Inner Circle bandleader Ian Lewis has called for reggae and dancehall to be recognised as separate genres at the Grammy Awards. Speaking with Anthony Miller on TVJ’s Entertainment Report in early October 2026, Lewis said Jamaican artists and industry leaders should lobby the Recording Academy for distinct Best Reggae Album and Best Dancehall Album categories, South Florida Caribbean News reports.
Lewis argued that although both forms come from Jamaica, their sound, structure and cultural identity differ — and that a single category invites unfair comparisons, including between roots-era giants and contemporary dancehall figures. World Music Views, which also carried the interview exchange, quotes him as saying: “I think if they separated the genres, a lot of pressure would come off… I want to separate them so we don’t start comparing them.” He added: “The dancehall and the reggae man should get together and lobby the Grammy committee… Best Dancehall Album, Best Reggae Album.”
He likened the split to how Latin Grammy fields distinguish salsa, bachata and bolero, per the same reports. Lewis, whose bass playing anchors a band that won Best Reggae Album for Bad Boys at the 36th Grammy Awards in 1994, per Grammy.com, framed the push as industry advocacy — not a comment on any single nominee.
Academy context
The Recording Academy’s June 2026 category update for the 69th Grammy Awards added five new fields but did not create a dancehall category; dancehall releases remain eligible under Best Reggae Album, which has existed since the 1985 ceremony, the Jamaica Observer noted. Producers including Alexx Antaeus have argued separately for a dedicated dancehall honour; Lewis’s interview adds a veteran band voice to that long-running debate.
Related reading
- Burning Spear’s 2026 for-your-consideration push for Call On Me (Live).
- 2024 Best Reggae Album report.
- Browse Inner Circle in the artist catalogue.
Sources: South Florida Caribbean News — “Should GRAMMYs Split Reggae and Dancehall Awards?” (Entertainment Report / Anthony Miller interview; quoted wording; Bob Marley–Vybz Kartel comparison context); World Music Views — Ian Lewis interview coverage (2 Oct 2026; additional quotes on production and bass-line differences); Grammy.com — Ian Lewis (Best Reggae Album win for Bad Boys, 1994); Jamaica Observer — “New Grammy rules, categories” (19 Jun 2026; 69th Awards category changes; dancehall not added).