congratulations to Soja on their win and for acknowledging the huge influence of Jamaica on their craft. pic.twitter.com/9QDecXY5Pk

— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) April 4, 2022

Congratulations to @SOJALive on your Grammy win in the best reggae category!!!🥳🎉

— ETANA- PAMOJA OUT NOW!!! (@EtanaStrongOne) April 3, 2022

In a statement released to the media, the Culture and Entertainment Minister said reggae music has “touched and influenced the lives of people all around the world” and expressed that SOJA’s win is proof of the genre’s “universality”.https://t.co/YY4XUeVxDe

— Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) April 5, 2022

SCAMMYS! 😂

— TWINKLE (@Jadakingdom) April 4, 2022

#fuckthegrammys i’m done with them bye bye!!!!’ @ Johnny Wonder 21st https://t.co/FHjZRdMaml

— Johnny Wonder (@JWONDER21) April 4, 2022

The bias media! It’s fuckkng over! https://t.co/uvgr9K3Q7n

— Mr. Vegas (@MrVegasMusic) April 4, 2022

Congratulations @SOJALive on your 1st @RecordingAcad win for Best Reggae Album. That’s 2 for you #BobbyLee! 🤪
It was beautiful to see all our nominees attend the Award Ceremony yesterday. Reggae wins no matter what! pic.twitter.com/lQJrj926c5

— MORGAN HERITAGE (@morganheritage) April 4, 2022

One of Soja songs that helped them get a #Grammy for best Reggae album of the year… pic.twitter.com/YWJ8UAD8uY

— Phil Jones (@PhilJonesNFL) April 4, 2022

To all those UNHAPPY about #SOJA winning the #Reggae Grammy

Why didn’t you COMPLAIN when SOJA got NOMINATED ?

Why did none of you call SNOOP LION a “culture vulture” when HE was nominated. Called himself “Bob Marley reincarnated”. Then DISSED Bunny Wailer publicly

eeee?

— Junior Rodigan (@JuniorRodigan) April 4, 2022

It can be copied, but is not copy dweet. Jamaican reggae music should not be up for appropriation. Zeen. 😡 #Travel #Jamaica #Reggae #Soja #Grammy #Grammys #Dancehall #BobMarley pic.twitter.com/DwqCINroKn

— Bonita Jamaica (@BonitaJamaica) April 4, 2022

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