Latin GRAMMYs season is now officially upon us! Ahead of the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs on Thursday, Nov. 14, the nominations have arrived — and the Album Of The Year Category is stacked.
This year’s telecast, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMYs, will see 10 albums compete for one of the night’s biggest honors. Among them are a few previous winners, including four-time Album Of The Year recipient Juan Luis Guerra, whose nomination for Radio Güira marks his eighth in the Category. Two-time Album Of The Year winner Residente, whose wins were both with his group Calle 13, receives his sixth nomination in the Category with Las Letras Ya No Importan.
Shakira — who won Album Of The Year at the 7th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2006 for Fijación Oral Vol. 1 — receives her first nomination in the Category since 2017 with her acclaimed 12th studio album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. And after Karol G took home Album Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs for Mañana Será Bonito, the five-time Latin GRAMMY winner is back in the Category in 2024 thanks to its mixtape follow-up, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season).
Those four are up against fellow past Album Of The Year nominees Mon Laferte, Kany García and Camílo, as well as first-time Album Of The Year nominees Ángela Aguilar, Carin León and Xande de Pilares.
Below, find out more about all of the Album Of The Year nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. Then, be sure to tune into the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, officially known as the 25th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, airing live on Univision, Galavisión and ViX on Thursday, Nov. 14, starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT) to see who wins.
Ángela Aguilar — Bolero
Though only 20, Ángela Aguilar is no newcomer to the scene. She made her Latin GRAMMYS debut in 2019 with a memorable performance of “La Llorona.” That year, she was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album for her debut Primero Soy Mexicana. She was nominated again in 2022 in the latter category for her follow-up, Mexicana Enamorada, making this her fourth Latin GRAMMY nomination.
As the child of singer Pepe Aguilar and the granddaughter of ranchera legend Antonio Aguilar, the younger Aguilar is the scion of Mexican musical royalty. In her career thus far, she has dedicated herself to the preservation of música Mexicana and established herself as a standard bearer for the youthquake in traditional Mexican music.
On her latest album Bolero, she breathes vivid life into romantic Latin ballads, singing such quintessential boleros as “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” and “Solamente Una Vez” with absolute conviction, as though they had been written for her. As part of her process in making the album, she traveled to Cuba, where the genre was born, to be immersed in the history and culture of the music. Her serious and impassioned approach has led to a celebration of the bolero that is as fresh as it is timeless.
Watch: How Ángela Aguilar Became One Of The Youngest GRAMMY Nominees Ever | Run The World
Camilo — cuatro
At 30, singer, songwriter and producer Camilo is a decorated veteran of Latin pop. Prior to the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, he had six Latin GRAMMYs and 29 nominations to his name, including three nods for Album Of The Year.
He adds a fourth Album Of The Year nomination to his résumé with his fourth album, the simply titled cuatro, a rootsy, 12-song collection of tropical music. The self-produced, acoustic album marks a departure for the Colombian musician, as he forays into salsa, merengue and similar genres. However, exploration and experimentation is integral to Camílo’s identity as an artist — so, while it is intriguing, it isn’t exactly surprising.
Growing up in Medellín, Colombia, Camílo was surrounded by a cacophony of musical styles, including the aforementioned salsa and merengue, as well as guaguancó and others. He’s also displayed tremendous versatility in the past. While he is best known for pop with reggaeton leanings, his Latin GRAMMY-nominated 2022 project, De Adentro Pa Afuera, saw him take on a variety of sounds, including regional Mexican music in collaboration with Grupo Firme. It’s all par for Camilo’s ever-eccentric course.
Karol G — Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)
As the reigning Latin GRAMMY Album Of The Year winner, Karol G is back to take either a victory lap or a second such award with Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). Bichota Season is a companion and part two to the Colombian reggaeton superstar’s smash studio album Mañana Será Bonito, which took home both Album Of The Year and Best Urban Music Album at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs. The mixtape has a different tone and style from her other 2023 album and, despite its similar name, is a completely different record.
