PLANTATION – One of dancehall music’s consistent performers, Wayne Wonder is also among that genre’s most enduring artists. On January 22, that longevity was rewarded with two Grammy Certificates from Back 2 Da Future Music Limited.
The singer received his plaques during the fifth Grammy Certificates Ceremony at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum in Plantation, South Florida. He was acknowledged for collaborating on Shaggy’s Boombastic, which won the 1996 Best Reggae Album Grammy. In addition, he was recognized for Buju Banton’s Friends For Life, which was nominated in 2004.
“That is every artist’s dream…doing a solo project and getting nominated, and working on other projects and getting nominated. Working on the Boombastic means that I am a Grammy winner, so it’s a good feeling, my work wasn’t in vain,” said Wayne Wonder.
The wiry artist comes from the east Kingston community of Dunkirk. This area has produced acts like Spragga Benz and Agent Sasco. His career began in the late 1980s. He has made many hit songs, including Saddest Day of My Life, Joyride, and No Letting Go.
Released in 2002, the latter is Wayne Wonder’s biggest hit. It was certified gold four years ago for sales of over 500,000 units.
Grammy Certificates Recipients
Guitarist Robert Browne
Guitarist Robert Browne, who has toured and recorded with acts such as Shaggy, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers and Lauryn Hill, received five certificates for playing on Grammy-nominated albums. Those are Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers’ Free Like We Want 2 Be, Burning Spear’s Free Man, Shaggy’s Out of Many One Music and Summer in Kingston, and Protoje’s A Matter of Time.
Morgan Heritage
Morgan Heritage received five individual certificates for collaborating with Sting and Shaggy on 44/876, title song from their 2019 set that won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Gramps Morgan, the band’s vocalist/keyboardist, took home certificates for working on J Boog’s Wash House Ting and Evolution by The Wailers. Both albums were nominated for Best Reggae Album in 2017 and 2025, respectively.
The certificates presented to Wayne Wonder and Morgan Heritage were a joint venture between Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd and The Royalty Network, a New York-based music publishing company.
Kennedy Mensah, a London-born music publisher of Ghanaian heritage, is founder and head of Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd. Since starting the Grammy Certificate Ceremony in 2024, he has also staged events in Kingston and London.
His company has given more than 100 certificates to artists, musicians, producers, and studio engineers. These people helped with projects that won or were nominated for Grammy Awards. These certificates are sanctioned by The Recording Academy.
