The Canadian Academy has decided to eliminate the Reggae category from their 2025 ceremony, citing "declining streaming numbers, reduced sales, and repetitive submissions."
Exco Levi, The Juno Awards ceremony will no longer feature a Reggae category
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), best known for the JUNO Awards, has decided to drop of the Reggae category from their 2025 ceremony.
The decision comes amid "declining streaming numbers, reduced sales, and concerns over repetitive submissions, with the same artists dominating the category year after year."
"It comes as no great surprise to me," explained music industry veteran Lloyd Laing. "Over the last few years, reggae and dancehall have put themselves in a precarious position. In an industry where quality control is often viewed as gatekeeping, there are no real standards, and anything goes. This challenges the traditional status quo of the spaces and places that accommodate reggae.
If we want to retain the remaining spaces or regain the confidence we've lost, we need to implement quality control standards in the products we're delivering to the world. Without that, we risk being pushed back into obscurity as a genre."
The Juno Award for "Reggae Recording of the Year" has been presented since 1985, recognizing the best reggae album or single in Canada each year. However, as of September 5, insiders have confirmed that the beloved category will not be included in next year’s event.
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