Though shorter than its predecessor by seven songs, Bichota is long on big, bad diva energy. It contains the hit single “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” a mellifluous, Tejano-flavored cumbia-pop tune that the singer/songwriter has said was inspired by the music of Selena.
The mixtape also comprises some standout collaborations, including “QLONA” with Mexican star Peso Pluma, “Dispo” with Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, and Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis. Truly, Bichota Season is the definition of a good thing in a small package, which now gets its own moment to shine.
Watch: 2024 GRAMMYs: Karol G Wins The First GRAMMY Award Of Her Career For Best Música Urbana Album
Kany García — García
In 2024, Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Kany García released García, her ninth studio album, which is her seventh to be nominated for a Latin GRAMMY and her third to be nominated for a Album Of The Year. As of press time, the musician’s storied career has brought her five Latin GRAMMY wins and 26 career nominations.
García opens with the reflective title track in which the musician tells herself to look back on a life well lived, and to give thanks for everything that has happened. It sets the tone for a bravura performance on the rest of the recording.
The album is as diverse as they come, including bold collaborations on regional Mexican songs with Carin León, Edén Muñoz, and Christian Nodal; her turns with León and Nodal both became massive hits. García also features the searing “En Esta Boca,” her bachata hit with friend Young Miko, which has become a queer anthem for its overt theme of Lesbian romance.
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 — Radio Güira
An unerring ability to make international pop hits from tropical genres such as bachata and merengue has made Juan Luis Guerra an icon. Album Of The Year has long been the genre-blending artist’s domain at the Latin GRAMMYs; he won the award as an artist in 2007, 2010 and 2014, as well as a producer on Juanes‘ MTV Unplugged album in 2012. This year, he re-enters the competition with Radio Güira, his lively 2023 concept EP, which presents each song as part of a broadcast on the fictional radio station “4:40 FM.”
Radio Güira has a nostalgic 1970s feel, but also a progressive nature. Lead single “Mambo 23” is an experiment in mambo-infused merengue de la calle, while “Cositas de Amor,” dedicated to his wife, Nora, is a dreamy, pop take on reggaeton. The eclectic radio station also stirs a bit of jazz, blues and rock into the effervescent tropical mix, taking Guerra’s Caribbean roots on a global journey. While he has described the album as a gift to longtime fans, Guerra also invites the younger generation to tune in and discover what has made him a legend.
Mon Laferte — Autopoiética
Alternative pop singer/songwriter Mon Laferte reinvented herself after eight albums with 2023’s Autopoiética, a rhythmically driven and musically inventive album built around the concept of self-creation and self-renewal. The Chile-born and Mexico-based star used electronic beats, hip-hop, cumbia, and avant reggaeton to uncover new aspects of herself as a creative force, and received resounding acclaim for her efforts — including three nominations at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs (Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Music Album, as well as Record Of The Year for lead single “Tenochtitlán”).
Emotionally intense and artistically fearless, Autopoiética simultaneously represents everything that Laferte is as an artist and is like nothing she has done before. It documents an artist at the peak of her development, still curious about what she can do as a musician. Ever a groundbreaker, in pushing her own limits, she also pushed the boundaries of Latin music.
No stranger to the Latin GRAMMYs stage, Laferte was last nominated for Album Of The Year in 2017 for La Trenza, whose single “Amárrame” (feat. Juanes) won Best Alternative Song that year. As of press time, Laferte has won four Latin GRAMMYs and received 20 nominations.
Carin León — Boca Chueca, Vol. 1
Música Mexicana star Carin León has built a massive following in his native Mexico and beyond with his updated approach to genres such as sierreño, which he infuses with rock ‘n’ roll swagger and Millennial irreverence. His career has been marked by a string of hits, culminating in two Latin GRAMMYs, one in 2022 for “Como Lo Hice Yo” (Best Regional Mexican Song) and one in 2023 for his third album Colmillo de Leche (Best Norteño Album).
