The 2023 Latin Grammys season is near. And like every year, the prestigious award ceremony aims to recognize emerging heavy hitters and established acts that have demonstrated their talent in music. This year, the Latin Grammys have bid farewell to Sin City and gone overseas instead. The ceremony is set to take place for the first time at the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES) in Seville, Spain, on Nov. 16. The award ceremony will air live on Univision at 8 p.m. ET.
Who’s bound to be this year’s sweeping winner? On Sept. 19, the Latin Recording Academy announced this year’s nominations. And based on the nomination list alone, Edgar Barrera could be this year’s most-awarded winner. The Mexican-American singer-songwriter topped the list with a whopping 13 nominations across his producer and co-writer credits after working with everyone from Maluma to Grupo Frontera. Runner-ups include A-listers like Karol G, Shakira, and Camilo, with seven nods each.
While we don’t know who will win big this year, we already know who’s having an incredible 2023 based on previous award ceremonies and chart-topping action. Two songs that dominated the airwaves, garnered multiple accolades, and made chart history throughout the year include Shakira and Bizarrap’s “Music Sessions Vol. 53” and Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola.” Consequently, “Music Sessions Vol. 53” is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Song. As for “Ella Baila Sola,” it has been nominated twice for Song of the Year and Best Regional Mexican Song – which, if won, would earn the Mexican-American group’s vocalist Pedro Tovar recognition for his songwriting skills.
But there’s more behind each well-deserved nomination. From Eslabon Armado to iLe, here are seven standout nominations that excited us more for the 2023 Latin Grammys.
Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola”
Categories: Song Of The Year & Best Regional Song
Who would’ve thought a regional Mexican song could cross over to mainstream audiences? Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma did just that, with “Ella Baila Sola” becoming an undeniable hit in 2023. With Peso Pluma’s distinctive way of saying “bella” to Pedro Tovar’s soothing and melodic tone, the viral romantic sierreño track became one of the most played earworms since its release in March. Not only did the hit lead the collaborators to mainstream national television shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America, but the artists also made history by being the first música mexicana artists to perform in both shows while at it. Other accolades include being the first Mexican music song to enter the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. With this in mind, they deserve to win both Song Of The Year and Best Regional Song for all the continuous success in 2023.
Conexión Divina
Category: Best New Artist
The all-women sierreño trio made big waves this year. The current members are Liz Trujillo, Sandra Calixto, and Daniela “Dani” Santiago (Ashlee Valenzuela left the group amicably in September). Conexión Divina pushed the boundaries of sierreño by being the first all-women ensemble and representing the LGBTQ+ community in the regional Mexican movement. Leading up to their first-ever Latin Grammy nomination as Best New Artist, the band was one of the few sierreño acts at Coachella and released their debut album, Tres Mundos, this year. But that’s not all. Recently, they also hopped on Becky G’s first headlining tour. How’s that for their first year in the music industry?
Nicki Nicole, Milo J - “Dispara ***”
Category: Best Rap/Hip Hop Song
“Así que dis-dispara, apúntame, dispara,” is so catchy. Something about the track stays in your head after listening to it. While Nicki Nicole is currently one of Argentina’s most recognized trap artists, this song is also special due to the featuring artist, who has created buzz this fall. Milo J, featured as Bizarrap’s most recent Music Session collaborator, could be one of the most exciting Argentinean artists to watch out for. Could this potential win help further put him on the map and set him up for a fruitful 2024?
Silvana Estrada - “Si Me Matan”
Category: Best Singer-Songwriter Song
Silvana Estrada won Best New Artist last year, tying with Angela Álvarez. When we caught up with the Mexican singer-songwriter during the 2022 Latin Grammys in Las Vegas, NV, she couldn’t believe she was nominated. “It’s unbelievable, really. It’s really crazy because I didn’t expect it at all,” she told Remezcla then. “Not because I didn’t want it. I always wanted to be nominated, but I never saw it as part of my reality. I never made music or records thinking I’m going to do this to be [nominated for a Latin Grammy].” With a nomination for “Si Me Matan” this year, Estrada could win her second gramophone. Why it’s a standout nomination? The acoustic guitar-driven song showcases Estrada’s raw, passionate croons that distinguish her as one of Mexico’s most emotional and captivating singer-songwriters, and we can’t get enough of it.
Julieta Venegas, Alex Anwandter - “Caminar Sola”
Category: Best Pop/Rock Song
Julieta Venegas’ musical partnership with Alex Anwandter turned out as fulfilling and exciting as we thought. “Caminar Sola,” nominated for Best Pop/Rock Song, deserves all the flowers due to Venegas’ important message about the dangers women face walking alone paired with a sharp piano melody and a pulsing beat to back up the lyrics. Tapping in the Chilean singer-songwriter as the album’s producer helped solidify her album. “My best decision was to trust – he’s the one with the artistic baton. A lot of the different turns that the album took at one point were very important doing them with him because I really trust him, and I really like his taste artistically,” she previously told Remezcla. “Caminar Sola” is part of her latest album, Tu Historia, which is also up for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Carin León - "Colmillo De Leche"
Category: Best Norteño Album
Another artist having a moment is Carin León. The Mexican singer-songwriter is not only thriving in his música mexicana space, but he’s also expanding his sounds to other audiences. Did you know he’s performing at next year’s Stagecoach Festival? But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. León’s Colmillo De Leche is a standout Latin Grammy nomination because he didn’t stick into one música mexicana genre. Following his F*ck Regional movement, he branched out and showed how the umbrella term “regional Mexican music” isn’t enough to represent all the genres within it. In his new album, he explored sounds like flamenco, country, American folklore, blues, and soul, all dipped in his signature música mexicana flavor, which makes the album a great contestant for Best Norteño Album.
iLe - "Nacarile"
Category: Best Alternative Music Album
The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter iLe wrote her soul out without filters in Nacarile. Throughout the 11-track album, she incorporated strong feminist and political messages. She tapped in heavyweights like Ivy Queen on the hard-hitting “ALGO BONITO” and Mon Laferte on the bolero-influenced “traguito,” bringing in more badass women that follow her vein of all-around women empowerment. As far as political messages go, one of the songs she includes in her album is “donde nadie más Respira,” a song about “confronting abuses of power to make a meaningful change,” per iLe. Overall, her nomination for Best Alternative Music Album stands out because she doesn’t shy from pouring out her personal and political feelings to the masses – and isn’t that what being an artist is all about?