meta-scriptLatin GRAMMYs 2023: Meet The Nominees For Best New Artist | GRAMMY.com
Graphic featuring key art for the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs
Art for the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs

Graphic Courtesy of the Latin Recording Academy

news

Latin GRAMMYs 2023: Meet The Nominees For Best New Artist

Here are the nominees for Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, which will air Thursday, Nov. 16 from Sevilla, Spain.

GRAMMYs/Sep 19, 2023 - 02:10 pm

The 2023 Latin GRAMMYs are right around the corner — and as such, the Latin GRAMMYs nominations just dropped!

Airing on Thursday, Nov. 16, from Sevilla's Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES), the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs will be the first-ever international telecast in the history of the organization and awards. The Latin GRAMMYs celebrate some of the biggest artists, songs and albums in Latin music, and its next wave of talent is honored in the Best New Artist category.

This year, there are 10 nominees for Best New Artist: Borja, Conexión Divina, Ana Del Castillo, Natascha Falcão, Gale, Paola Guanche, Joaquina, León Leiden, Maréh, and Timø.

Below, get to know all of the 2023 Latin GRAMMY nominees for Best New Artist. Then, be sure to tune into the 24th Latin GRAMMY Awards on Univision at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT) to see which rising star wins!

Read More: 2023 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Complete Nominations List

BORJA

BORJA started out as a songwriter who blossomed into an artist. The Spanish musician co-wrote hits for artists like Reik, Lasso, Marco Mares, and Nicole Zignago before releasing music of his own. In May, BORJA released his debut album, Rimas Del Verbo Amar, which sees him bring romance back to Latin pop music. In the soaring title track, he sings from the heart about keeping a long-distance relationship alive.

Conexión Divina

All-girl sierreño group Conexión Divina is proudly representing women and the LGBTQ+ community in regional Mexican music. Shortly after releasing their first album, Tres Mundos, in April, the former trio — Liz Trujillo, Sandra Calixto, and Ashlee Valenzuela — performed their heart-wrenching hits like "Odio" and "La Receta" at Coachella. Valenzuela departed the group earlier this month; Trujillo and Calixto will carry on as a duo.

Ana Del Castillo

In her country of Colombia, Ana Del Castillo has become a force in the vallenato music scene. With the release of her debut album, El Favor De Dios, last year, the singer/songwriter has helped globalize the genre. Del Castillo has also put a contemporary twist on the traditional Colombian sound. In her hit singles like "Usted No Quiere A Nadie" and "El Que La Hace La Paga," she blends in elements of Latin urbano and soul music. 

Natascha Falcão

Natascha Falcão hails from Pernambuco, Brazil. With her music, she honors the sounds and folklore of her country's northeastern region. In her breakthrough album, Ave Mulher, Falcão explores traditional genres like coco, maracatu nação, forró, and mangue beat through a contemporary MPB lens. A few of her standout hits include the mesmerizing "Banho de Flor" and the empowering title track.

GALE

GALE is expanding the limits of Latin pop with her music. The Puerto Rican singer/songwriter previously co-wrote songs for Christina Aguilera, Shakira, and Anitta before breaking out with this year's Lo Que No Te Dije album. She explores influences of synth-pop and reggaetón music in her songs like "La Mitad" and "Nuestra Canción." GALE also goes punk in "D Pic," where she speaks up for women against receiving unsolicited nude photos from men.

Paola Guanche

Paola Guanche is following in the footsteps of her GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning aunt Aymee Nuviola. The Cuban-American singer first broke through after winning "La Voz Kids" back in 2013. Since then, Guanche has masterfully blended her bicultural roots in her music, which explores influences of R&B and soul music in Spanish. A decade later, Guanche has made her mark with this year's Reencuentro EP, which features the gospel-infused "Quererte Igual" and the sultry "Prohibido."

Joaquina

Along with Paola Guanche, Joaquina graduated from Julio Reyes Copello's Art House Academy last year. The Venezuelan singer/songwriter was mentored by Reyes Copello, the 2022 Latin GRAMMYs Producer Of The Year winner. Joaquina has since spread her wings with her debut EP, Los Mejores Años. She channels teenage angst into the pop-rock anthem title track and the emotional "Rabia." Joaquina is a Latin alternative music revelation.

