Can you believe the Grammy Awards are almost here? Many have claimed the selection committee does not know much about reggae and select the winners based on them being either well promoted, famous or having a popular “reggae” last name. We asked M. Peggy Quattro, Reggae Report founder and publisher, to review the list of nominees from 1985 when the Reggae Grammy award was established through to this year (2011) and give us her picks for “Who Should Have Won the Reggae Grammy? Feel free to comment on the picks.
2011 Nominees
- Monty Alexander – Harlem-Kingston Express Live!
- Israel Vibration – Reggae Knights
- Stephen Marley – Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life
- Ziggy Marley – Wild and Free
- Shaggy – Summer in Kingston (Should Win)
2011
Winner: Buju Banton – Before the Dawn (They Got it Right)
- 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
2010
Winner: Stephen Marley – Mind Control – Acoustic
- Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul
- Gregory Isaacs – Brand New Me
- Julian Marley – Awake (Should Have Won)
- Sean Paul – Imperial Blaze
2009
Winner: Burning Spear – Jah Is Real (They Got it Right)
- Elephant Man – Let’s Get Physical
- Heavy D – Vibes
- Lee “Scratch” Perry – Repentance
- Shaggy – Intoxication
- Sly and Robbie – Amazing
2008
Winner: Stephen Marley – United States - Mind Control (They Got it Right)
- Burning Spear – The Burning Spear Experience
- Lee “Scratch” Perry – The End of an American Dream
- Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang – Anniversary
- Toots & the Maytals – Light Your Light
2007
Winner: Ziggy Marley – Love Is My Religion (They Got it Right)
- Buju Banton – Too Bad
- Matisyahu – Youth
- Sly and Robbie – Rhythm Doubles
- UB40 – Who You Fighting For?
2006
Winner: Damian Marley – Welcome to Jamrock (They Got it Right)
- Burning Spear – Our Music
- Sean Paul – The Trinity
- Shaggy – Clothes Drop
- Third World – Black Gold & Green
2005
Winner: Toots & the Maytals – True Love (They Got it Right)
- Jimmy Cliff – Black Magic
- Sly and Robbie – The Dub Revolutionaries
- Steel Pulse – African Holocaust
- Various artists – Def Jamaica
2004
Winner: Sean Paul – Dutty Rock (They Got it Right)
- Buju Banton – Friends for Life
- Burning Spear – Free Man
- Third World – Ain’t Givin’ Up
- Wayne Wonder – No Holding Back
2003
Winner: Lee “Scratch” Perry – Jamaican E.T.
- Alpha Blondy – Merci
- Bounty Killer – Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery
- Capleton – Still Blazin’
- Freddie McGregor – Anything for You (Should Have Won)
2002
Winner: Damian Marley – Halfway Tree
- Beres Hammond – Music Is Life (Should Have Won)
- Luciano – A New Day
- Ky-Mani Marley – Many More Roads
- Various artists – Island Warriors
2001
Winner: Beenie Man – Art and Life
- Pato Banton – Life Is a Miracle
- Dennis Brown – Let Me Be the One
- Gregory Isaacs – Private & Confidential (Should Have Won)
- The Wailing Souls – Equality
2000
Winner: Burning Spear – Calling Rastafari
- Aswad – Roots Revival
- Beenie Man – The Doctor
- Steel Pulse – Living Legacy (Should Have Won)
- Third World – Generation Coming
1999
Winner: Sly and Robbie – Friends (They Got it Right)
- Buju Banton – Inna Heights
- Beenie Man – Many Moods of Moses
- The Wailing Souls – Psychedelic Souls
- Toots & the Maytals – Ska Father
1998
Winner: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Fallen Is Babylon
- Aswad – Big Up
- Burning Spear – Appointment with His Majesty
- Steel Pulse – Rage and Fury (Should Have Won)
- Yellowman – Freedom of Speech
1997
Winner: Bunny Wailer – Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley’s 50th Anniversary (They Got it Right)
- Gregory Isaacs – Mr. Cool
- Maxi Priest – Man with the Fun
- Sister Carol – Lyrically Potent
- The Skatalites – Greetings from Skamania
1996
Winner: Shaggy – Boombastic (They Got it Right)
- 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
1995
Winner: Bunny Wailer – Crucial! Roots Classics (They Got it Right)
- Aswad – Rise and Shine
- Black Uhuru – Strongg
- Dennis Brown – Light My Fire
- Inner Circle – Reggae Dancer
- Various artists – Stir It Up
1994
Winner: Inner Circle – “Bad Boys” (They Got it Right)
- Black Uhuru – Mystical Truth
- Burning Spear – The World Should Know
- Maxi Priest – Fe Real
- Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Joy and Blues
1993
Winner: Shabba Ranks – X-tra Naked
- Jimmy Cliff – Breakout (Should Have Won)
- Steel Pulse – Rastafari Centennial: Live in Paris – Elysee Montmartre
- The Wailing Souls – All Over the World
- Third World – Committed
1992
Winner: Shabba Ranks – As Raw As Ever
- Black Uhuru – Iron Storm
- Bunny Wailer – Gumption
- Rita Marley – We Must Carry On
- Steel Pulse – Victims (Should Have Won)
- Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Jahmekya
1991
Winner: Bunny Wailer – Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley
- Black Uhuru – Now (Should Have Won)
- Burning Spear – Mek We Dweet
- Toots & the Maytals – An Hour Live
- Andrew Tosh – Make Place for the Youth
1990
Winner: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – One Bright Day
- Bunny Wailer – Liberation
- Burning Spear – Live in Paris Zenith ’88
- Third World – Serious Business (Should Have Won)
- Wailers Band – I.D.
1989
Winner: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Conscious Party
- Jimmy Cliff – Hanging Fire
- Toots – Toots in Memphis
- UB40 – UB40 (Should Have Won)
- UB40 and Chrissie Hynde – Breakfast in Bed
1988
Winner: Peter Tosh – No Nuclear War (They Got it Right)
- Black Uhuru – Brutal Dub
- Burning Spear – People of the World
- Third World – Hold On to Love
- UB40 – UB40 CCCP: Live in Moscow
1987
Winner: Steel Pulse – Babylon the Bandit (They Got it Right)
- 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
1986
Winner: Jimmy Cliff – Cliff Hanger (They Got it Right)
- Blue Riddim Band – Alive in Jamaica
- Burning Spear – Resistance
- Judy Mowatt – Working Wonders
- Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers – Play the Game Right
1985
Winner: Black Uhuru – Anthem (They Got it Right)
- Jimmy Cliff – Reggae Night
- Steel Pulse – “Steppin’ Out”
- Peter Tosh – Captured Live
- Yellowman – King Yellowman
About the Author:
M. Peggy Quattro, Reggae Report founder and publisher, celebrates 30 years in the Reggae business in 2011. As head of RRI Media Corp., she manages ReggaeReport.com Reggae Report on Facebook, performs freelance writing, editing and PR, public speaker from a personal reggae perspective on Reggae history, and is a Certified Social Media Strategist and consultant. - Reggae Report/Facebook ReggaeReport.com Blog- www.mpeggyq.com ReggaeReport Twitter [email protected]
