Senator Stavisky Presents Empire Award to VP Records, Queens Cultural Icon – The New York State Senate (.gov)

VP Records Crowned Empire Award Winner: Queens Institution Gets Official Recognition

Nearly five decades after establishing itself as the Caribbean diaspora’s most trusted music distributor, VP Records has received formal state recognition for its outsized cultural impact. New York State Senator Julia Stavisky presented the label with an Empire Award, cementing the Queens-based powerhouse’s legacy as more than just a record label—it’s a cornerstone institution in how reggae, dancehall, and island music reached North America and the world.

The honor reflects what the community has always known: VP didn’t just move units. They moved culture. From foundation reggae to modern dancehall, from dancehall to soca, the label became the pipeline through which Caribbean music flowed into the broader diaspora ecosystem. A government award might seem formal and distant, but for a family operation that’s spent decades in the trenches, it’s overdue recognition of real work.