Ghanaian rising star Moliy has found herself at the centre of an unexpected Grammy debate after the Recording Academy ruled her worldwide smash, Shake It to the Max (Fly), ineligible for key award categories, a decision that has stunned fans, industry executives and observers across the globe.
The track, which originally dropped in December 2024, became one of 2025’s most recognisable anthems. Its intoxicating blend of Afropop and Jamaican dancehall, crafted by Miami producers Silent Addy and Disco Neil, propelled it to No. 6 on the Global 200 and earned a popular remix featuring dancehall heavyweights Shenseea and Skillibeng. For months, many expected the single to be a major contender at the 2026 Grammys.
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However, when the nominations were released on 7 November, the song was missing from every category – a result that left even Moliy’s team baffled. gamma. CEO Larry Jackson, whose label represents Moliy, expressed deep frustration over the decision.
“It genuinely pains me to say this… but the Academy’s choice to deem Moliy’s remix ineligible was incredibly disappointing,” Jackson told Billboard. “This is one of the biggest songs on the planet, and yet it wasn’t allowed to compete in either Best Global Music Performance or Best African Music Performance.”
Why the Remix Was Ruled Out
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According to Billboard, the remix of Shake It to the Max arrived on 21 February, well within the Grammys’ eligibility period, complete with fresh verses from Shenseea and Skillibeng and a revised introduction from Moliy. Under the Academy’s rules, a “new recording” must be created within five years of release, a condition the team insists the remix meets.
The recording also carries its own ISRC code, identifying it as a distinct master, and it was the only version submitted for consideration. gamma. therefore entered it in the Best Global Music Performance category, reflecting its fusion of Ghanaian Afropop and Jamaican dancehall elements.
Yet, on 20 September, the Academy notified gamma. that the track could not compete in that category, although it remained eligible for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Music Video. The Academy declined to place it in any alternative genre category, despite arguments that the track would fit under pop, African music or melodic rap.
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The Recording Academy, responding to Billboard, stood by its interpretation of the rules.
“It is indeed an enormous song with tremendous cultural impact,” the Academy said. “However, because it was submitted as a remix, it is not eligible in these particular categories. Remixes have long been excluded from these areas. Regardless, we remain committed to improving our submission processes and eligibility guidelines.”
gamma.’s attempts to overturn the ruling stretched from late September to early October. Jackson personally contacted Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on 2 October, just one day before first-round voting opened.
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“To be excluded simply because we called it a remix rather than ‘Part Two’ is a strange interpretation,” Jackson argued. “Half of the track is newly composed. Saying, ‘That’s just the rule,’ doesn’t truly honour what these artists have brought to the world.”
Despite the setback, the remix has had a colossal year. It topped multiple Billboard charts, including U.S. Afrobeats Songs for 26 weeks, and entered the top 10 of R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. It also reached No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking one of dancehall’s strongest showings in the decade. Its cultural reach deepened with additional remixes from Major Lazer, Sean Paul and other global stars.
Spotify recognised it as one of the defining songs of the summer, further cementing its status as a cross-continental hit.
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While the Grammys do have a dedicated category for Best Remixed Recording, the guidelines specify that simple additions of vocal features do not qualify as a genuine remix. The Shake It to the Max remix did not significantly alter the original instrumentation, meaning it would not meet that category’s criteria either.
Jackson warned that decisions like this prevent innovative global music from being fairly represented.
“It is symbolically discouraging for emerging artists from Africa and the Caribbean,” he said. “It highlights the limited leverage that independent musicians and labels have in navigating these rigid systems.”
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Moliy joined gamma. in 2024, the same year the company rapidly expanded its influence as a major independent alternative to traditional labels. At the upcoming 2026 Grammys, independent artists are once again competing in smaller numbers against major-label stars in the biggest categories.
Caribbean genres, despite producing arena-filling hits, also remain underrepresented. Even with a strong all-Jamaican showing in the Best Reggae Album nominees, genres such as soca, bouyon and konpa continue to be sidelined.
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Although Shake It to the Max will not appear on the 2026 Grammys shortlist, many in the industry hope the controversy will push the Academy to revisit its eligibility rules – particularly around remixes that achieve cultural significance far beyond their original versions.
For Moliy, however, the song’s impact remains undeniable. Whether honoured by the Grammys or not, Shake It to the Max has already shaped the global music landscape.
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