When Keznamdi was announced as the winner of the Reggae Album category at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night for his project Blxxd & Fyah, a chorus of global voices—including Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding, the Doctor Beenie Man, Lila Iké, Chronixx, RoadBlock Radio CEO Kacy Rankine, and fans around the world—joined in congratulating the cultural reggae torchbearer, calling the moment a proud one for Jamaica and the wider diaspora. But soon after the cheers, an old debate resurfaced.
Keznamdi’s talent or the merit of his album was not the subject of the debate. This time, the focus was on the Grammy selection process itself.
Dancehall MC Nuffy brought the discussions to the fore. His criticism of the Grammys reignited the longstanding “bad mind” debate among some dancehall fans. Nuffy criticized the Grammy process, implying that it does not truly reflect Jamaica’s music vibe. He reiterated his views on Vybz Kartel’s global impact and his Grammy snub. Kartel immediately admonished Nuffy, saying the MC was not authorized to speak on his behalf.
Discussions about the Grammy selection process are not limited to the Jamaican music industry. In January 2020, just before that year’s Grammy Awards, former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan—the first woman to lead the Academy—stirred controversy in a televised interview, bluntly saying, “It’s rigged.”
Later in the interview, Dugan alleged that despite thousands of Academy members voting, “secret committees” make the final Grammy decisions. She described the Academy as a “boys’ club,” primarily made up of white males, and criticized its lack of transparency. The Recording Academy terminated Dugan for making false claims, yet her words still resonated in Jamaica and diaspora communities.
As history has shown, a Grammy win in the reggae category often sparks renewed debates about representation, genre politics, and the legitimacy of the award in the reggae industry. This month, as we celebrate Reggae Month, it is worth remembering that some of the biggest and most respected Jamaican musicians have never won a Grammy. Sadly, the growing list includes Dennis Brown, Third World, Gregory Isaacs, Freddy McGregor, and Beres Hammond. King Yellowman and Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths have yet to pocket a Grammy Award.
Deborah Dugan’s remarks from 2020 remain a recurring theme in these discussions. So, this week, as we debate the Grammy selection process, the truth is that Dugan’s comments are still relevant—not just because of Keznamdi’s win, but because the process of selecting Grammy winners remains a tangled and unresolved mystery for many fans and some members of the music industry.
