Leba Hibbert hopeful of Grammy nomination

With five or six nominees to be selected from 119 prospects, Leba Hibbert knows making the Best Reggae Album category at next year’s Grammy Awards will be tough. Yet, she hopes her Leba Abel will be in the running when the Recording Academy announces its nominations for the 69th Grammy Awards on November 16. Leba Abel is among the 119 albums and EPs being considered for the Best Reggae Album category. Released last August, it is the singer’s second album. Her first, Intoxicated, was released in 2011. “This album is personal because it speaks about my journey, and my life in this music industry. Each song tells the story of what I’ve been through,” she said. The daughter of reggae legend Toots Hibbert, Leba sang on two of his albums that won Reggae Grammys. Those are True Love in 2005 and Got To Be Tough in 2021. Toots died in 2020 at age 77, but Leba has carried his torch by leading his band The Maytals on tours of the United States and United Kingdom since 2023. She wrote or co-wrote all eight songs on Leba Abel, and produced six of the project’s tracks. “Making the final cut would mean, or should I say, would bring about elevation to the great body of work I poured into producing this album,” said Leba. The reggae consideration list includes albums by past winners Ziggy Marley, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Burning Spear, Kabaka Pyramid, Shaggy and SOJA. Blxxd & Fyah by Keznamdi won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. The 2027 Grammys are scheduled for February 7 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - Howard Campbell