{"id":6556,"date":"2025-11-08T22:45:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T22:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/2026-grammy-nominations-reactions-reggae-vybz-kartel\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T22:45:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T22:45:26","slug":"2026-grammy-nominations-reactions-reggae-vybz-kartel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/2026-grammy-nominations-reactions-reggae-vybz-kartel\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s How Vybz Kartel, Lila Ik\u00e9 & More Reacted to Their 2026 Best Reggae Album Grammy Nominations: \u2018This Is a New Tidal Wave for\u00a0Reggae\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tAs Jamaica picks up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa\u2019s historic devastation<\/a>, the global reach of their artists remains cause for celebration. <\/p>\n

\n\tOn Friday (Nov. 7), the Recording Academy revealed the five nominees for best reggae album at the 2026 Grammy Awards<\/a> \u2014 and Jamaican musicians snagged every single spot. The five newly Grammy-nominated albums are Treasure Self Love<\/em> (Lila Ik\u00e9), Heart & Soul<\/em> (Vybz Kartel), Blxxd & Fyah<\/em> (Keznamdi), From Within<\/em> (Mortimer) and No Place Like Home<\/em> (Jesse Royal). Notably, Billboard<\/em> correctly predicted four out of the five nominees in its round-up of global field Grammy predictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s exactly 464 days ago to the day I achieved a significant milestone with my freedom, and within this time span, I have been nominated [for a Grammy Award] twice,\u201d Kartel exclusively told Billboard<\/em>. \u201cI am genuinely thankful that my artistic contributions have once again garnered such esteemed attention from the Recording Academy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tEarning his second nod in this category in as many years, Kartel\u2019s latest Grammy nomination bookends a seismic comeback year that began, in earnest, with his January Billboard<\/em> cover shoot<\/a>. The sole dancehall album in contention, Heart & Soul <\/em>arrived on Aug. 29, featuring a steamy collaboration with Ishawna. The week before Kartel dropped Heart & Soul<\/em>, Lila Ik\u00e9 celebrated her third consecutive Caribbean Music Award<\/a> win for female reggae artist of the year by releasing her long-awaited Treasure Self Love<\/em> debut album. \u201cI\u2019m always paying homage to my culture and the people who laid the foundation for what\u2019s going on in Jamaican music right now,\u201d she told Billboard<\/em><\/a> about the nods to Peter Tosh, Patra and Barrington Levy sprinkled throughout her album.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn February, Keznamdi spoke with Billboard<\/em><\/a> about the music video for \u201cTime,\u201d the lead single from Blxxd & Fyah<\/em>, saying, \u201cIn the process of making the problem, the music just sounded like Africa.\u201d Now, Blxxd & Fyah<\/em> has earned the independent Kingston-born reggae artist his first career Grammy nomination. Throughout the year, both Mortimer (\u201cBruises\u201d<\/a>) and Jesse Royal (\u201cToo Late\u201d<\/a>) had tracks from their now-Grammy-nominated albums featured in Billboard\u2019s<\/em> monthly Reggae\/Dancehall Fresh Picks column.<\/p>\n

\n\tCheck out how each 2026 best reggae album Grammy contender reacted to the news of their nomination.<\/p>\n