With the eligibility period for the 2026 Grammy Awards coming to a close on Aug. 30, Remezcla is looking at Latine artists who should be considered for Best New Artist. It’s been over a decade since a Latine person has won that particular award, so here are a few prospects that could compete in the category next.
Best New Artist is one of the most coveted awards of the night because a person can only win it once in their career. In the 67 years of the Grammy Awards, only a handful of Latine people have won in the category, including José Feliciano, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera. The last person of Latine descent to win in the category was Esperanza Spalding in 2011, so a new Latine winner is long overdue.
In recent years, the Recording Academy has made the Best New Artist category more inclusive to all types of artists and genres. There’s been at least one Latine person in the mix at previous ceremonies, including Khruangbin’s Laura Lee Ochoa, Ice Spice, Anitta, and Omar Apollo. The last artist nominated who sings exclusively in Spanish was Rosalía at the 2020 awards. Though the Latin Grammy Awards exist, groundbreaking acts that are singing in Spanish should still be in contention for Best New Artist at the Grammys, especially now that Latine music is global.
Last year, the Best New Artist category was cut down from 10 to eight nominees. To be eligible, an artist or band must have never been nominated for a Grammy before, and there’s no limit to the number of albums they previously put out. That’s how Sabrina Carpenter was nominated this year for her sixth album Short N’ Sweet, which pushed her into the mainstream.
Without further ado, here are eight Latine acts that we’d love to see content for Best New Artist next.
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso
A playful performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert catapulted CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso into the mainstream. The longtime friends and colleagues joined their freaky and funky forces for 2024’s Baño María album. Though the LP was slept on at the recent Latin Grammys and Grammy ceremonies, the Argentine duo reimagined many of the songs for the viral Tiny Desk, which has over 41 million views on YouTube. Since then, CA7RIEL and Paco have spent the past year performing at every major musical festival around the world. They’ll also open for Kendrick Lamar’s shows in Latin America. The duo could qualify for Best New Artist for their PAPOTA EP, which includes the Tiny Desk performance.
Gigi Perez
One of the biggest songs of the year belongs to Gigi Perez. The Cuban-American singer has remained within the upper echelon of Spotify’s Top 50 Global chart with “Sailor Song.” Perez, who is openly lesbian, sings about falling in love with a woman who looks like actress Anne Hathaway. In addition to bringing queer and Latine representation to pop, her success is also a story of resilience. Perez originally released the hit song as an independent artist after being dropped by a record label. Following being the opening act for Coldplay and Noah Cyrus, Perez released her debut album At the Beach, In Every Life in April.
Latin Mafia
Without releasing an album at the time, Latin Mafia was impressively nominated for Best New Artist at last year’s Latin Grammy Awards. The Mexican trio’s debut LP Todos Los Días Todo El Día dropped last October, and it could lead them to Best New Artist at the Grammys next. Brothers Milton, Emilio, and Mike de la Rosa channeled their anxieties and emotions into the cathartic album, which includes the genre-smashing “Siento Que Merezco Más.” Since then, Latin Mafia sold out a tour across the U.S. and Mexico this year while racking up co-signs from Tyler, the Creator, Rauw Alejandro, Fred Again, Peso Pluma, Rosalía, and their recent collaborator Omar Apollo.
RaiNao
For the past few years, RaiNao has generated buzz as one of the most exciting and innovative artists from Puerto Rico. And now, the San Juan native is finally getting the recognition she deserves. RaiNao got a big boost in her career after featuring on “Perfumito Nuevo” from Bad Bunny’s blockbuster album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. She has also performed the song with him on Saturday Night Live and is a frequent special guest at his “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” residency. RaiNao is not only breaking down barriers for women in el movimiento, but also the LGBTQ+ community as an openly queer artist. The deluxe edition of her debut album Capicú could put her into consideration for Best New Artist.
KATSEYE
KATSEYE is bringing global girl groups back on top of the charts. In a collaboration between Hybe Corporation and Geffen Records, they were formed on the reality TV competition Dream Academy back in November 2023. Though KATESYE’s formation is based on K-pop groups, the band uniquely includes members from around the world. Daniela, who is of Cuban and Venezuelan descent, is bringing Latine representation to KATESYE. After going viral this year with the global smash “Gnarly,” the group continued to capitalize on that success with their second EP Beautiful Chaos. That EP and recent hits like “Gabriela” and “Gameboy” could make them eligible for Best New Artist next year.
Humbe
Though Humbe is now an independent artist, he is continuing to push Latine pop to new places. Last November, the Mexican singer-songwriter revealed that he cut ties with Sony to release his fourth album ARMAGEDÓN. With songs like the sexy and soulful “KINTSUGI,” Humbe proved that his success isn’t tied to a label. “When you start to have more confidence in yourself than what people on the outside are telling you, that’s when you enjoy making music the most,” he told Remezcla. Since then, Humbe’s star has only gotten brighter. This past year, he hung out with Miley Cyrus and Yalitza Aparicio at a Met Gala afterparty and collaborated with Sebastián Yatra on “Templo de Piceas.”
Juan Duque
With his success, Juan Duque is shining a light on an overlooked part of Colombia. While most of the hit-makers in his country come from Medellín, the rising Latine pop star proudly hails from the neighboring municipality of Marinilla. Duque scored his first global smash this year with the Afrobeats-infused “Solcito” with fellow Colombian singer Miguel Bueno. “For people to hear about [Marinilla] or get familiar with it because of me, I feel a great sense of honor that’s very beautiful,” he told Remezcla. Since releasing his debut album Mis Traumas, Mis Chistes last November, Duque has received co-signs from J Balvin, Ryan Castro, Nanpa Básico, and TIMØ.
Isabella Lovestory
Much like Kali Uchis and Omar Apollo, Isabella Lovestory has embraced her multicultural identity in her music. The boundary-pushing artist from Honduras also grew up in the U.S. and Canada. Lovestory is known for bringing a fierce femme edge to genres like reggaeton and neo-perreo. In 2022, she released her debut album Amor Hardcore, which included collaborations with Ms Nina, Six Sex, and Chucky73. “I’m always unconsciously trying to make things that sound original and fresh,” Lovestory previously told Remezcla. “I just make something that to me sounds fun and good.” She is proving that she is in a league of her own with her freakiest album yet Vanity, which came out in June.
