The Caribbean Music Awards are back!
Announced Wednesday afternoon (June 10), Trinidadian cross-genre powerhouse Lady Lava leads the nominations for the 2026 Caribbean Music Awards, with nine nods across seven categories. Fast-rising Jamaican dancehall star Ayetian, King of Soca Machel Montano and Grenadian soca sensation V’ghn follow with seven nominations each.
Last year’s big winner, Shenseea, adds six more nominations to her career total, thanks, in large part, to Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max.” A crossover hit that reached No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Shake It to the Max,” which also features Disco Neil, Silent Addy and Skillibeng, reigns as this year’s most-nominated song, with recognition in three separate categories. It’s a sweet moment of vindication for a track that was deemed ineligible to compete at February’s Grammy Awards — a decision that sent shockwaves through the global music industry and found gamma. CEO Larry Jackson deeming the decision as “devoid of any common sense.”
The Caribbean Music Awards recognizes artists, producers and industry professionals who have significantly contributed to the Caribbean music landscape. This year’s nominations list includes more than 250 nominees across 40-plus categories spanning a diverse range of genres including reggae, soca, dancehall, calypso, R&B and gospel.
Building on its commitment to cultural expansion and genre inclusivity, this year’s ceremony introduces an expansive slate of new categories, including Dennery artist and song of the year, zess song of the year, konpa song of the year, chutney soca artist and song of the Year, jab artist and song of the year and French Caribbean song of the year.
While Skillibeng also collects six nominations this year, Masicka, Popcaan, Valiant, Vybz Kartel and Yung Bredda each earn five nods, highlighting their continued dominance across dancehall and soca. In addition, several acts earned four nominations each, including Full Blown, Jesse Royal, Joé Dwèt Filé, Kes, Lila Iké, Lola Doll, Mical Teja, Mikado and Voice. Keznamdi, who won the 2026 Grammy for best reggae album for his Blxxd & Fyah LP, picked up two nominations, as did Chronixx, whose Exile was crowned Billboard’s No. 1 Best Caribbean Album of 2025.
Other big names on this year’s nominees list include Tyla, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny, Shakira, Sting, Fridayy, Davido, Burna Boy and Busta Rhymes.
The Caribbean Music Awards are presented by the Caribbean Elite Group, which also produces Caribbean Elite Magazine – a print and digital publication that highlights Caribbean entertainers, artists, producers, promoters, cuisine, travel, fashion and entrepreneurs.
Voting is currently underway at the Caribbean Music Awards website and will conclude on Monday, Aug. 10. Additional details about the event and date will be announced at a later date. Last year’s ceremony was held at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, featuring appearances and performances by Shenseea, Armanii, Busta Rhymes, Sizzla, Machel Montano, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and more.
