Reggae Grammy Winners

• The Burning Spear Experience - Burning Spear
• Mind Control - Stephen Marley
• The End Of An American Dream - Lee "Scratch" Perry
• Anniversary - Sly & Robbie And The Taxi Gang
• Light Your Light - Toots & The Maytals

The 2007 nominees are all familiar names; each has won at least one award in the past. Elder statesman Winston Rodney better known to reggae fans Worldwide as Burning Spear took home the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1999 for "Calling Rastafari." Toots and the Maytals are trying to add a second award to their mantle piece having already taken home one in 2004 for "True Love". The other veterans Sly and Robbie and Lee "Scratch" Perry won previous awards in 1998 and 2002 respectively.

Stephen Marley already has three Grammys with his brothers and sisters: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers won the coveted award in 1988 (Conscious Party), 1989 (One Bright Day) and 1997 (Fallen Is Babylon). This could be Stephen's year; the Marley family has dominated the awards with brother Ziggy winning last year (2006) for Love Is My Religion, his second solo album. Younger brother Damian took home two Grammys the year before (2005) for "Welcome to Jamrock"; one in the Best Reggae Album category and one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Jr. Gong himself was no stranger to the Grammys having won in 2001 for "Halfway Tree".

Also worth mentioning is pop superstar Rihanna's nominations in six categories including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The young lady from Barbados will also be performing at the ceremony. The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 10, 2008. It will be broadcast on CBS and will air at 8PM EST.

Also worthy of note:

• Lady Saw (with No Doubt) won Best Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal in 2004 for their duet "Underneath It All."
• "Hey Baby" by No Doubt featuring Bounty Killer won the 2003 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal".
• Sean Paul and Trinidadian Heather Headley were both nominated for the "Best New Artist" award in 2003.
• Heather Headley was also nominated for the "Best R&B Vocalist - Female" award in 2003
  • Although Headley has not yet won a Grammy Award she has won several other prestigous awards including: A Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Musical" for "Aida" (2000)
• Also from Trinidad Billy Ocean won an Award in 1984 for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" for "Caribbean Queen."
• Sean Paul was also nominated for the "Best Male Rap Solo Performance" award in 2003
• Guyanese born Eddy Grant was nominated for "Best Rhythm & Blues Song" in 1983 for "Electric Avenue" (Micheal Jackson won with "Beat It")
• Jamaican born Sandra Denton better known as Pepa from the rap group Salt-N-Peppa took home the award for "Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group" in 1994.
• Haitian born Wyclef Jean has been nominated for several awards and won a few including
  • "Best Rap Album" for "The Score" - Fugees (1996)
  • "Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group" for "Killing Me Softly with His Song" Fugees(1996)
  • "Best Rap Album", "Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival" (1997)
  • "Rap Duo or Group Performance", "Guantanamera" featuring Celia Cruz & Jeni Fujita (1997)
  • "Rap Solo Performance", "Gone Till November" (1998)
  • "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for "911" with Mary Blige (2000)
• A number of Caribbean-Americans have won Grammys in several categories including;
  • Alicia Keys, whose father is Jamaican. Keys has won nine awards during her career including Best New Artist and Song Of The Year in her first year (2001).
  • Queen Latifah, who is also of Jamaican heritage won "Best Rap Solo Performance" in 1994 with her song "U.N.I.T.Y.".