Shyne, Calypso Rose, Alan Cavé and Patra to receive honors at 2026 Caribbean Music Awards
Key Points(5)
- International recording artist and humanitarian Shyne will receive the Global Ambassador Honor at the fourth annual Caribbean Music Awards, while calypso legend Calypso Rose, Haitian-American singer-songwriter Alan Cavé and Jamaican dancehall icon Patra will also be recognized during the ceremony.
- The Caribbean Music Awards will take place Saturday, Sept.
- 19, 2026, at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
- Presented by Tourism Trinidad Limited, with support from the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, and Global Trinidad and Tobago, this year’s ceremony will serve as the centerpiece of the inaugural Caribbean Music Awards Elite Weekend Experience.
- The three-day celebration, taking place Sept.
International recording artist, politician and humanitarian Shyne will receive the Global Ambassador Honor at the fourth annual Caribbean Music Awards, while calypso legend Calypso Rose, Haitian-American singer-songwriter Alan Cavé and Jamaican dancehall icon Patra will also be recognized during the ceremony.
The Caribbean Music Awards will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Presented by Tourism Trinidad Limited, with support from the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited, the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, and Global Trinidad and Tobago, this year’s ceremony will serve as the centerpiece of the inaugural Caribbean Music Awards Elite Weekend Experience.
The three-day celebration, taking place Sept. 18-20 throughout Trinidad and Tobago, will bring together artists, fans, industry leaders, cultural tastemakers and visitors from across the Caribbean and beyond to celebrate the region’s music and cultural influence.
Inspired by the theme “Sounds of the Caribbean,” the 2026 awards will honor four artists whose careers have helped shape Caribbean music’s international reach.
Patra to receive Lifetime Achievement Honor
Patra will receive the Lifetime Achievement Honor for her pioneering contributions to dancehall, reggae and global Black music.
Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, Patra began her career as a female DJ known as “Lady Patra” before gaining international recognition through her work with dancehall star Shabba Ranks, including their collaboration on “Family Affair.”
Her 1993 debut album, Queen of the Pack, released by Epic Records, became the first album by a Jamaican female artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart. The album was later certified Gold in the United States.
It also produced Patra’s signature hit “Worker Man,” which reached No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, entered the Top 20 on Billboard’s R&B chart and topped the U.S. Dance chart.
Additional hits, including “Romantic Call,” “Scent of Attraction,” “Black Cinderella” and her remake of Grace Jones’ “Pull Up to the Bumper,” helped establish Patra as one of the most recognizable female figures of Jamaica’s 1990s dancehall movement.
Her influence extended beyond reggae and dancehall, with appearances in music videos for major American hip-hop artists including The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Her style and crossover presence also helped open doors for subsequent generations of female dancehall performers.
Shyne recognized as Global Ambassador
Shyne will receive the Global Ambassador Honor for his evolution from internationally known recording artist to cultural leader, humanitarian and advocate for Belize and the Caribbean.
His 2000 self-titled debut album on Bad Boy Records debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified Gold.
In the years since, Shyne has shifted much of his focus toward public service, youth empowerment and cultural advocacy. He has also served as Belize’s Music and Goodwill Ambassador.
The award recognizes his contributions to Caribbean culture and his efforts to promote Belize and the wider region on the international stage.
Calypso Rose to receive Elite Calypso Honor
Tobago-born calypso icon Calypso Rose will receive the Elite Calypso Honor for her decades-long contribution to Caribbean music and her role in bringing calypso to audiences worldwide.
A trailblazer for women in Caribbean music, Calypso Rose has spent more than six decades performing and recording, becoming one of the genre’s most influential figures.
She made history as the first woman to win Trinidad and Tobago’s Road March title and later achieved international recognition, including with her platinum-selling album Far From Home.
Alan Cavé to receive Elite Konpa Honor
Haitian-American singer-songwriter Alan Cavé will receive the Elite Konpa Honor for his influence on Haitian music and the international Konpa movement.
Known as the “King of Kompa Love,” Cavé has spent more than three decades building a career as a songwriter, vocalist and performer.
He first gained prominence as a member of the Haitian band Zin before establishing himself as a successful solo artist. His music and songwriting have helped shape contemporary Konpa while influencing musicians across Haiti, the Caribbean and the diaspora.
Caribbean Music Awards expands to Trinidad and Tobago
The four honorees will be celebrated as part of the Caribbean Music Awards Elite Weekend Experience, which will feature a welcome reception, industry programming, cultural activations, fan experiences, the awards ceremony, an official after-party and a special Steelpan celebration featuring Stars and Steel.
The event marks an international expansion for the Caribbean Music Awards following three successful years in Brooklyn, New York.
Organizers said the move to Trinidad and Tobago reflects the awards’ broader mission of celebrating Caribbean music and culture across different parts of the region.
Tickets and additional information about the Caribbean Music Awards Elite Weekend Experience are available at CaribMusicAwards.com.
