The winner of the Best New Artist category at the Latin Grammys this year is almost impossible to predict. The 10 nominees reflect a broad group of performances that are eclectic, bringing a new lease of life to the Latin music scene.
From Mexican trio Latin Mafia, girl group Darumas, Spanish phenomenon Íñigo Quintero and Colombian singer-songwriter Ela Taubert, to name a few of the nominees, the Best New Artist award is given to an artist who releases a first recording that establishes his audience. identity during the year of eligibility and “has not reached a significant level of regional recognition,” according to an official description from the Latin Recording Academy.
In other categories, the 2024 Latin Grammy nominations are led for the second year in a row by Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera, who scored nine nods this year, including songwriter of the year and producer of the year. Followed by superstars Karol G and Bad Bunny, who received eight mentions each.
On its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammy Awards incorporated a new electronic music category and two new categories: Best Latin Electronic Music Performance and Best Contemporary Mexican Music album. For the full list of nominations, click here.
The three-hour telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision and broadcast live on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX from the Kaseya Center in Miami, starting at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a 1-hour pre-show beginning at 7 p.m.
Below, meet this year's best new artists (in no particular order):
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Agris
Four years after releasing her debut EP in 2020, Agris released her full-length album in May titled album/1SgggMzOYWuLdThadwVPPl” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Cumpleaños y Funeralesor birthdays and funerals in English. In it, she showcases a sound rooted in pop and Mexican folk, which serve as a canvas for her deep vocals and emotional yet mature lyrics about love and loss. Hailing from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Agris previously played in local alt bands such as Galgo and Cobra Kai.
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Cacá Magalhães
One of Brazil's newest stars, Cacá Magalhães' deep and powerful vocals soar over neo-pop elements. After her performance of Nina Simone's “Feeling Good” on NBC Little Big Shots in 2020, Magalhães released her debut album album/1B69BwQ41WdWl3d0etscfA” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Only Sinto in 2023, an 11-track set that made her watch.
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Darumas
Image source: Lucía Olmos
The all-female US-based trio – made up of Aldana Aguirre, Ceci León and Vedala Vilmond – have been turning heads, thanks to their mix of old-school funk, R&B, Motown and gritty lyrics. The band's name comes from the traditional Japanese daruma doll, and the three are from different countries: Argentina, Cuba and Haiti. The band debuted not too long ago when they dropped “Daruma” in April, which was subsequently included on their EP Darumas — released in May.
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Come on Taubert
Image credit: Jaydee Lee/Getty Images
Like last year's Best New Artist winner Joaquina, Ela Taubert is also a graduate of producer Julio Reyes Copello's Art House Academy. The Colombian singer-songwriter has a knack for writing extremely relatable songs about love and heartbreak. She released her debut EP last year and her single “Como Passo?” reached No. 12 on Bulletin boardLatin Pop Airplay Chart.
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Iñigo Quintero
Image source: Celine Centurion
Spanish singer Íñigo Quitero went viral on social media last year thanks to his debut single 2022 “Si No Estás,” which finally put him on everyone's radar. Last November, the soft piano ballad topped the Billboard Global Excl. US Songs Map. To capitalize on the momentum, Quintero released his debut EP Es Sólo Música in April.
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Kevin Aguilar
The group's youngest contender, at just 13 years old, Kevin Aguilar has already carved a path in the industry after winning La Voz Kids in 2022. The Mexico City native sings everything from mariachi to corridos, bringing a youthful spirit to the genres. Over the summer, the teenager released his debut EP, album/07Pw5W4cOW1VEzkyfsEzyR” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Nací Para Cantarthrough Universal Music Group México.
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Latin Mafia
Image credit: @directony
At Billboard's Latin Music Week 2024, Rimas Entertainment executive Junior Carabaño called Latin Mafia the “future of Latin music.” It's worth noting that Latin Mafia is signed to Rimas — but the expression wasn't an exaggeration. Perhaps one of the most exciting young artists in Latin music today, the trio from Mexico (consisting of brothers Mike, Emilio and Milton De La Rosa) fuse pop with indie rock, R&B and grunge for an approach that defines the species. Latin Mafia recently released their debut LP, titled album/0DMDbZtZT028siJ0GEdLrQ” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Todos Los Días Todos El Díawhich peaked at No. 11 on Bulletin boardLatin Pop Albums Chart, dated November 9.
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Nicole Horbath
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Nicolle Horbath is based in Miami and hails from Barranquilla, Colombia. The pop artist — who released her debut EP in May album/4g6XzbUBBovlPFlHDp1IOn” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>De Magia Imperfecta — stands out from the pack for her light and milky vocals, which take center stage as she sings mostly about love. The nomination comes six years after Horbath received the Carlos Vives Miracle Scholarship, awarded by the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
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Os Garotin
If you haven't heard Os Garotin's music, you must. Hailing from São Gonçalo in Rio de Janeiro, the trio is among the new leaders of the R&B scene in Brazil as it blends the genre with soul and rap. With an effortlessly cool vibe, the ensemble consisting of Anchietx, Cupertino and Leo Guima delivered their debut EP Os Garotin Session in 2023 and this year, they followed up with their self-titled debut album/07C0GZEXLAELHVNkBNeVXZ” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Os Garotin De São Gonçalo.
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Sophie Saar
Just two years ago, Sofi Saar from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico made her big debut. Now, she is a Latin Grammy-nominated artist who represents a new generation of local Mexican music. Known for her norteño music with a twist or 'popteño' sound, in March she released her first LP titled album/3VsZuGjic5VTjiNrXfbAlp” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Terca.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/latin-grammys-2024-best-new-artist-nominees/
