The Caribbean Music Awards (CMA) will move from Brooklyn to Trinidad and Tobago this September, launching a three-day Elite Weekend Experience from 18 to 20 September.

The move marks the awards' first staging in the Caribbean after three years in New York and expands the event beyond a single-night ceremony. The programme will be centred at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain and will focus on music, culture and community.

The fourth annual Caribbean Music Awards ceremony will take place on 19 September as the centrepiece of the weekend. Organisers said the expanded programme would also include a welcome reception, pre-show events, the official after-party and a steelpan concert presented by Stars and Steel, with further performers and programming to be announced.

CMA said the new format was designed to bring the awards closer to the region it celebrates while broadening its reach beyond the Caribbean diaspora audience it built in Brooklyn. The organisation also said it hoped the model would strengthen links between music, tourism and the creative economy, although it did not provide estimates for visitor numbers or economic impact.

New chapter for the awards

Launched in 2023, the Caribbean Music Awards has recognised artists across genres including dancehall, reggae, soca, konpa, chutney soca, gospel, zess and Dennery music. Organisers said last year's ceremony marked the awards' broadcast debut on BET, helping to expand its international audience.

After three years at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, CMA said the venue had helped establish the awards as an international platform for Caribbean music and culture.

This year's edition, held under the theme Sounds of the Caribbean, will be the first to take place in the Caribbean. CMA said the Elite Weekend Experience would transform the event from a single-night awards ceremony into a multi-day celebration bringing together artists, fans, industry professionals, media and cultural leaders from across the region.

Trinidad and Tobago named inaugural host

Trinidad and Tobago has been selected as the inaugural host destination for the new format, with CMA describing the move as the beginning of a long-term regional model.

The organisation said future editions are expected to partner with tourism boards and host destinations across the Caribbean as part of a rotating format intended to showcase the region's diverse cultures. It did not identify future host countries or explain how destinations would be selected.

CMA said rotating the awards would help promote tourism, generate economic activity and support the Caribbean creative economy while maintaining connections with the global Caribbean diaspora.

The organisation said New York had provided an ideal starting point because of its large Caribbean community, while the move to Trinidad and Tobago represented the next stage in the awards' development by bringing the celebration into the region itself.

Hosts announced

CMA also announced that Trinidadian artist Nailah Blackman and comedian Majah Hype will host the fourth annual Caribbean Music Awards.

Blackman said hosting the ceremony in her home country made the occasion particularly significant.

"The Caribbean Music Awards has been a special part of my journey. I've experienced this celebration as a fan, as a performer, as a nominee and as a winner, and now being able to step into the role of host is truly an honour. To do it in Trinidad, surrounded by our people and our culture, makes this moment even more meaningful."

Majah Hype, who will host the awards for a fourth consecutive year, said he had watched the event evolve since its launch.

"I've watched this celebration grow, seen the incredible talent come through, and witnessed how much this moment means to our people. To see it expand from Brooklyn's Kings Theatre to Trinidad and Tobago is something special."

Nominees

Earlier this year, CMA announced more than 250 nominees across more than 40 categories.

The organisation said the expanded weekend format would broaden the awards beyond the ceremony itself, creating a larger cultural gathering for artists, industry professionals and fans.

Regional significance & recognition

For Caribbean countries, including the Cayman Islands, the move reflects a growing focus on cultural events as drivers of tourism and the creative economy.

CMA said the regional model is intended to support tourism, generate economic activity and strengthen the Caribbean creative sector by placing music alongside hospitality, travel and local business as part of a broader visitor experience.

The organisation also said the rotating format would allow future host destinations to showcase their culture while keeping the global Caribbean diaspora connected through music.

If developed as planned, the awards could become a rotating regional event that brings visitors, industry attention and cultural investment to different Caribbean destinations.

The move has also been welcomed by members of the Cayman Islands' media and music community, who said it reflected growing recognition of Caribbean artists and culture on their own terms.

Stingray Media’s Programme Director Preston Onfroy said the awards addressed a longstanding gap in international recognition for Caribbean music, particularly genres such as reggae and dancehall.

"The Grammys recognise international artists, but although they include a Caribbean category, they do not fully encompass reggae and dancehall. At times, Caribbean artists do not receive the recognition they deserve."

On-air personality Dane Ramoon said staging the awards in the Caribbean underscored the importance of celebrating the region's music closer to home.

"Caribbean music is not celebrated enough. Celebrating it in this way is a big deal."

As organisers prepare to launch the rotating regional format, the success of the Trinidad and Tobago edition is likely to be closely watched by governments, tourism authorities and the wider creative sector as an indication of whether the model can deliver the cultural and economic benefits envisioned.