While Shakira’s ‘LMYNL’ is poised to snag Latin Grammy nominations, the globe-spanning submissions and categories usually always make for an unpredictable list.
It’s fitting that Shakira’s Grammy-contending album is called “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” (“Women Don’t Cry Anymore”). The defiant statement rings true in Shakira’s first project after a seven-year hiatus., marking her return to the limelight after a tumultuous year with her personal life splattered on the tabloids, and stylistically it spans from Afrobeats and música mexicana to EDM, pop and rock. Should Shakira notch two or more wins in any category this year, she could become the female artist with the most Latin Grammy wins (she currently has 15), beating out Natalia Lafourcade (17 wins).
But she is hardly the only female artist in contention. In fact, over the past decade, the Latin Grammys have done a solid job of acknowledging and identifying the rise of young female voices. From Rosalía and Karol G to iLe and Silvana Estrada.
women have been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking and inspiring albums across all genres and styles — and the past 12 months were no exception. Chile’s Mon Laferte and Francisca Valenzuela, Argentina’s Nathy Peluso, Colombian American Kali Uchis and Puerto Rico’s Young Miko are some of the obvious candidates for this year’s Latin Grammy gold.
Latin Grammy voters also tend to reward storied acts with formidable and thematically complete projects. Such was the case in 2022 when Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler took home six trophies in highly competitive categories, beating out Bad Bunny and Shakira.
Perhaps the safest bet we can make here is just how tightly packed the categories will be. Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud tells Variety the organization received significantly more submissions across the board in 2024 than in 2023.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(in alphabetical order)
“Adentro,” Francisca Valenzuela
“Autopoiética,” Mon Laferte
“Boca Chueca, Vol. 1,” Carín León
“Grasa,” Nathy Peluso
“Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Shakira
“Muévense,” Marc Anthony
“Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” Bad Bunny
“Orquídeas,” Kali Uchis
“Siembra – 45 Aniversario,” Rubén Blades
“Que Llueva Tequila,” Pepe Aguilar
Lechner: 2024 is gearing up to be the year of Shakira, and “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is the expected favorite in this category. Other perennial Latin Grammy darlings are also likely to show up: Ruben Blades’ “Siembra: 45o. Aniversario” revisits the salsa prophet’s 1978 masterpiece in a lush live setting. A seasoned songwriter and arranger, Pepe Aguilar adds a subtle touch of his rock’n’roll roots to the experimental “Que Llueva Tequila.” And Nuyorican star Marc Anthony reaffirms his grasp on new millennium Afro-Caribbean aesthetics (heavy on the combustion, unabashedly romantic) on “Muévense.”
A number of brilliant singer/songwriters gave us the kind of sophisticated, semi-conceptual albums that merit nominations: based in Spain, Argentine diva Nathy Peluso shifts restlessly from irate hip-hop to old-school salsa and majestic bolero on the thrilling “Grasa.” A heart wrenching feminist manifesto, Mon Laferte’s “Autopoiética” finds redemption in retro elegance. And on “Adentro,” fellow Chilean Francisca Valenzuela demonstrates again her mastery of sophisticated alternative pop – incisive and accessible at the same time.
Garcia: The first and last time Kali Uchis appeared as a nominee for Latin Grammys was in 2017 when she paired with Juanes for “El Ratico,” earning a nomination in the record of the year category. Despite achieving major crossover success with her “Telepatía” album arriving in 2020, the album was ignored by Academy voters (“probably the most disheartening and embarrassing moment,” Uchis said in an interview with Vulture). There’s always a chance her second Spanish-language album, “Orquídeas,” could receive the same treatment, though the LP marked a shift for Uchis’ career in the Latin market as it included collaborations with fellow Latin Grammy-contenders Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and Karol G.
