Venezuelan artist Nella has won the Latin GRAMMY for Best New Artist tonight in Las Vegas at the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMYs.

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The young pop singer released her debut album, Voy, earlier this year to positive reviews. It was produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer, composer, and guitarist Javier Limón.

Nella came out on top of a strong and diverse group of nominees for Best New Artist, which included Aitana, Burning Caravan, Cami, Fer Casillas, Chipi Chacón, Elsa y Elmar, Greeicy, Juan Ingaramo and Paulo Londra.

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Los Angeles' legendary Conga Room is closing its doors, but will not go quietly into the night.

The 25-year-old venue has been home to countless Latin music performances and celebrations — including the 2001 Latin GRAMMYs — and will host its final event on March 27. The official, invitation-only closing celebration will feature a performance by Puerto Rican salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa and the Conga Kids, as well appearances from Jimmy Smits and Paul Rodriguez, both of whom were investors in the space. 

First opened in 1999 on Wilshire Boulevard by real estate entrepreneur and Latin music lover Brad Gluckstein, the Conga Room drew investors like Jennifer Lopez and Sheila E — all of whom were committed to the venue’s vision of being an upscale nightclub devoted to live Latin music and dancing. In both its Miracle Mile location and its later space at L.A. Live, the club attracted an absolutely staggering lineup of talent, including Celia Cruz, Buena Vista Social Club, Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Alejandro Fernández, Fito Paez, Jerry Rivera, Bad Bunny, and Maluma. The venue also hosted performances from non-Latinx artists like Prince, Ed Sheeran, Lenny Kravitz, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and Avicii.

"I saw Prince perform in venues the world over, but his very first performance at the Conga Room was magical," says talk show host Tavis Smiley. "Of all the times I witnessed my friend on stage, from Madison Square Garden to Montreux, the Conga Room remains my favorite Prince performance."

Gluckstein says that the Conga Room was able to draw such great talent not just because it was one of the only major venues that leaned into Latin music in the United States, but because there was a mutual respect between the artists and the venue. 

"We couldn’t compete financially with [Goldenvoice or AEG], but we were able to bring an incredible amount of talent to the venue," he tells GRAMMY.com. "I was talking to Jerry Rivera’s agent the other day and I said, ‘Jerry just played in front of 10,000 people in Venezuela. Help me understand why playing in front of 1,000 people at the Conga room was so important.’ He went on for 10 minutes about what the room meant to these artists and the way we respected them, the sound system, and the way they were treated. The fan engagement, too, plus the fact that there was never really a comparable room anywhere else, even in New York."

"We provided a stage and a voice for acts that didn’t have a way of getting to their audience here in L.A., because no radio stations were playing their kind of music," says Marcella Cuonzo, the venue’s publicist. "For reggaeton, for example, the Conga Room was a pioneer in the movement around 2010. Radio wasn’t playing that music, but the Conga Room took a gamble on the sound because they saw its vision." 

The Conga Room was also the first venue in Los Angeles to host a wide-range of Cuban musical talent starting in the mid- to late ‘90s. "We had probably 50 shows," says Gluckstein. "We got everything from Bebo Valdés to [Diego] El Cigala to Pablo Milanés, who played his first show ever in the U.S. at our venue. He’s the Bob Dylan of Cuba. We brought Los Van Van, who’s probably the most famous salsa or timba group in the history of Cuba. They couldn’t play in Miami, because Miami wouldn’t allow Cuban music, so the GRAMMYs gave them their trophy [for Best Salsa Performance] at the Conga Room."  

The Latin GRAMMY Awards moved from L.A. from Miami in 2001, and the ceremony was set to take place at the Shrine Auditorium on Sept. 11. That telecast was understandably canceled following the tragic events of that day in New York, and rather than rescheduling the whole event, winners were announced at a press conference on Oct. 30 at the Conga Room. Alejandro Sanz came away with four awards, including Album Of The Year, and Juanes took home three Latin GRAMMYs, including Best New Artist.

"I remember Celia Cruz giving a beautiful speech that night in Spanish, thanking the firefighters and policemen and saying ‘this is for you, but also a little bit for us," says Gluckstein. "In later years, once we were at L.A. Live, we hosted the Latin GRAMMY nominations several times. I have footage of Andy Garcia doing them on-stage with Jimmy Smits." 

The Conga Room is closing now because, Gluckstein says, it just seems like the right time. "The pandemic, of course, played a role," he explains. "And I think the enormity of AEG and Live Nation, with how fierce the competition is, all of that has made buying talent much more expensive and has made talent more selective in terms of what's the best economic opportunity for them." 

There’s also the rising success of Conga Kids, the venue’s non-profit arm, to consider. A county-wide organization with about 100 employees, Conga Kids reaches roughly 50,000 elementary-aged kids in largely under-resourced communities every year, using dance and music from the Afro-Diaspora like salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, Charleston, and hip-hop to promote social and emotional well-being, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusivity. 

Though fans and artists will undoubtedly miss the space, energy, and community the Conga Room provided, Gluckstein says the venue’s closure doesn’t have to be sad. Instead, he says, it can be celebratory. 

"We accomplished so much," he says. "Now, the venue will just have to live on in the hearts and minds of people, instead of as a brick and mortar space." 

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The 2023 Latin GRAMMYs may have occurred months ago and thousands of miles away, but the leading lights in Latin music also shined at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. From historic wins and meaningful nominations, to electric performances and interesting installations, Latin music excellence was everywhere. 

In anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMYs in 2024, the exclusive GRAMMY House — the site of multiple GRAMMY Week events — included a significant installation dedicated to the Biggest Night In Latin Music.

The cylindrical display showcased some of the biggest moments in Latin GRAMMY history, including images, facts, and even a real Latin GRAMMY award. 

The celebration of Latin music continued throughout GRAMMY Week, with several Latin GRAMMY-winning artists also winning on the GRAMMY stage. Among the major moments at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Karol G won her first golden gramophone for her 2023 LP Mañana Será Bonito. "This is my first time at GRAMMYs, and this is my first time holding my own GRAMMY," the Colombian songstress exclaimed during her acceptance speech. 

Música Mexicana star Peso Pluma also took home his first GRAMMY; his album GÉNESIS won in the Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano) Category.

Premiere Ceremony presenter Natalia Lafourcade — whose Todas Las Flores won big at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs — also took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. She tied in the Category with Juanes. 

Premiere Ceremony performer Gabby Moreno also took home a GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Pop Album for her album X Mí (Vol. 1). 

Beyond the stage, Latin artists graced the red carpet and the nominations list. For example, producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera was the only Latino nominated in the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical Category.

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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!

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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).

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