León Leiden

León Leiden is a singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. The Mexican musician first made his mark in EDM, but he has since proven that his talent isn't limited to one genre. In 2021, Leiden released his debut album, El Morro Que Hace Música, which featured the Latin pop hits "Gitana" and "Fondo De Bikini." He has since explored genres like hip-hop, regional Mexican music, and rock en español alongside acts like Nanpa Básico, Sebastian Esquivel, Thalia, and Aterciopelados.

Maréh

Maréh has received support from past Latin GRAMMY Best New Artist winners Monsieur Periné and Vicente García. Both acts featured on the Colombian singer/songwriter's debut album, Amuleto, which was released in 2018. Maréh built off that momentum with his breakthrough LP, Tierra De Promesas, which followed last year. He seamlessly blends folkloric sounds of his country with an alternative edge in songs like the tropical "Canto" and the dreamy "Desemboca." Each song is based on a beautiful region of nature.

Timø

Timø is a trio of Colombian musicians, which includes members Andrés Vásquez, Alejandro Ochoa, and Felipe Galat. The guys released their first EP, Algo Diferente, in 2019. Timø has since expanded on its folk-pop sound with towering and chant-worthy choruses in this year's Estemos Donde Estemos album. They shake off a breakup in the kiss-off track "215 Dias" while the alluring "Amigos" explores a blossoming romance. Timø turns the spectrum of emotions into cathartic anthems.

Latin GRAMMYs 2023: Record Of The Year Nominees — Read Them Here

A photo collage of Latin pop artists including (Clockwise) Emilia, Belinda, Nohemy, Gale, Danna Paola, Kenia Os, Mariangela, Aitana
(Clockwise) Emilia, Belinda, Nohemy, Gale, Danna Paola, Kenia Os, Mariangela, Aitana

Photos: Emilia; Hector Vivas/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images FOR iHeartRadio; John Parra/Getty Images for Shark Beauty; Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images; Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images; Ivan Apfel/Getty Images; Jose Ramon Hernando/Europa Press via Getty Images

list

10 Women Artists Leading A Latin Pop Revolution: Kenia Os, Belinda & More

Latin pop is undergoing a dynamic renaissance, spearheaded by women artists. Both established and emerging talents are injecting new energy into the genre, captivating a fresh audience with their innovative approaches.

GRAMMYs/Mar 5, 2024 - 02:15 pm

While reggaeton and música Mexicana currently dominate the Latin music scene, Latin pop is experiencing a vibrant revival — with female artists leading the charge. Both legacy and newer acts are putting a fresh spin on the genre, and their work is resonating with a new generation of fans.

Latin pop was one of the first Spanish-language genres to go global in the 1980s, thanks to the success of artists like Gloria Estefan and Luis Miguel. Into the next decade, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Thalia, and Paulina Rubio continued to put a proudly Latin American and Spanish twist on popular musical trends in the U.S. at the time. 

After the Latin pop explosion of the 2000s with Shakira’s global crossover, Christina Aguilera embracing her Ecuadorian roots, and the breakthroughs of co-ed group RBD and Belinda, the genre waned in popularity in the decades that followed as reggaeton and Latin trap became the leading Spanish-language sounds.

As nostalgia for Latin pop reaches a fever pitch, it has experienced a resurgence. Shakira made Latin pop a main event again last year when she explored electronica with trap beats in the kiss-off anthem "BZRP Music Sessions #53." Beloved 2000s co-ed group sold out arenas across the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia with its comeback tour. Female-fronted trio Belanova is coming back from a hiatus with the Vida En Rosa Tour after its electro-pop classics went viral on TikTok. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, here are 10 female artists to watch out for in Latin America and Spain who are leading a new Latin pop revolution.

Belinda

The most veteran artist on this list is Spanish-Mexican star Belinda. After making her mark on Latin America with children's telenovelas and in the U.S. in The Cheetah Girls 2 movie, she reshaped the pop-punk sound of the 2000s with her breakthrough album Utopía. At the 2007 Latin GRAMMY Awards, she was the only teen nominated for Song of the Year, for the angst-driven "Bella Traición."

