The 68th GRAMMYs Reggae Conversation — And The Rise Of New Voices Leading The Moment

There’s a beautiful energy around reggae right now — a feeling that legacy and innovation are clasping hands. As the 68th GRAMMY Awards (set for Sun, Feb 1, 2026) draw near, a handful of albums have defined the Best Reggae Album conversation, while a wave of breakout artists across genres keeps elevating the season’s narrative date ref: Feb 1, 2026, via MusicRow.


Below, a closer look at five reggae projects shaping the landscape — and the broader class of new artists surging to the top, with a special, subtle nod to a firebrand named Keznamdi whose BLXXD & FYAH feels like a mission statement.

Best Reggae Album, 68th GRAMMY Season: The Five to Know

 

Lila Iké — “Treasure Self Love”

Lila’s voice carries sunlight — warm, unhurried, sure of itself. “Treasure Self Love” feels like a diary cracked open to let in the breeze: soul-forward reggae, honeyed melodies, and lyrics that make self-knowledge sound like a dance. It’s graceful, yes, but there’s quiet steel in the songwriting that lingers.

 

Vybz Kartel — “Heart & Soul”

Kartel rarely colors inside the lines, and that’s exactly the point. “Heart & Soul” threads classic dancehall snap with a reflective core — a panoramic look at desire, consequence, and resilience. The production is razor-clean, the patter is elastic, and the hooks are stubborn in the best way.

 

Keznamdi — “BLXXD & FYAH”

There are albums that play like a setlist; this one plays like a calling. “BLXXD & FYAH” moves with purpose — crisp drum language, widescreen bass weight, and songwriting that treats uplift as both ritual and responsibility. Keznamdi comes off as new to the mainstream spotlight yet seasoned in spirit, the kind of artist who builds bridges between roots, dancehall, and global pop without ever losing center.

 

Mortimer — “From Within”

Mortimer’s gift is making restraint feel riveting. “From Within” is a roots record that breathes; guitar lines hover, vocal runs land like gentle truth, and the arrangements give each lyric room to bloom. It’s intimate but never small — a studio masterclass in subtle dynamics.

 

Jesse Royal — “No Place Like Home”

Jesse’s compass is set to community, and this record walks that talk. “No Place Like Home” blends riddim-driven confidence with the warmth of live-band chemistry — a traveler’s journal returning to shared ground. It’s immediate, singable, and anchored by that unmistakable Royal cadence.

 

Why to us Keznamdi Feels Like The Moment

Keznamdi’s rise here is bigger than a headline. It’s the arc of an artist with craft and clarity, using melody as a megaphone for meaning. “BLXXD & FYAH” doesn’t chase trends; it sets a table. You can hear the discipline in the drum programming, the care in the lyric phrasing, the patience in the builds. It’s the kind of project that sweeps up attention across shortlists and conversations — the momentum you feel when an artist’s vision clicks into place. If the 68th GRAMMY reggae race is a campfire, Keznamdi just threw on the log that made everyone lean in.

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