The 2025 Caribbean Music Awards (CMAs) brought the glitz, the glam, and the vibes to Brooklyn last month—but the shine quickly wore off after a major mix-up left fans and one well-known artist feeling disrespected.
Kranium, the Jamaican-born dancehall hitmaker behind tracks like “Nobody Has to Know” and “Gal Policy”, is calling out the CMAs after being crowned Caribbean R&B Artist of the Year—only to have the title snatched away days later.
The awards, held August 28 at the iconic Kings Theatre and later aired on BET (September 12), were meant to celebrate the very best in Caribbean music across genres. But instead of a night filled with pure joy and island pride, one of the event’s top R&B categories ended up in confusion.
Here’s the drama: after the show, fans and media outlets congratulated Kranium on his win. But when the official CMAs Instagram posted the full winners’ list, it named Dexta Daps—not Kranium—as the Caribbean Dancehall R&B Artist of the Year. Kranium’s name? Missing completely.
According to Kranium, organizers later told him it was all a “mistake”—a so-called clerical error. But for the artist, that explanation isn’t cutting it.
He took to Instagram with a fiery post, writing:
“Respect to everybody… nothing else to say… biggest violation ever and it shall be the last.”
Then came a video message that quickly went viral:
“It’s a major violation. I was awarded, I celebrated with fans, only to be told later it was an error. That’s not just a mix-up, that’s a disrespect.”
Fans didn’t hesitate to back him up, flooding social media with support and demanding more transparency and respect for Caribbean artistes who pour their hearts into the music.
The CMAs, still a relatively new show, have been praised for giving Caribbean culture a global stage. But incidents like this one raise real questions about professionalism and accountability behind the curtain.
The CMAs issued a public statement however3, its only added more questions and distrust on the selection process
One thing’s for sure: Kranium isn’t staying quiet, and neither are his fans. This story is far from over.
