By Ben Sisario
When the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards took place in 2000, they highlighted the rich diversity of sounds across Latin America, filled with excitement and the aspiration that a new wave of artists would break into the American pop landscape. That year featured major talents like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and an emerging singer-songwriter named Shakira.
Fast forward to the show’s 25th edition, the expansive category of Latin music now encompasses a vast segment of the industry, which has evolved into a global sensation largely propelled by streaming. The most recent nominations, revealed on Tuesday by the Latin Recording Academy, are led by Bad Bunny and Karol G, who consistently fill arenas, generate billions of online interactions, and have both secured eight nominations.
Veteran Dominican songwriter Juan Luis Guerra has notably earned five nominations. Following him are Kany García from Puerto Rico, Feid from Colombia, Carin León from Mexico, and Kali Uchis, a Colombian American singer-songwriter, each with four nominations. However, for the second consecutive year, the top nominee overall is a behind-the-scenes talent: Edgar Barrera, a Mexican American songwriter and producer, with a total of nine nominations.
Another notable songwriter, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, known as Keityn, who frequently collaborates with Barrera, has received six nominations.
A simple rundown of the nominees reflects the geographical diversity present in the Latin arena, along with the increasing collaboration among various genres and regions that has become ever more prevalent (and favored).
Barrera, also referred to as Edge, has closely collaborated with Karol G, the vibrant Colombian artist who has rapidly ascended to A-list status. (During the MTV Video Music Awards last week, she performed her recent song, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” while dancing in the audience alongside Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello.) Among the nominations shared by Barrera and Karol G are song and record of the year for her song “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” (“My Ex Was Right”).
In the record of the year category, they will face competition from streaming hits by Bad Bunny (“Monaco”), Brazilian singer Anitta (“Mil Veces”), Uchis and Mexican star Peso Pluma (“Igual Que un Ángel”), as well as a collaboration featuring Colombian pop star Camilo and Mexican cowboy-hatted artist León (“Una Vida Pasada”). Additional nominees include tracks by Cimafunk and Colombian group Monsieur Periné (“Catalina”), Jorge Drexler (“Derrumbe”), Fonseca and salsa band Grupo Niche (“Con Dinero y Sin Dinero”), Guerra and his ensemble 4.40 (“Mambo 23”), and Chilean artist Mon Laferte, who has long ventured into Mexican styles (“Tenochtitlán”).
In addition to Karol G’s “Mi Ex,” Barrera is credited on two other songs nominated for song of the year: “(Entre Paréntesis),” performed by Shakira and Grupo Frontera, and “Según Quién,” by Maluma and León. This category also encompasses “Caracas en el 2000,” performed by Elena Rose, Danny Ocean, and Jerry Di; “Te Lo Agradezco,” by Kany García and León; “313,” a partly spoken piece by Residente, Silvia Pérez Cruz, and actress Penélope Cruz; “A La Mitad,” sung by Maura Nava for a new TV adaptation of “Zorro”; and works written and performed by Drexler, Daymé Arocena, Vicente García, as well as Gian Marco and Rubén Blades. (Record of the year recognizes the performers and producers of a single track; song of the year attributes to the songwriters.)
In the album of the year category, Karol G, Shakira, Guerra, and Puerto Rican rapper Residente will compete against albums from Camilo, León, Laferte, Kany García, Ángela Aguilar, and Xande de Pilares.
Nominations for best new artist include Agris, Kevin Aguilar, Darumas, Nicolle Horbath, Latin Mafia, Cacá Magalhães, Os Garotin, Iñigo Quintero, Sofi Saar, and Ela Taubert.
Over 23,000 submissions were made for the current awards cycle, which honors recordings released from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. To qualify, songs must be new and feature lyrics in Spanish, Portuguese, or any native regional dialect, as stipulated by the academy.
This year’s awards ceremony is slated for November 14 in Miami.