Following a hiatus to work on other projects, she's primed to reclaim her place in Latin pop after signing with Warner Music last year. Belinda blends Mexican corridos tumbados with a twinkle of Latin pop in the fiery single, "Cactus." Like Shakira, she used her song as a therapeutic way to roast an ex (in this case Christian Nodal). Her recent studio sessions with corridos tumbados pioneer Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma's co-writer Tito Doble P hint at further exploration of her pop spin on música Mexicana she's dubbed "corridos coquette."

Danna Paola

Danna Paola is another veteran making her mark in Latin pop. She first secured her star status in Mexico and Latin America appearing in children's telenovelas and through her teenage music career. After starring in the Netflix series Elite from 2018 through 2020, she gained global notoriety. In 2021, she garnered her first Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album for her sixth studio album, K.O.

After scoring a few reggaeton-infused hits, Paola broke onto the Latin pop scene in 2022, with the euphoric pop song "XT4S1S." She continued to explore genres with a nod to house music in the kiss-off anthem "1Trago" and synth-pop in the introspective "Tenemos Que Hablar." In the music video for the latter, Paola revealed there was a point in her career where her image and sound were controlled by a past management team. Now that she has reclaimed her career, she has co-produced most of her recent tracks. There's a darkness in the haunting "Aún Te Quiero" as Paola lets go of the past. Her progressive Latin pop album is due out later this year. 

Daymé Arocena

Daymé Arocena emerged as a Latin jazz star in 2014 as part of the Cuban-Canadian collective Maqueque. Her work with the jazz troupe garnered her a GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2018 for her work on Jane Bunnett and Maqueque's Oddara collaboration. 

After growing up in Cuba, Arocena moved to Canada and more recently Puerto Rico. There she worked with Eduardo Cabra, most known for his work in progressive urbano group Calle 13, on her new LP, Al-Kemi, which was released on Feb. 23. 

With her latest work, Arocena is proving she's an all-around Latin pop star. She blends the sounds of the Caribbean with stateside influences of jazz, R&B, blues, and disco. Showing there's no limits to the sounds of Latin pop, the reggaeton-fused R&B of "Suave y Pegao" with Puerto Rican artist Rafa Pabön and the funky "American Boy" also highlight how Arocena's soulful voice can't be bound to one genre. 

Kenia Os

Following in the footsteps of Belinda and Danna Paola is Mexican artist Kenia Os. Like many Gen-Z artists, the 24-year-old singer first started out as an influencer on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, where she has amassed millions of followers. Os parlayed her massive social media audiences into a successful music career.

With her debut album Cambios De Luna in 2022, Os mixed elements of Latin trap and reggaeton into pop songs. After going full Latin pop on her follow-up LP K23, she went global. Os explored nineties house music in the alluring "Flores" and synth-pop in the flirty "Malas Decisiones." The latter became one of the biggest Latin pop hits of 2023 after it went viral on TikTok. The visual project for the K23 album later earned Os her first Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Long Form Music Video. 

As she prepares her third album, Os continues to push the genre to new places, dabbling in drum and bass in her latest single "Bobo" featuring Álvaro Díaz. 

Sofia Reyes

Throughout her career, Sofia Reyes has seamlessly weaved together Latin genres with elements of pop. In 2017, the Mexican star was nominated for Best New Artist at the Latin GRAMMY Awards. A year later, Reyes scored her first global hit with the cumbia-infused reggaeton of "1, 2, 3." Reflecting her boundless Latin pop sound, the song featured Jason Derulo and Puerto Rican singer De La Ghetto

Last November, Reyes released Milamores, the most adventurous album of her career yet. She became one of the first mainstream Latin acts to explore hyperpop in the frenetic "tqum" featuring Danna Paola. One of hyperpop's top artists, GRAMMY winner Kim Petras, jumped on the remix with Reyes and Paola. To create a therapeutic pop experience, she incorporated the healing frequencies of sound bowls in a few of the songs. That feel-good energy came through in the tropical "Rosas" and reggae-infused "Gaia" featuring Dēlian. A celestial standout on the album was "Luna" where Reyes sang about wanting to take a trip with her lover to the moon. Reyes' unique vision of Latin pop is out of this world. 

