On September 19, the Caribbean Music Awards touched down at NAPA in Port of Spain for its first ever Trinidad edition, and Jamaica showed up like it owned the building. By the end of the night, Jamaican artists had swept all seven reggae categories, taken seven of nine dancehall categories, collected a Lifetime Achievement honor and the People’s Choice award. Trinidad hosted the party. Jamaica took home the trophies.
Here is how the night broke down, through a Jamaican lens.
Reggae: a clean sweep
Seven categories, seven Jamaican winners. Lila Ike took Female Reggae Artist of the Year and added Reggae Collaboration of the Year for “Romantic” with Masicka. Buju Banton claimed Male Reggae Artist of the Year. Chronixx’s Exile, named Billboard’s No. 1 Best Caribbean Album of 2025, won Reggae Album of the Year. Cholita took Best New Artist. Keznamdi, fresh off his 2026 Grammy win for Best Reggae Album with Blxxd and Fyah, received the Reggae Impact Award. And Protoje’s “BIG 45” won Reggae Song of the Year. Nobody else got a look in.
Dancehall: nearly as dominant
Dancehall told a similar story with one delicious plot twist. Shenseea won Female Dancehall Artist of the Year. Valiant beat a murderers’ row of Vybz Kartel, 450, Alkaline, Armanii, Ayetian, Masicka and Popcaan for Male Dancehall Artist of the Year. Ding Dong took Performer of the Year. Masicka’s “Rich Sex” won Video of the Year. Ayetian, the Jamaica-based artist of Haitian heritage, won Best New Artist plus the Dancehall Impact Award, telling the crowd “even though I’m Haitian and building my foundation in Jamaica, it’s all about the Caribbean.”
The plot twist: Dancehall Album of the Year went to Trinidad’s Prince Swanny for Saint, beating Vybz Kartel’s Viking, Masicka’s Her Name Is Love, Popcaan’s Nothing Without God and Ding Dong’s From Ding Dong to World Ding. On a night Jamaica dominated, Trinidad stole the album crown. That is a rivalry storyline with legs.
The song of the night bridged two continents
“Shake It to the Max (FLY) [Remix]” by MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea won both Dancehall Song of the Year and Dancehall Collaboration of the Year. The win made MOLIY the first Ghanaian artist ever to win a Caribbean Music Award, and it framed the night’s biggest theme: the musical highway between Ghana and Jamaica keeps getting busier, moving between African, Caribbean and international markets like borders don’t exist. For Shenseea, it was her second straight year connected to the category after winning in 2025 for “Hit and Run” with Masicka.
Patra got her flowers
The Lifetime Achievement Honor went to Patra, and it was overdue. Born in Westmoreland, she started as DJ “Lady Patra” before Shabba Ranks pulled her onto “Family Affair.” Her 1993 album Queen of the Pack was the first album by a Jamaican female artist to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart and went Gold in the US. “Worker Man” cracked the Billboard Hot 100. Her unapologetic portrayal of Black womanhood paved the way for every female dancehall artist who followed, Shenseea and Lady Lava included. Legends recognizing legends.
The People’s Choice and the snubs
Alkaline won the fan-voted People’s Choice Award over Vybz Kartel, Dexta Daps, Kes, Lady Lava, Shenseea, Voice and Yung Bredda. But the night’s coldest stat belonged to Kartel: 0 for 5 across five nominations despite his post-return resurgence. Shaggy and Sean Paul were shut out too. Sometimes the nominations are the respect and the night belongs to the new wave.
Trinidad still had its night
The hosts were in the building, literally. Trinidad’s Kes took Male Soca Artist of the Year and Soca Performer of the Year. Lady Lava led all nominees with nine nominations and converted four wins: Female Soca Artist, Zess Artist, Zess Song of the Year for “Bob the Builder” and Chutney Soca Song of the Year for “Cyah Pick” with Ravi B. Calypso Rose received the Elite Calypso Honor. Soca Song of the Year went to “The Greatest Bend Over” by Yung Bredda and Full Blown, and Soca Collaboration of the Year went to “Eskimo” by Trinidad Killa and Nicki Minaj. The wider diaspora showed out too: Shyne (Belize) took the Global Ambassador Honor, Alan Cave received the Elite Konpa Honor for Haiti, Mr. Ridge won Bouyon Artist of the Year for Dominica, and Bad Bunny took Latin Caribbean Artist of the Year.
The ceremony itself had range: hosts Majah Hype and Nailah Blackman, Billboard as official global media partner with the red carpet streaming on Billboard TV, and a three-day Elite Weekend wrapping with a Stars and Steel Pan Concert. Lila Ike provided the night’s best off-stage moment, clapping back at a podcaster who commented on her win post that he’d never heard her music: “just like I never heard of your ‘number 1 in the world’ podcast before, we both learn something new today.”
The uncomfortable footnote: where was Canada?
Here is the part that stings. Across 40-plus categories and 250 nominees, with winners from Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Jamaica, Dominica and Ghana, there was no Canadian nominee, winner, performer or honoree on the verified record. Toronto has one of the largest Caribbean diaspora populations on earth. Our sound systems, our DJs, our artists, our Carnival. The Caribbean Music Awards just proved the region’s music is a global force. Next year, Canada needs a seat at that table, and not just in the audience.
Sources: World Music Views, Soca News, RaptureStone, Kaboom Mag, AmeyawDebrah, Jamaica Inquirer, Caribbean Tourism Authority.
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