Out of the Caribbean: Naomi Cowan Makes History at the JUNO Awards
Naomi Cowan’s debut victory marks a breakthrough moment for women in reggae. Naomi Cowan’s debut album Welcome to Paradise has won the 2026 JUNO Award for Reggae Recording of the Year, presented at the 50th staging of the ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario, on 28 March. The win is a milestone on multiple levels. The JUNO […]
Black News 
Naomi Cowan’s debut victory marks a breakthrough moment for women in reggae.
Naomi Cowan’s debut album Welcome to Paradise has won the 2026 JUNO Award for Reggae Recording of the Year, presented at the 50th staging of the ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario, on 28 March.
The win is a milestone on multiple levels. The JUNO Awards’ Reggae Recording of the Year category has existed since 1985, and in the 40 times the award has been presented, Cowan is only the 10th woman to receive it. She did not let that statistic pass without comment.
“I feel so proud to be a woman in reggae music,” she said in her acceptance speech. “More than anything, it reminds me to stay in my lane and remain true to my authenticity as an artist, because that’s clearly the way to go. There were times in my career when I struggled, wondering if there was space for me, if my brand would fit, and if audiences would appreciate how I do my thing.”
A Landmark Win for a Multi-Hyphenate Artist
The album itself is a 12-track debut produced by British producer Toddla T, a transatlantic creative partnership that speaks to the global reach reggae continues to command. In her acceptance speech, Cowan thanked her parents, reggae veterans Tommy Cowan and Carlene Davis, before closing with a simple “Big up Jamaica.”
Naomi is known for her versatility as a creative. Beyond music, she has excelled as a media personality and journalist in Jamaica and Canada, as well as an actress on the big screen, portraying Marcia Griffiths in the film Bob Marley: One Love.
For a genre that has long rewarded its male artists with the lion’s share of recognition, Welcome to Paradise arriving as a debut and walking away with the top reggae honour is the kind of statement that reverberates well beyond award season. It adds another string to the bow of Naomi Cowan’s multi-hyphenate talent.
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