Aitana

Aitana is one of Spain's biggest Latin pop stars who has had success translating the sound of Y2K pop into her own fun and fierce version. The Barcelona-based singer became a household name in her home country after finishing as a runner-up on the reality show singing competition Operación Triunfo in 2017. Though she didn't win, Aitana achieved international recognition. A year later, she leveraged that exposure into her breakthrough hit "Teléfono," which was certified platinum in the U.S. and resulted in a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2019 Latin GRAMMY Awards.

For her third album Alpha, which was released in September 2023, Aitana was fully inspired by music from the nineties and 2000s. The feel-good "Las Babys" recalled the Eurodance of the Vengaboys and she embraced pulsating electro-pop in "Los Ángeles." The dreamy "Formentera" featuring Nicki Nicole sounds like something that could've come from The Cardigans. Aitana also teamed up with Danna Paola for the techno fantasy "AQYNE," reminiscent of the songs from Dance Dance Revolution

Emilia

Emilia is leading the Latin pop scene in Argentina. Thanks to the Y2K aesthetic on her latest album .MP3, the Argentine star is going global. Because of her refreshing spin on Latin pop, she was listed as one of GRAMMY.com's 25 Artists To Watch In 2024.

Emilia first broke through the Argentina music scene with her debut album Tú Crees En Mí? in 2022. That LP was loaded with trap and reggaeton-infused bangers like "Cuatro Viente" and "Intoxicao" featuring Nicki Nicole. 

On her follow-up .MP3, she leaned fully into the Latin pop genre. Living up to the LP's retro name, Emilia embraced music from the nineties and 2000s with tracks like the Kylie Minogue-inspired "GTA.mp3." On "La_Original.mp3." she introduced pulsating house beats, teaming up with fellow Argentine pop star Tini to sing in Spanish about having a "legendary flow" like "Madonna in the nineties." Emilia has since sold-out dates in Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain for her upcoming .MP3 Tour. 

GALE

Before becoming a rising Latin pop star and receiving a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist last year, GALE was co-writing hits for other artists. The Puerto Rican singer helped pen songs for Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera, Anitta, Cardi B, and Shakira. After letting Shakira know that she wanted to become an artist of her own, the Colombian pop icon encouraged GALE to go for it.

For her debut album, Lo Que No Te Dije, which was released in May 2023, GALE seamlessly blended the music of her island with nods to the pop music she grew up with from Britney Spears, Aguilera, and Avril Lavigne

GALE channels the angst of Lavigne into the pop-punk of "Inmadura" and the explosive "Problemas." She pushes back against receiving unsolicited explicit photos from men in the defiant "D Pic." Against the dreamy synth-pop of "Nubes," she sings about the joys of female self-pleasure. Her breakup anthem, "Nuestra Canción," features house music colliding with reggaeton. Recently, GALE paid homage to Shakira by covering her classic "Inevitable." 

Mariangela

Another artist bringing an alternative edge to Latin pop is Mariangela. She was born in Monterrey, Mexico and later grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Mariangela's bicultural upbringing is reflected in her music, which blends Latin American genres with elements of pop and alternative music. As a singer/songwriter, she is inspired by artists like Paramore's Hayley Williams, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lana Del Rey

In 2022, Mariangela pulled inspiration from Depeche Mode’s "Never Let Me Down Again" for her song "Soñarte," which mourned the passing of a friend. The following December, she released her first EP 4+1, in which she explored other genres with her alternative grit. The EP included an entrancing and rock-infused take of the classic "Cama y Mesa" by Roberto Carlos

On Feb. 1, Mariangela dropped her debut album Sensible, which included a few of her past singles with newly-recorded songs. In her kiss-off anthem "Acto Final," she goes pop-punk as she bids an ex farewell from her life for good. Mariangela's electrifying spirit is reviving Latin pop like a shock from a defibrillator. 

Nohemy

Nohemy is reshaping music from Puerto Rico with a pop perspective. The rising Puerto Rican star gained attention in 2020 starring in the Natti Natasha-produced series "Bravas." Post-show, Nohemy continued forward with her music career, working with German producer The CRVV. 

On her debut album NOHAUS, released in March 2023, Nohemy's sound blends the pop that she grew up on, Caribbean rhythms, and European influences from The CRVV. Nohemy wrote the songs and co-produced the LP, collaborating closely with The CRVV to blend house, elements of trap, reggaeton, and pop in the fierce club banger "Loca" and the heart-wrenching "Perdón." 

