All about the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards: major wins and Bounty Killer’s big honor

The Caribbean Music Awards took place in Brooklyn, New York, on August 28, 2025, at Kings Theatre. It marked the third time this event occurred and was hosted by Majah Hype. The December 2025 broadcast of the event was shown on BET on September 12.

At the award show, Bounty Killer, a major player in dancehall, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Busta Rhymes received the Elite Icon Award, both of which were special awards in addition to nominations in typical awards that many of the artists were competing in.

Some artists receive several awards. Shenseea and Masicka were the most nominated artists with seven nominations each. Shenseea received five awards, which is impressive, and Masicka received several nominations, too. Other artists who received several nominations and awards were Vybz Kartel, Romain Virgo, Di Genius, Patrice Roberts, Kes, and more.

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Major wins in 2025 Caribbean Music Awards and what they mean

Shenseea took home Album of the Year (Dancehall) for Never Gets Late Here. This album also earned her a solo Grammy nomination earlier in 2025. That win showed her growing influence in Caribbean music. Masicka shared in a win for “Hit & Run” with Shenseea and Di Genius. He also won Reggae Song of the Year for his work featuring Romain Virgo on “Been There Before.” These wins show that popular songs and collaborations are strong in this year’s awards.

Vybz Kartel won key awards as well. He got Artist of the Year – Male (Dancehall) and Music Event of the Year for Freedom Street. His wins reflect how live performance and stage presence still matter in Caribbean music. Other winners in competitive categories:

• Lila Iké won Female Reggae Artist of the Year.
• Patrice Roberts won Female Soca Artist of the Year.
• Kes won Male Soca Artist of the Year.
• Dexta Daps won the first-ever Caribbean R&B Artist of the Year honour.

There were also awards for new artists, collaborations, events, and videos. Many genres were involved: dancehall, reggae, soca, fusion, etc. More than 40 categories were listed among nominations.

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Bounty Killer’s honor at the Caribbean Music Awards and special awards

Bounty Killer’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean Music Awards was a big moment. He has shaped dancehall for many years and was one of the first big names in Jamaican dancehall to get international recognition. His work has influenced many younger artists.

Busta Rhymes got the Elite Icon Award at the Caribbean Music Awards. He is widely known in hip-hop but also supports Caribbean music and culture. He has worked with artists like Vybz Kartel, Spice, and Sean Paul. His role helps build connections between hip-hop and Caribbean genres.

Other honorary awards were given too. Like:

• Legacy Award went to Carimi.
• Humanitarian Award went to Sizzla.
• Producer Award Honor went to Kerwin Du Bois.
• Gospel Award Honor was given to Shirley Ann Cyril-Mayers.
• Calypso Award Honor was given to Austin “Super Blue” Lyons.

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What stood out in the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards and what comes next?

One big thing that stood out was how many genres were involved. It was not just dancehall or reggae; soca, fusion, R&B, and other styles were part of it too. That shows Caribbean music is more diverse than ever.

Another thing was collaboration. Many winners were artists who worked together. Songs like "Hit & Run" show that artists joining forces are often rewarded. This means that audiences like mixes of styles and voices.

The awards also included events and live shows. Music Event of the Year went to a stage show (Freedom Street by Vybz Kartel). Looking forward, this awards show may encourage more artists to try cross-genre work. It may also encourage more live shows, bigger collaborations, and more attention to artists who have shaped culture for a long time.

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Full list of winners (competitive and honorary)

Here are many of the winners from both fan-voted (competitive) categories and honorary awards at the Caribbean Music Awards:

Competitive categories:

• Impact Awards (Dancehall, Reggae, Soca)
• Album of the Year (Reggae: Romain Virgo The Gentle Man; Dancehall: Shenseea Never Gets Late Here)
• Artist / Male & Female of the Year categories across Dancehall, Reggae, Soca
• Best New Artist in each genre
• Collaboration of the Year in soca, reggae, dancehall
• Event of the Year, DJ of the Year, Video of the Year

Honorary categories:

• Lifetime Achievement Award — Bounty Killer
• Elite Icon Award — Busta Rhymes
• Legacy Award — Carimi
• Humanitarian Award — Sizzla
• Producer Honor — Kerwin Du Bois
• Gospel Honor — Shirley Ann Cyril-Mayers
• Calypso Honor — Austin “Super Blue” Lyons

In short, the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards showed that Caribbean music is wide, varied, has strong roots, and has big new growth. Veteran stars and newer stars both got to shine. Special honours like Bounty Killer’s showed respect for history. Popular wins like Shenseea and Masicka showed what people are listening to now. The mix of genres and styles suggests more exciting music ahead from the Caribbean.