The 2020 Latin Grammys are live from Miami on Univision on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 8pm.
Latin music has taken over the world. Reggaeton and Latin trap are the music of today’s youth everywhere. The Latin Recording Academy has been criticized for ignoring the “urban” categories of reggaeton and hip-hop artists. So this year we have new categories for Best Reggaeton Performance and Best Rap/Hip-Hop.
The other thing that the Latin Recording Academy keeps missing is the strong Latin Alternative coming out of Southern California. New York and Miami are Caribbean cities, but Latin Alternative is very popular across the rest of the United States. It also represents the great diversity of Latin voices in the United States.
Perhaps the Latin Recording Academy has boxed itself in with its Spanish and Portuguese-language requirements. We get it that Spanish- and Portuguese-language work once needed its known place to be recognized, but this divides our communities.
We speak Spanish and a little Portuguese, but many American Latins don’t. The first generation speaks the mother tongue fluently. The second probably speaks a little and understands some, but the third generation only speaks and understands English. It’s a shame that their voices are excluded because they are Latin voices that probably have a hard time getting recognized by the (English) Grammys. Maybe next year.
2020 Latin Grammy Nominations
Nominations were announced on September 29, 2020. This is the year of reggaeton. J Balvin 🇨🇴 leads with 13 nominations including Record of the Year and Album of the Year. His friend Bad Bunny 🇵🇷 is next with 9 nominations including Record of the Year and Album of the Year. Ozuna 🇩🇴 🇵🇷 has 8 nominations including Record of the Year.
These are some of the main nomination categories.
Record of the Year
- “China” ~ Anuel AA 🇵🇷, Daddy Yankee 🇵🇷, Karol G Featuring Ozuna 🇵🇷 & J Balvin 🇨🇴
- “Cuando Estés Aquí” ~ Pablo Alborán 🇪🇸
- “Vete” ~ Bad Bunny 🇵🇷
- “Solari Yacumenza” ~ Bajofondo 🇦🇷 🇺🇾 featuring Cuareim 1080 🇺🇾
- “Rojo” ~ J Balvin 🇨🇴
- “Tutu” ~ Camilo 🇨🇴 Featuring Pedro Capó 🇵🇷
- “Lo Que En Ti Veo” ~ Kany García 🇵🇷 & Nahuel Pennisi 🇦🇷
- “Tusa” ~ Karol G 🇨🇴 & Nicki Minaj 🇹🇹 🇺🇸
- “René” ~ Residente 🇵🇷
- “Contigo” ~ Alejandro Sanz 🇪🇸
Album of the Year
- YHLQMDLG ~ Bad Bunny 🇵🇷
- Oasis ~ J Balvin & Bad Bunny 🇵🇷
- Colores ~ J Balvin 🇨🇴
- Por Primera Vez ~ Camilo 🇨🇴
- Mesa para Dos ~ Kany García 🇵🇷
- Aire (Versión Día) ~ Jesse & Joy 🇲🇽
- Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 ~ Natalia Lafourcade 🇲🇽
- Pausa ~ Ricky Martin 🇵🇷
- La Conquista del Espacio ~ Fito Páez 🇦🇷
- Cumbiana ~ Carlos Vives 🇨🇴
Song of the Year
This is a songwriter’s award.
- “ADMV” ~ Vicente Barco, Edgar Barrera, Maluma 🇨🇴 & Stiven Rojas, songwriters (Maluma)
- “Bonita” ~ Juanes 🇨🇴, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres & Sebastián Yatra, songwriters (Juanes & Sebastián Yatra)
- “Codo Con Codo” ~ Jorge Drexler 🇺🇾, songwriter (Jorge Drexler)
- “El Mismo Aire” ~— Edgar Barrera, Camilo, Jon Leone, Richi López & Juan Morelli, songwriters (Camilo)
- “For Sale”~ Alejandro Sanz 🇪🇸 & Carlos Vives 🇨🇴, songwriters (Alejandro Sanz & Carlos Vives)
- “#ELMUNDOFUERA (Improvisación)” ~ Alejandro Sanz 🇪🇸, songwriter (Alejandro Sanz)
- “Lo Que En Ti Veo” ~ Kany García, songwriter (Kany García & Nahuel Pennisi)
- “René” ~ Residente, songwriter (Residente)
- “Tiburones” ~ Oscar Hernández & Pablo Preciado, songwriters (Ricky Martin)
- “Tusa” ~ Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Karol G, Nicki Minaj & Daniel Oviedo Echavarría, songwriters (Karol G & Nicki Minaj)
- “Tutu” ~ Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters (Camilo Featuring Pedro Capó)
Best New Artist
Look at all the Argentine rockers and rappers.