Nohemy received a co-sign from one of her compatriots, Robi, who was featured on a remix of her dreamy love song "Te Vas." She continues to evolve, releasing singles including the atmospheric "¿Y Ahora Que?" and reggaeton-infused romp "On Top." 

How The Latin GRAMMYS Brought Latin Music Excellence To The 2024 GRAMMYs

Victoria Monét
Victoria Monét

Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

news

2024 GRAMMYs: Victoria Monét Wins The GRAMMY For Best New Artist

Victoria Monét beats Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, and The War And Treaty.

GRAMMYs/Feb 5, 2024 - 04:22 am

Victoria Monét has won Best New Artist at the 66th GRAMMY Awards.

Tearfully accepting the award, the rising R&B star gave an eloquent speech in which she compared herself to a plant growing out of the soil of the music industry. 

“My roots have been growing underneath ground, unseen, for so long, and I feel like today I’m sprouting, finally above ground,” she said.

Monét beat out Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, and The War and Treaty for the award. It was given out by last year’s winner, Samara Joy.

She really puts in the work and she is being rewarded now more than ever for it," producer D'Mile, who has known Monét since the beginning of her career, recently told GRAMMY.com. "She grows more and more confident and sure about what she's aiming for as she continues her journey."

This was not Monét’s first win. Her album Jaguar II won Best Engineered Album and Best R&B Album earlier in the day during the GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony.

Keep checking this space for more updates from Music’s Biggest Night!

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Samara Joy GRAMMY Rewind Hero
Samara Joy at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Amy Sussman

video

GRAMMY Rewind: Samara Joy Has A Full-Circle Moment During Best New Artist Win In 2023

Samara Joy took a moment to praise the artists she watched on television as a little girl during her acceptance speech for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony.

GRAMMYs/Jan 12, 2024 - 05:30 pm

Just last year, Samara Joy joined Esperanza Spalding and Norah Jones as the few jazz musicians to win Best New Artist in the 21st century. As pianist Geoffrey Keezer noted, Joy's win is a reminder that the genre "is still a part of [music], and it's important, and it's where it all came from."

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the moment Joy accepted her golden gramophone at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

"I've been singing my whole life," she said. "Thank you so much for this honor. Thank you to everyone who listened to me or supported me."

"I've been watching y'all on TV for so long," Joy tearfully cooed to the audience. "To be here because of who I am — all of you have inspired me because of who you are. You express yourself, exactly who you are, authentically."

Before exiting the stage, Joy praised her record label, Verve, management, and other members of her team. Joy was a two-time winner that night, also taking home the golden gramophone for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her second studio album, 'Linger Awhile.' She earned her third nomination at the 2024 GRAMMYs, a Best Jazz Performance nod for her self-produced track "Tight."

Watch the video above to see Samara Joy's complete acceptance speech for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind, and tune into this year's show on Sunday, Feb. 4, airing live on the CBS Television Network (8-11:30 p.m. LIVE ET/5-8:30 p.m. LIVE PT) and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

Meet The First-Time Nominee: Lakecia Benjamin On 'Phoenix,' Dogged Persistence & Constant Evolution

Joaquina wins the Latin GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in Seville, Spain
Joaquina wins the Latin GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in Seville, Spain

Photo: Courtesy of The Latin Recording Academy/Borja B. Hojas, Getty Images © 2023

news

2023 Latin GRAMMYs: Joaquina Wins Best New Artist

Joaquina won the Latin GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.

GRAMMYs/Nov 16, 2023 - 11:57 pm

Joaquina won the Latin GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.

Borja, Conexión Divina, Ana Del Castillo, Natascha Falcão, Gale, Paola Guanche, Paola Guanche, Leon Leiden, Maréh, and Timø were the other nominees in the category.

Along with Paola Guanche, Joaquina is an alumnus of Julio Reyes Copello's Art House Academy; she graduated last year.

The Venezuelan singer/songwriter was taken under the wing of Reyes Copello — the Latin GRAMMYs Producer Of The Year winner from 2022.

Joaquina has since flourished with her debut EP, Los Mejores Años. Therein, she explores teen ennui with the melodic, anthemic title track and the emotionally searing "Rabia."

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.