Lloyd Laing Predicts Grammy Best Reggae Album Nominees, Tips Chronixx to Win

The music business consultant explains how peer voting, cultural impact and international visibility shape Grammy nominations, while weighing in on Masicka’s chances and potential surprises from Runkus and Destin Conrad

Chronixx gets Lloyd Laing’s Grammy vote

With just three days remaining until the Recording Academy unveils the final nominees for the 69th Grammy Awards, including the highly anticipated Best Reggae Album category, music business consultant and industry expert Lloyd Laing has shared his predictions on which albums could make the final cut.

“I keep explaining to people that the Grammys is a peer-review process, not a people's choice,” Laing explained. “At the end of the day, we have to understand that different peers have different ways of selecting things, but visibility is very important.”

According to Laing, voters also consider an album's cultural significance and lasting impact. “There is a tri-factor, a trinity that needs to be appreciated. How much that album has impacted the music and culture since. Those are the things that people who are peers take into context,” he said.

Music industry expert Lloyd Laing

Addressing the Marley family's longstanding success in the category, Laing believes their legacy continues to carry considerable weight among Grammy voters, with Ziggy Marley's Brightside among this year's contenders.

“The Marleys are the Marleys, and their impact on Reggae is unquestionable because of the brand. It's one of our strongest brands, and if it appears, it will be considered every time,” he stated.

Laing also identified Runkus, with his album Supernova, and Destin Conrad, whose project Roadrunner is in contention, as potential surprise nominees, pointing to the evolving boundaries between Reggae, Dancehall and other musical influences. “The biggest contender that could be a surprise is Runkus and Destin Conrad. The problem is, for me, Runkus isn't purely Reggae, in my opinion. It's a mixture, and we have Shaggy in that niche. That's something I want to see how they find out.”

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He further suggested that Conrad's emergence could challenge longstanding attitudes within Dancehall, particularly given the genre's complicated history with the LGBTQ community. “Another thing is Dancehall has its 30-year war with the LGBT community, and they're supporting and giving to Destin Conrad, who could be a wild-card contender,” Laing said. “It might be a possibility that the face of Dancehall in 2027 is somebody who is outright and straightforward about who they are, and that’s something we have to see how the industry reacts to.”

However, Laing reserved his strongest praise for Chronixx’s album Exile, which was released before Jamaica grappled with the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.

“Chronixx’s album would have satisfied that tri-factor that is important when you’re judging a body of work, aptitude or altitude. Chronixx’s album Exile satisfied the culture,” he explained.

“It was a guiding light that held us through one of the hardest times, and the hardest times will not be forgotten without that album. I mean, if you think about Gilbert, you don't think about it without Lovindeer, and Melissa can't go without Chronixx.”

“It was a guiding light that held us through one of the hardest times, and the hardest times will not be forgotten without that album. I mean, if you think about Gilbert, you don't think about it without Lovindeer, and Melissa can't go without Chronixx.”

Discussing Dancehall star Masicka's Grammy prospects with his third studio album, Forever Reign, Laing suggested that international visibility beyond the core Caribbean audience remains an important consideration. “It's based on visibility outside of the Afro-Caribbean garrison, and Masicka hasn't reached there yet in a real way,” he argued.

Ultimately, Laing named Protoje's The Art of Acceptance, Chronixx's Exile, Ziggy Marley's Brightside, Vybz Kartel's God and Time, and Shaggy's Lottery as his five leading contenders for the Best Reggae Album nominations, with Chronixx emerging as his personal favourite to take home the award.