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Caribbean Entertainment 2025 Recap: A Year the Culture Took Center Stage

The year 2025 will be remembered as a watershed moment for Caribbean entertainment, one defined by global validation, record-breaking diaspora engagement, creative resilience in the face of loss, and the unstoppable rise of hybrid Caribbean sounds. From Brooklyn to Kingston, Toronto to London, Caribbean culture didn’t just travel; it commanded.


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A Global Spotlight on Caribbean Excellence

The Caribbean Music Awards reached a historic milestone in 2025, airing on television for the first time and cementing its place as the region’s premier music honors. Held in New York, the ceremony reflected the diaspora’s power as both audience and amplifier.


  • Shenseea dominated the night with five wins, including Dancehall Album of the Year and Female Dancehall Artist of the Year, becoming the most awarded solo artist in CMA history.

  • Romain Virgo captured Male Reggae Artist of the Year, while his song Who Feels It Knows It earned Reggae Song of the Year.

  • Patrice Roberts and Skinny Fabulous swept the top soca honors.

  • Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes received the Elite Icon Award, delivering an emotional speech connecting his Jamaican roots to his global career.

  • Dancehall titan Bounty Killer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Sizzla Kalonji received the Humanitarian Award for decades of community work.


Diaspora Cities Became Cultural Capitals


Caribbean entertainment thrived in diaspora strongholds—especially New York City. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center set a new benchmark, hosting seven Caribbean concerts in one year, featuring acts like Vybz Kartel and Machel Montano.


A defining moment came in May when Bounty Killer returned to the U.S. stage after 15 years—an emotional, culture-affirming night for the Caribbean community.


Across the Atlantic and north of the border, Notting Hill Carnival and Caribana continued to flourish, reinforcing the Caribbean’s global footprint.


Jamaica Carnival 2025: Records, Revenue, Renaissance

Jamaica Carnival shattered expectations with a 20% surge in visitor arrivals, including nearly 17,000 passengers in a single week. Millennial entrepreneurs led innovations in costume design and event production, underscoring Carnival’s growing economic impact and creative sophistication.


New Sounds, New Stars

2025 also belonged to hybrid Caribbean genres. Dennery Segment and Shatta leapt from regional scenes to international stages:

  • Joé Dwèt Filé topped charts with Baddies.

  • St. Lucia’s Umpa and Shemmy J carried Dennery Segment worldwide.


A symbolic torch-passing followed Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street homecoming (New Year’s Eve 2024–25), which propelled his son Likkle Addi into the 2025 spotlight.


Grammy Season: Caribbean Sound, Global Stage


At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, Caribbean culture resonated across categories and couture.

  • Best Reggae Album went to Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe), featuring global interpretations by artists including Shenseea.

  • Nominees included Vybz Kartel, Shenseea, Collie Buddz, and The Wailers.

  • Fashion moments made headlines: Kartel’s royal-blue velvet tuxedo and Shenseea’s archival Georges Chakra look turned the carpet into a cultural runway.


Later in September, a Grammy Certificate Ceremony in Kingston honored the often-overlooked producers and engineers behind four decades of reggae and dancehall excellence.


Film, Art & Literature: Caribbean Stories on Their Own Terms


Caribbean storytelling expanded beyond music:

  • The African Diaspora International Film Festival spotlighted regional cinema, while the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival screened Kanaval, a powerful exploration of heritage and migration.

  • The FUZE Caribbean Art Expo reframed Caribbean fine art for global collectors.

  • In literature, Anthony V. Capildeo captured top honors, even as concerns grew after sponsorship changes at Bocas Lit Fest sparked regional debate about valuing the arts.


Loss, Legacy & Collective Healing


The year carried deep sorrow with the passing of legends including Jimmy Cliff, Max Romeo, Cocoa Tea, Danny English, and Ken Parker.


Beyond music, the Caribbean mourned Aurelio Martínez and cultural allies across the diaspora.

When Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of Jamaica, artists and fans responded with action—benefit singles, the Hope for Jamaica concert in Toronto, and long-term rebuilding efforts focused on resilience and cultural preservation.


Beyond Entertainment: Cultural Power

Jamaica-born visual artist Melissa Koby made history as the first Black artist to create official imagery for the US Open, while Chronic Law topped Jamaica’s YouTube year-end charts—proof that Caribbean influence now spans disciplines and platforms.


2025 wasn’t just a big year; it was a defining one.  Caribbean entertainment proved it can honor legends, launch new movements, mobilize communities, and dominate global stages simultaneously. In a world hungry for authenticity and rhythm, the Caribbean didn’t ask for space; it took it.

By Dante Jackson, Entertainment Editor

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