- Anuel AA 🇵🇷
- Rauw Alejandro 🇵🇷
- Mike Bahía 🇨🇴
- Cazzu 🇦🇷
- Conociendo Rusia 🇦🇷
- Soy Emilia 🇨🇴
- Kurt
- Nicki Nicole 🇦🇷
- Nathy Peluso 🇦🇷
- Pitizion 🇨🇴
- Wos 🇦🇷
Best Pop Vocal Album
- Spoiler ~ Aitana 🇪🇸
- Prisma ~ Beret 🇪🇸
- Por Primera Vez ~ Camilo 🇨🇴
- Más Futuro Que Pasado ~ Juanes 🇨🇴
- Pausa ~ Ricky Martin 🇵🇷
Best Reggaeton Performance (new)
- Yo Perreo Sola ~ Bad Bunny 🇵🇷
- Morado ~ J Balvin 🇨🇴
- Loco Contigo ~ Dj Snake & J Balvin 🇨🇴 Featuring Tyga 🇻🇳 🇯🇲 🇺🇸
- Porfa ~ Feid & Justin Quiles 🇵🇷
- Chicharrón ~ Guaynaa 🇵🇷 Featuring Cauty 🇵🇷
- Te Soñé de Nuevo ~ Ozuna 🇵🇷
- Si Te Vas ~ Sech & Ozuna 🇵🇷
Best Salsa Album
- 40 Años de Power ~ Luisito Ayala y La Puerto Rican Power 🇵🇷
- Tentaciones Vol. 1 ~ Charlie Cruz 🇵🇷
- 40 ~ Grupo Niche 🇨🇴
- Memorias de Navidad ~ Victor Manuelle 🇵🇷
- Un Gallo Para La Historia ~ Tito Rojas 🇵🇷
Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album
- Por el Mundo Entero ~ Binomio De Oro De América 🇨🇴
- Sigo Cantando Al Amore (Deluxe) ~ Jorge Celedón 🇨🇴 & Sergio Luis Rodríguez 🇨🇴
- Dale Play ~ Kvrass 🇨🇴
- Voz de Mujer ~ Karen Lizarao 🇨🇴
- Los Cumbia Stars Vol. 2 ~ Los Cumbia Stars 🇨🇴
Best Merengue/Bachata Album
- The Genetics of Bachata ~ José Manuel Calderón 🇩🇴
- Bailando Contigo ~ Manny Cruz 🇩🇴
- Los Conquistadores ~ Grupo Manía 🇵🇷
- Ahora ~ Eddy Herrera 🇩🇴
- Larimar ~ Daniel Santacruz 🇨🇺 🇩🇴 🇺🇸
Best Contemporary/Tropical Fusion Album
- Energía Para Regalar ~ El Caribefunk 🇨🇴
- Mi Derriengue ~ Riccie Oriach 🇩🇴
- Mariposas ~ Omara Portuondo 🇨🇺
- Alter Ego ~ Prince Royce 🇩🇴
- Cumbiana ~ Carlos Vives 🇨🇴
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
- Antología de la Música Ranchera ~ Aida Cuevas 🇲🇽
- Hecho en México ~ Alejandro Fernández 🇲🇽
- A Los 4 Vientos Vol. 1 “Ranchero” ~ Eugenia León 🇲🇽
- Bailando Sones y Huapangos con El Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández ~ Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández 🇲🇽
- AYAYAY! ~ Christian Nodal 🇲🇽
Best Portuguese Language Song
- “A Tal Canção Pra Lua (Microfonado)” ~ Vitor Kley 🇧🇷, songwriter (Vitor Kley & Samuel Rosa)
- “Abricó-De-Macaco” ~ Francisco Bosco 🇧🇷 & João Bosco 🇧🇷, songwriters (João Bosco)
- “Amarelo (Sample: Sujeito de Sorte – Belchior)” — Dj Duh, Emicida 🇧🇷 & Felipe Vassão, songwriters (Emicida Featuring Majur & Pabllo Vittar)
- “Libertação” ~ Russo Passapusso 🇧🇷, songwriter (Elza Soares & BaianaSystem Featuring Virgínia Rodrigues)
- “Pardo” ~ Caetano Veloso 🇧🇷, songwriter (Céu)