The 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards nominations, unveiled on Wednesday, September 17th, have set the stage for a grand celebration of Latin music's global impact and diversity. Leading the illustrious list is Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, who garnered an impressive 12 nominations. His acclaimed album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, secured a nod for Album of the Year, while his tracks “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “DTmF” each received double mentions in both Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories. These new nominations significantly add to his already stellar career, where he has previously accumulated 40 nominations and 12 wins.

Closely trailing Bad Bunny are two other formidable contenders, each with 10 nominations: acclaimed Mexican musician Edgar Barrera and the Argentine duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso. Barrera, a consistent frontrunner who led the nominations in the past two years, is once again a strong contender for Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year. His extensive work with various high-profile artists, including Karol G, Shakira, Maluma, Fuerza Regida, and Grupo Frontera, is reflected in multiple categories. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso also demonstrated their artistic prowess, receiving an Album of the Year nomination for Papota, alongside double nods in Record of the Year and Song of the Year for their tracks “El Día Del Amigo” and “#Tetas.”

The nominations highlight a broad spectrum of talent across the Latin music landscape. Artists with multiple nominations further populate the lists, including Rafa Arcaute, Natalia Lafourcade, Roberto Rosado, and Federico Vindver, each with eight nods. MAG received seven nominations, while Liniker and Lewis Picket earned six each. Gino Borri and Vicente Jiménez secured five nominations, followed by Antonio Caraballo, Joaquina, Elena Rose, and Alejandro Sanz with four. Andrés Cepeda, Karol G, and Carín León each received three nominations. Prominent artists with two nominations include Akapellah, Rauw Alejandro, Rubén Blades, Gloria Estefan, Mon Laferte, Maluma, and Fito Páez, among many others.

Reflecting the evolving landscape of media, this year’s awards introduce a new field for Visual Media, alongside two new categories: Best Music for Visual Media and Best Roots Song. The highly anticipated Best New Artist award will be a competitive field, featuring ten promising talents: Alleh, Annasofia, Yerai Cortés, Juliane Gamboa, Camila Guevara, Isadora, Alex Luna, Paloma Morphy, Sued Nunes, and Ruzzi.

Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, expressed enthusiasm for this year’s nominees, stating, “We’re pleased to present this year’s nominees for the 26th Annual Latin Grammys. The impact of Latin music continues to grow on a global level, and all the nominated artists encompass its diversity and richness while continuing to preserve the iconic sounds that make our music unique.” This sentiment is particularly evident in the Album of the Year category, which boasts nominees from a wide variety of genres, including Rauw Alejandro, Gloria Estefan, Vicente García, Joaquina, Natalia Lafourcade, Carín León, Liniker, Elena Rose, and Alejandro Sanz, showcasing the vibrant fusion of styles within Latin music.

The 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Thursday, November 13th, at 8 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S. on TelevisaUnivision platforms. Preceding the live telecast, the Latin Grammy Premiere, a non-televised event where the majority of winners will be announced, will take place.

Beyond the general fields, the nominations delve into a rich array of specific genres and artistic achievements. In the General Field, the Record of the Year category sees a diverse mix of tracks like “Desastres Fabulosos” by Jorge Drexler & Conociendo Rusia, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” by Karol G, and “Cancionera” by Natalia Lafourcade, reflecting varied production and engineering artistry. Similarly, the Song of the Year nominations feature compositions such as “Bogotá” by Andrés Cepeda, “Otra Noche De Llorar” by Mon Laferte, and “Palmeras En El Jardín” by Alejandro Sanz, recognizing the songwriters behind these impactful pieces.

The awards span a vast musical landscape, encompassing categories such as Pop (Contemporary Pop, Traditional Pop, Pop Song), Electronic (Latin Electronic Music Performance), and Urban, which includes Best Urban/Urban Fusion Performance, Best Reggaeton Performance, Best Urban Music Album, Best Rap/Hip Hop Song, and Best Urban Song, with artists like Tokischa, Jay Wheeler, and Fariana receiving nods. Rock categories cover Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, Best Pop/Rock Album, and Best Pop/Rock Song, acknowledging acts such as A.N.I.M.A.L, Marilina Bertoldi, and Leiva.

Alternative music is recognized with Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Song, featuring artists like Judeline, Latin Mafia, and Rusowsky. The Tropical field is extensive, with awards for Salsa, Cumbia/Vallenato, Merengue/Bachata, Traditional Tropical, Contemporary Tropical, and Tropical Song, including iconic names like Rubén Blades, Gloria Estefan, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. Singer-Songwriter categories celebrate albums and songs from artists such as Natalia Lafourcade, Valeria Castro, and Vicente García. Regional Mexican music is prominently featured across Ranchero/Mariachi, Banda, Tejano, Norteño, Contemporary Mexican Music Album, and Regional Song, with nods for Pepe Aguilar, Christian Nodal, Los Tigres Del Norte, and Carín León.

Instrumental, Traditional (Folk, Tango, Flamenco, Roots Song), Jazz (Latin Jazz/Jazz Album), and Christian music (Spanish and Portuguese language albums) also have dedicated categories, showcasing the breadth of musical expression. Portuguese Language categories recognize Contemporary Pop, Rock or Alternative, Urban Performance, Samba/Pagode, MPB/MAPB, Sertaneja, Roots Album, and Song, featuring artists like Liniker, Djonga, and Marina Sena. Children’s and Classical music also receive significant attention, including Best Classical Contemporary Composition and awards for recording package, arranging, songwriting, producing, and music videos, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the Latin Grammys in celebrating the full spectrum of Latin music creation.