Moliy and Silent Addy’s “Shake It To The Max (Fly)” dominated 2025 with the kind of cultural force few records achieve, igniting dance floors from Accra to Kingston to Miami. But despite its chart-topping momentum and a star-powered remix featuring Shenseea and Skillibeng, the Recording Academy determined the song was not eligible for the 2026 Grammy Awards — a decision that shocked fans, industry insiders, and even Gamma CEO Larry Jackson.
The controversy centers on how the song was entered. The remix — released February 21 within the official Grammy eligibility window — includes new verses, an updated intro, and its own ISRC, which technically qualifies it as a “new recording.” Gamma. therefore submitted it for Best Global Music Performance. But on September 20, the Academy notified the label that the entry was disqualified because it was — by name — a remix, a classification that makes it ineligible for the African and Global Music categories under longstanding Grammy rules.
The Academy doubled down on its position in a statement, saying, “Unfortunately, but quite simply, it was submitted as a remix… and remixes are just not eligible in these categories.” Jackson, however, strongly disagreed, noting that nearly half of the track is newly composed and arguing that the ruling “doesn’t feel respectful toward what these artists achieved.” He also pointed out inconsistencies, referencing historic examples like the Justin Bieber-assisted version of “Despacito,” which was widely acknowledged on DSPs as a remix but never publicly labelled as such on Grammy materials.
The disqualification comes despite the song’s undeniable impact — 27 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats, top-10 placement on multiple Billboard airplay charts, and a Global 200 peak at No. 6. It also arrives at a time when Caribbean and African diaspora genres are exploding globally yet continue to face structural hurdles at award shows. For many observers, the “Max” ruling feels like a missed opportunity for the Academy to recognise the era-defining fusion of Afropop and dancehall.
While “Shake It To The Max” won’t get its moment on the Grammy stage, the uproar may spark overdue dialogue about remix classifications — and how global hits from independent African and Caribbean artists are evaluated moving forward.
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