Julian Marley and Antaeus Win 2024 Grammy Award for ‘Best Reggae Album’

Claiming the Best Reggae Album for the 66th Annual Awards (2024) is none other than Julian Marley and Antaeus with their album Colors of Royal. Reggae artiste Julian Marley and producer Antaeus were announced as the winners at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 4, marking their first win in the category.

At the award ceremony, Antaeus accepted the award and dedicated it to Jamaicans, while Julian Marley was not in attendance due to his ongoing Australia tour.

Bob Marley’s son Julian Marley garnered two nominations in the category, one for his album As I Am Awake, and another for his project with Antaeus titled Colors of Royal. While this marks Julian Marley’s third nomination, Colors of Royal signifies Antaeus’ first nomination. 

The 8-track album was produced by Antaeus and released in April.

The nominations for the Best Reggae Album for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards were announced last November, with veterans Beenie Man for his Simma album, Buju Banton for Born For Greatness, and Burning Spear for No Destroyer garnering nominations, as well as Julian Marley & Antaeus for Colors of Royal, and Collie Buddz for Cali Roots Riddim 2023. 

Beenie Man was awarded the Best Reggae Album in 2001 for his album Art and Life, produced by Virgin Records. Simma, marking Beenie Man’s fourth nomination, is the dancehall veteran’s 17th studio album. It was released on August 31, 2023, and reportedly sold 500 units in the US during its debut week.

The 19-track project, produced by Roel Powell and distributed by MD Music Group, boasts a fusion of international and local collaborations, including Shenseea, Ms Banks, Bunj Garlin, BACKROAD GEE, TeeWay, Patoranking, Busy Signal, Giggs, Stonebwoy, Mya, Dexta Daps, HoodCelebrity, Jahfrican, Relevant, Cee Gee, Shaggy, and Morgan Heritage.

On the other hand, Born For Greatness marks Buju Banton’s seventh nomination, with his last nomination being in 2020 for his Upside Down album. His previous win in the category was awarded to him with his 10th studio album, Before The Dawn, in 2011. His 14th studio album Born for Greatness was released on September 8. It was produced by Gargamel Music and Roc Nation and consists of 17 tracks. 

The album boasts collaborations with Victoria Monét, Stephen Marley, and renowned American rapper Snoop Dogg.

Burning Spear won the award for Best Reggae Album twice, with Calling Rastafari in 2000 and Jah is Real in 2009. No Destroyer, signifies his 13th nomination in the category. The 12-track album was produced by Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd and was released in August.

Finally, Bermudian reggae artist Collie Buddz received his very first nomination with his album Cali Roots Riddim 2023. The 23-track album, produced by Collie Buddz, was released in June. The album includes a collaboration with Busy Signal on the song titled A Thousand Times.