IRAWMA 2026 to honor reggae legends, Vybz Kartel leads nominations

Vybz Kartel is walking into IRAWMA 2026 with the most heat, but the bigger story is the room he is walking into. The 43rd International Reggae and World Music Awards are set for Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, and this year’s lineup has the feel of a full-spectrum reggae summit, with legends, hitmakers and next-wave names all in the same frame.

Kartel leads the nominations with 11, while Sean Paul and Shaggy each have eight, putting dancehall and mainstream reggae at the center of the night. The official nominee field stretches across reggae, dancehall and world music, with names like Lila Iké, Masicka, Chronic Law, Christopher Martin, Gramps Morgan, Romaine Virgo and Tarrus Riley also in the mix. The result is a slate that does more than sort out winners; it shows where the genre’s power is sitting right now.

The honors side of the show carries its own weight. Mavado is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Burning Spear will be recognized with a Lifetime and Master of Reggae and World Music Culture Award, a nod that underscores his 57 years in reggae. Marcia Griffiths, the Queen of Reggae, is also among the honorees, alongside Spragga Benz, Wayne Armond, Awilo Longomba and Gramps Morgan. Gramps Morgan and Dr. Carlene Davis are also slated to perform, which should make the night feel less like a formal banquet and more like a living set list from multiple eras of the music.

IRAWMA revealed the 2026 nominees on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at the R Hotel Rooftop Restaurant in Kingston, Jamaica, and founder Dr. Ephraim Martin called the celebration “more than awards,” describing it as a global cultural movement honoring legends, pioneers and future stars. That framing matters in Lauderhill, where the show has become a South Florida anchor for the Caribbean and diaspora crowd that treats IRAWMA as both coronation and reunion.

The logistics are built for a packed house. The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center sits at 3800 NW 11th Place in Central Broward Regional Park and holds 1,106 people, with red-carpet arrivals at 6:00 p.m. EST and the awards showcase beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST. IRAWMA is also pushing South Florida hotel and VIP packages around the event, which puts the whole weekend in play, not just the ceremony itself.

After last year’s 42nd ceremony at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, the return to Lauderhill sharpens the focus even more. In a 1,106-seat theater, with Kartel leading the field and Burning Spear, Mavado and Marcia Griffiths getting their due, this one looks built to validate reggae across generations in one loud, crowded, very watchable night.