For the complete list of nominations, visit the Caribbean Music Awards website. Here are the nominees in selected categories:
People’s Choice
Alkaline
Dexta Daps
Kes
Lady Lava
Shenseea
Voice
Vybz Kartel
Yung Bredda
Reggae — Album of the Year
Keznamdi — Blxxd & Fyah
Chronixx — Exile
Glen Washington — Feeling Irie
Sanchez — Jamdown
Jesse Royal — No Place Like Home
Lila Iké — Treasure Self Love
Duane Stephenson — Weekend Dude
Reggae — Song of the Year
Protoje — “BIG 45”
Anthony B — “Good Music”
Aiesha — “Jamaica Strong”
Jesse Royal & Agent Sasco — “So High”
Zion Marley — “The Door”
Shaggy & Stign — “Til A Mawnin”
Christopher Martin — “Wife and Sweetheart”
Reggae — Best New Artist
Cholita
Khalia
Nesta
Rani Rastaciti
Rik Jam
Yeza
Zagga
Dancehall — Album of the Year
Masicka — Her Name Is Love
Popcaan — Nothing Without God
450 — Pieces of Me
Valiant — Prove Them Wrong
Prince Swanny — Saint
Armanii — The Impact
Vybz Katel — Viking (Vybz Is King): 10th Year Anniversary
Ding Dong — From Ding Dong to World Ding
Dancehall — Collaboration of the Year
Ayetian & Govana — “Wah Yo Deh Pon”
Ayetian & Skillibeng — “Tip (Remix)”
Ding Dong & Vanessa Bling — “Glory”
Moliy, Shenseea & Skillibeng — “Shake It to the Max (Fly) [Remix]”
Popcaan & Chronic Law — “Kick It Wid Myself”
Skillibeng & Vybz Kartel — “New Gear”
Dancehall — Impact Award
Ayetian
D’yani
Kman 6ixx
Malie Donn
Nigy Boy
Raja Wild
Skippa
Stalk Ashley
Soca — Performer of the Year
Kes
Lady Lava
Machel Montano
Mr. Killa
Nadia Batson
Patrice Roberts
V’ghn
Voice
Soca — Video of the Year
Full Blown — “Good Spirits”
Machel Montano — “Pardy”
Nadia Batson — “Pieces”
Patrice Roberts — “Rock So”
Mical Teja — “Last Train”
Mical Teja — “Home”
Coutain x Tano — “Jamtown”
Soca — Best New Artist
Omaiah Hall
Coutain
Aaron Duncan
Kisha Kay
RAE
Imani Ray
Christo
Hunter
Konpa — Artist of the Year
Harmonik
Joé Dwèt Filé
Kai
T-Vice
Vayb
Rutshelle Guillaume
Bouyon — Song of the Year
1t1 ft. Theomaa — “Bouwey”
Shelly & Signal Band — “Bye to the Old Me”
Reo & Téhilah — “La Vie Doux”
Khallion — “Put That on That”
Miimii — “Se’ Miimii”
Dirty Dawg Pudaz — “Shake Something”
Trilla-G — “Take Me as I Am”
BRG Hollywood (SXM) — “Time 2 Grind”
Dennery — Artist of the Year
Blackboy
Deejay ASAP
Dezral
Jardel
Mighty
Nerdy
Umpa
Zess — Song of the Year
Tempa — “All Riders”
Lady Lava — “Bob the Builder”
Lola Doll — “Come Downstairs”
Lola Doll — “It Pinching”
Lola Doll, Shawn Storm & Lady Lava — “Send It Up”
Sachie & Selecta Gas — “So D Badness Go”
Sachie — “Who Studying You”
Jab — Song of the Year
Lil Kerry — “Bury All”
Dirty Dog & Capital Jab — “Capital Anthem”
Tallpree & Smokie — “Do for Do”
Dred Lion — “Grease It”
V’ghn & Terra D Governor — “Jab Decisions”
Muddy — “Payroll”
Khalifah, MC Straker & Greg Boss — “Same Boat”
Chutney Soca — Artist of the Year
Drupatee
Ki and The Band
Rasika Dindial
Ravi B
Raymond Ramnarie
Tony Cuttz
Vanita Willie
Vicadi Singh
Caribbean Fusion — Artist of the Year
ChillBill
Freetown Collective
Jimmy October
Mickael Marabou
Monéa
Naïka
Skip Marley
Umpa
Latin Caribbean — Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
El Alfa
Jey One
Kruziano
La Pana
Prince Royce
Romeo Santos
Shakira
French Caribbean — Artist of the Year
Aya Nakamura
Bamby
Blaiz Fayah
Joé Dwèt Filé
Kalash
Maureen
Meryl
Mikado
Music Event of the Year
Nadia Batson — Artform
Michaël Brun — BAYO
Brunch & Soca
Patrice Roberts — I Am Woman
Barclays Center — Reggae Fest: The Return of Bounty Killer
Reggae Fest — Vybz Kartel at Barclays Center
Rise & Toast
Soca Brainwash
Stink & Dutty
