Reggae elder statesman Burning Spear is in the running for a 14th Grammy nomination with Call On Me (Live), a charity album built around raising awareness of dementia.
Main photo: manumilou / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
One of 119 in contention
The Jamaica Observer reports that the album is among 119 titles under consideration for Best Reggae Album. The Recording Academy will name the five nominees on 16 November.
Few artists have a record in the category to match the man born Winston Rodney. He has been nominated 13 times and has won twice, for Calling Rastafari in 2000 and Jah Is Real in 2009. His most recent nod came in 2024 for No Destroyer.
An album with a purpose
Call On Me was released in April as a charity project. It was recorded live while Burning Spear toured with Ziggy Marley in 2025, and features collaborations with Alpha Blondy, Jesse Royal, Julian Marley and Luciano.
The idea came from Patricia Elliott, a member of the singer’s management team and the sister of his wife and long-time manager, Sonia Rodney. According to the Observer, Sonia Rodney was diagnosed with dementia four years ago, at 62, and the album was conceived to bring the condition into the open.
“It would be an awesome deal if we make the final cut. This album is very personal to us,” Elliott told the paper.
Why it matters
Burning Spear is one of the last links to reggae’s roots era, a voice of Marcus Garvey’s ideas and African pride that shaped Black consciousness far beyond Jamaica. A nomination now would add to a remarkable run that stretches across five decades.
The album’s message also carries weight. Dementia is still often hidden or misunderstood in many Black and Caribbean families, at home and across the diaspora. A reggae icon putting the subject on a stage, with some of the genre’s biggest names beside him, is a statement in itself.
Caribbean music is enjoying a strong year on the awards circuit, from the Caribbean Music Awards’ historic Trinidad debut to new festivals at home. All eyes now turn to 16 November.