Alkaline’s declaration that he had already helped change dancehall has taken on new significance after the Jamaican deejay captured the 2026 Caribbean Music Awards People’s Choice Award. Speaking with JussBussTV in August, the Vendetta artiste confidently stated, “We change dancehall already and how people even view the genre… The proof deh deh.” Weeks later, that claim has been followed by a tangible show of audience support, with Alkaline emerging as the winner of the fan-driven category in the awards’ first staging in Trinidad & Tobago. The People’s Choice field included Dexta Daps, Kes, Lady Lava, Shenseea, Vybz Kartel, Voice and Yung Bredda.
The award adds another chapter to what has been a significant 2026 for Alkaline. His latest album, NPT, released in March, became his third entry on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, debuting at No. 10. The 16-track project followed New Level Unlocked and Top Prize, which previously peaked at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. NPT was also the first dancehall album to debut on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in 2026.
For Alkaline, however, the Caribbean Music Awards victory is particularly notable because it comes directly from a category built around public choice. The win also follows his comments about the doubters who once questioned whether he would reach his current level. “Over time and dem see the works, and the influence and result dem tun believers,” he told JussBussTV, while maintaining that controversy and lyrical confrontations are not central to his approach. “Dat a just fi dem ting, dat a nuh our ting, we just focus and duh the music,” he said.
The People’s Choice win does not settle every debate surrounding Alkaline’s influence on dancehall, but it does give his supporters another measurable moment to point to. With NPT adding another Billboard entry to his catalogue and fans now handing him a major Caribbean award, Alkaline’s earlier words have become part of the story themselves: “The proof deh deh.”
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