RECORD OF THE YEAR and SONG OF THE YEAR (Combined)
(in alphabetical order)
“Aiwo,” Rafa Pabön, songwriter. (Rafa Pabön)
“ALV,” Dímelo Flow, Edgar Barrera, Jhon El Diver, BK, Andy, Kemzo and Austin Santos, songwriters. (Arcángel feat. Grupo Frontera)
“Aprender A Amar,” Nathy Peluso, Pablo Drexler and Alberto Escámez López, songwriters. (Nathy Peluso)
“Puntería,” Shakira, Gale, David Stewart, Chalko, Daniela Blau, YannC El Armónico, Mateo Dorado, Siggy and Derrick Milano, songwriters. (Shakira feat. Cardi B)
“Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” Edgar Barrera, Karol G, Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, Keityn, Mauricio Cruz Moreno and Marco Daniel Borrero, songwriters. (Karol G)
“Mónaco,” Bad Bunny, Charles Aznavour, MAG, songwriters. (Bad Bunny)
“Niña Bonita,” Feid and Sean Paul, songwriters. (Feid and Sean Paul)
“Plis,” Camilo and Juancho Muñoz, songwriters. (Camilo and Evaluna Montaner)
“Tenochtitlán,” Mon Laferte, songwriter. (Mon Laferte)
“Derrumbe,” Jorge Drexler
Lechner: Shakira, who won the 2023 song of the year Latin Grammy with her viral “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” is better positioned to win in the album category, but “Puntería,” her bubbly duet with Cardi B, will probably pop up in the record field. Bad Bunny’s “Mónaco,” a perverse, satisfying fusion of Latin trap with the orchestral cosmopolitan gloss of a James Bond theme, also deserves a spot.
Other potential candidates anchor themselves on the brash originality of their vision: Peluso’s aggressive call-to- arms “Aprender a Amar”; Puerto Rican rapper Pabön’s “Aiwo,” a tribute to his African roots; and Colombian star Feid’s duet with Sean Paul, “Niña Bonita,” could underscore the urbano genre’s consistent sway on the pulse of contemporary Latin.
The Latin Academy may also want to acknowledge the globalization of música mexicana through one of the many genre hybrids that emerged last year. A good candidate is the slick “ALV,” which brought together Grupo Frontera with veteran boricua rapper Arcángel.
Garcia: I could very easily see this category leaning in favor of Laferte. She is the sole songwriter on “Tenochitlán,” and its par- ent LP, “Autopoiética,” is just as strong a contender in the album category. The trip- hop sound is incredibly fresh, and Laferte is a well-known name for Latin Grammy voters. Similarly, Karol G and songwriter Edgar Barrera — also Latin Grammy dar- lings — could see a nomination for their 2023 cumbia, “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” off the deluxe edition of Karol G’s album of the year-winning “Mañana Será Bonito.” It’s also possible that Peluso could make her entrance in the general categories for the first time as a solo act with an album as multifaceted as “Grasa.”
BEST NEW ARTIST
(in alphabetical order)
Peso Pluma
Young Miko
Lismar
Íñigo Quintero
Trueno
Lechner: This is one of those rare instances where the Best New Artist category has one obvious winner — like Juanes in 2001, Calle 13 in 2006 and Karol G in 2018. Peso Pluma’s paradigm-shifting ability to transform and expand the influence of música mexicana deserves to be acknowledged. His influence shocked the establishment with “Ella Baila Sola” — the brassy duet with Cali group Eslabón Armado that was heard around the world — then blossomed fully on “Génesis,” his eclectic debut.
Garcia: This category has been turning out shockers year-by-year. They’ve gotten increasingly more diverse. The 2022 show had a surprising tie between 97-year-old Angela Alvarez and 27-year- old Estrada, while the 2023 show recognized artists from the regional Mexican genre (Conexion Divina) and openly queer singer-songwriters.
Pluma is poised to take this one home, but there’s plenty of room for surprise nominations, including Trueno, who was last nominated in 2021 for “Dance Crip” in the rap/hip-hop category; he delivered a strong album in May that should earn him Latin Grammy love. Also, look for singer-songwriter Quintero and trap-pop reggaeton artist Young Miko to receive the acknowledgement (here or elsewhere) for their respective projects.