His nomination for Album Of The Year for 2024’s Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 is a major milestone in his career, and one for regional Mexican music as well. If he were to win, it would not only be his first in the Category, but it would also be the first time the award went to an album in the genre.
Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 underscores León’s status as an artist who builds cultural bridges. The album features duets with regional Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar, as well as Mexican rock band Panteon Rococo, country star Kane Brown and alternative singer/songwriter Leon Bridges. Drawing in R&B, country and other influences, León’s music crosses genre borders with ease as he himself crosses national borders. He’s already made history this year, too, as León became the first Música Mexicana artist to perform at Stagecoach, one of the largest country music festivals in the U.S.
Xande de Pilares — Xande Canta Caetano
A star of modern samba, Xande de Pilares is used to big stages, high-profile duets and multi-layered rhythms. But his 2023 studio album, Xande Canta Caetano — a celebration of fellow Brazilian singer and songwriter Caetano Veloso — is a quieter outing that reveals a softer side to his artistry.
Xande de Pilares’ interpretations of the Bahian legend’s beloved songs display the depth of emotion he can convey, the richness of his voice alone, and the profound reverence the Carioca artist has for Brazilian music. Making the songs his own, the Rio artist teases the samba influences in Veloso’s songwriting, highlighting the roots of MPB.
The album and the nomination signify a capstone moment in the musician’s career. Xande Canta Caetano helped Xande de Pilares earn his first Latin GRAMMY nominations as a solo artist; along with the Album Of The Year nomination, the set also received a nod for Best Samba/Pagode Album. His last nomination came in the latter category in 2010, when his former band Grupo Revelação was nominated for their album Ao Vivo No Morro.
Residente — Las Letras Ya No Importan
As one half of the politically incisive rap duo Calle 13, Puerto Rico’s Residente has won Album Of The Year at the Latin GRAMMYs twice — first in 2009 with Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo and again in 2011 with Entren Los Que Quieran. This time around, he’s in the running on his own with the epic Las Letras Ya No Importan, the rapper’s first full album since the release of his self-titled solo debut in 2017.
Sonically spare and restrained, the ironically titled Las Letras Ya No Importan, which translates to Lyrics Don’t Matter Now, finds the Latin rap godfather as lyrically trenchant as ever. He holds forth mightily on society, the music industry, Puerto Rico, death, loss, and his own life and history. The album further benefits from the support of collaborators, which range from Rauw Alejandro and Arcángel to Big Daddy Kane and Carin León. The single “This is Not America,” featuring the ethereal vocals of French duo Ibeyi, marks a musical high point on the album.
The album hits many such highs before the deeply personal single “René,” which features the voices of both Residente’s mother, Flor Joglar de García, and Panamanian singer Rubén Blades, and in turn brings the album to an emotional close. Originally released in 2020, “René” helped Residente win the Song Of The Year award at the 2020 Latin GRAMMYs; to date, he has a remarkable 28 Latin GRAMMY wins.
Read More: Inside Residente’s Las Letras Ya No Importan: How His New Album Shows The Rapper In Transition
Shakira — Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’
Shakira had a big night at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, taking home three trophies and delivering an unforgettable performance alongside Bizarrap, Milo J, Agarrate Catalina, Quinteto Ástor Piazzolla, and Ariel Ardit.
Four months later, Shakira continued the momentum with her empowering 12th album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. Translating to Women Don’t Cry Anymore, the break-up album written on a seismic scale marked her first full-length release in seven years. The 16-track project features several star-studded collabs, including reggaeton stars Ozuna, Rauw Alejandro and Manuel Turizo, regional Mexican bands Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera, and even chart-topping rapper Cardi B.
Along with her Album Of The Year nomination, the Colombian superstar tallies two more Latin GRAMMY nominations this year: Song Of The Year for her Grupo Frontera team-up “(Entre Paréntesis)” and Best Latin Electronic Music Performance for the Tiësto remix of “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her Bizarrap collab that won Best Pop Song and Song Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs. What’s in store for her this year, and what might she have in store for us? Don’t miss the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs on Nov. 14 to find out!
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