Jamaican performers, musicians, producers, writers and engineers will be recognised at The Courtleigh Auditorium on September 15

 Richie Stephens, Gregory Isaacs, Glen Washington, Dalton Browne, Dean Fraser, Clevie, Agent Sasco, Chevelle Franklyn, Christopher Birch, Gitsy Willis, Noel Davey, Robert Livingston, J Capri and Steely are among the Jamaican and Caribbean-connected music contributors set to be recognised at the Excellence in Music Ceremony 2026 organised by Back 2 Da Future Music Limited in collaboration with Royalty Network Inc.

The ceremony, formerly known as the Grammy Certificate Ceremony, will return to Jamaica on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, for its 6th staging at The Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. The official programme is scheduled to begin at 7 PM.

This year’s staging will recognise contributors associated with Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated projects, while also presenting British Phonographic Industry (BPI)-certified Silver, Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum discs to selected honourees alongside Grammy Certificates.

The 2026 honouree line-up includes:

• Agent Sasco — two Grammy Certificates and one BPI-certified Platinum disc connected to internationally recognised projects including Sean Paul’s Live N Livin and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly.
• Aidonia — one BPI-certified Platinum disc connected to will.i.am featuring Cody Wise’s “It’s My Birthday”.
• Ansel Collins — one BPI-certified Silver disc connected to Toots and The Maytals’ “Pressure Drop”.
• Brian Gold — two Grammy Certificates connected to Maxi Priest’s Fe Real and Protoje’s A Matter of Time.
• Chester Walker — one BPI-certified Platinum disc connected to Chaka Demus and Pliers’ Tease Me.
• Chevelle Franklyn — two BPI-certified discs, one Silver and one Platinum, connected to Shabba Ranks’ “Mr Loverman” and Chaka Demus and Pliers’ Tease Me.
• Christopher Birch — two Grammy Certificates and one BPI-certified 3x Platinum disc connected to projects by Bunny Wailer, Sean Paul and Shaggy.
• Clevie — three Grammy Certificates recognising his work as a producer, musician and drum programmer on Grammy-recognised projects.
• Dalton Browne — 11 Grammy Certificates and one BPI-certified Silver disc recognising guitar, production, composition and vocal contributions across projects by Beres Hammond, Buju Banton, Jimmy Cliff, Luciano, Wayne Wonder and others.
• Dean Fraser — two Grammy Certificates and three BPI-certified discs recognising saxophone, horn and musical contributions connected to Burning Spear, The Wailers Band, Lauryn Hill and Maxi Priest projects.
• Delly Ranx — one BPI-certified 3x Platinum disc connected to Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock.
• Flourgon — one BPI-certified 2x Platinum disc connected to Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”.
• Gitsy Willis — two Grammy Certificates and five BPI-certified discs connected to projects by Bad Bunny, Chaka Demus and Pliers and Simply Red.
• Glen Washington — two Grammy Certificates for his contributions to Capleton’s Still Blazin’ and Third World’s Ain’t Givin’ Up.
• Gregory Isaacs — seven Grammy Certificates and two BPI-certified Silver discs recognising his work as a performer, guest artiste and writer across several major reggae projects.
• Heather Cummings — one Grammy Certificate for background vocals on Beres Hammond’s One Love, One Life.
• Hopeton Lindo — one Grammy Certificate connected to Julian Marley’s As I Am.
• J Capri — posthumous BPI-certified Silver recognition connected to “Whine & Kotch”, her dancehall collaboration with Charly Black.
• Ma-Isheeba — five BPI-certified discs, including four Silver discs, one Gold disc and one 2x Platinum disc, connected to internationally certified recordings.
• Neville Hinds — one BPI-certified Platinum disc connected to Paul Simon’s Negotiations and Love Songs 1971–1986.
• Noel Davey — three Grammy Certificates recognising keyboard, piano, synthesizer, audio production and additional production contributions.
• Reggie Stepper — one BPI-certified Gold disc connected to Kanye West, Big Sean and Pusha T’s “Mercy”.
• Richie Stephens — five Grammy Certificates and three BPI-certified discs connected to projects by Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Rihanna, Drake and Soul II Soul.
• Robert Livingston — two BPI-certified discs connected to Shaggy’s Hot Shot and Best of The Boombastic Collection.
• Roland McDermott — four Grammy Certificates recognising executive production and engineering contributions connected to Capleton, Julian Marley and Jah Cure projects.
• Seanie T — two BPI-certified discs connected to Roots Manuva’s Brand New Second Hand and Run Come Save Me.
• Steely — one BPI-certified Platinum disc connected to Dawn Penn’s No No No.
• Teetimus — two Grammy Certificates connected to projects by Buju Banton and Bounty Killer.
• Tony Gold — one Grammy Certificate connected to Maxi Priest’s Fe Real.
• Wrong Move — three Grammy Certificates recognising contributions connected to Buju Banton and The Wailing Souls.

Kennedy Mensah, founder of Back 2 Da Future Music Limited, said there will be a special awards presented to Anthony Brightly of Black Slate. He also expressed that “This line-up shows the real depth of Jamaica’s contribution to global music. When people hear a great record, they may remember the lead artiste first, but behind that record are musicians, writers, producers, engineers, harmony singers, featured artistes and creative minds who helped make the music what it became.’’ He continued ‘‘The Excellence in Music Ceremony is about documenting those contributions properly and giving these individuals their night in the spotlight.”

The BPI disc presentations were first introduced on a smaller scale in 2025 and later expanded with additional recognitions, including for Robert Browne at the Florida staging in January 2026. The upcoming Excellence in Music Ceremony 2026 will now expand those presentations on a larger scale, further strengthening the event’s role as a platform for international music recognition.

The Excellence in Music Ceremony 2026 will emphasise legacy, documentation and recognition, while creating a platform that connects Jamaica’s music heritage with international music markets, publishing networks, certification bodies, media partners, sponsors and fans.