GRAMMY CHEW: LATIN

This Grammy season the Recording Academy will be forced to determine which Latin stars belong in categories alongside English-speaking talent. The Latin Grammys have honored Spanish-language musicians for 23 years. But 2022 has proven that these global acts are also massive in the U.S., boasting competitive streaming numbers, as well as success in the live industry, filling arenas and stadiums. How much will the Academy allow the Latin Grammys and original-flavor Grammys to intersect?

What should be a no-brainer, Rimas’ Bad Bunny and his chart-dominating Un Verano Sin Ti, appear destined for a haul of nods, including Album, Record and Song of the Year. Could genre committees and smoke-filled-room players posit that Latin artists have their own platform with their own awards? How far will their acceptance of Bad Bunny—who performed on the show in 2021—stretch? They went out of their way to make sure his win that year for Best Latin Pop/Urban Album was televised, in what was perhaps a first step to championing the Puerto Rican superstar.

The last time Grammy had the opportunity to acknowledge Latin crossover was in 2018 with “Despacito,” which garnered noms for Song and Record of the Year, with a nod in Pop. Heading into the show, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s original version had earned Latin Grammys for ROTY and SOTY. Even with the addition of Justin Bieber, on a remix that shattered every record imaginable at the time, the Academy fumbled at the goal line and the all-star trio went home empty-handed.

If the Academy welcomes Bunny to AOTY, could ROSALĺA also make the cut? Her genre-busting MOTOMAMI (Columbia), the follow-up to Latin Grammy Album of the Year El Mal Querer, confirmed that the Catalan songwriter-producer-vocalist is in a league of her own; it's 2022’s best-reviewed album on Metacritic. From TikTok to a sold-out tour, ROSALĺA’s pop-cultural relevance ascended to new heights in the U.S. She's up for nine Latin Grammy awards, including Album, Song and Record of the Year.

At the cusp of pop, global headliners Anitta (Warner) and Karol G (Universal Latino) scored crossover hits with “Envolver” and “Provenza,” respectively. They’re both up for Latin Grammys for Record of the Year, with the latter also securing a nod for Song of the Year. “Envolver” topped Spotify’s global chart in March, making Anitta the first solo Latin artist to do so, while Karol G is attached to the two most-streamed U.S. tracks this year that aren’t by Bad Bunny—“Provenza” and “MAMIII,” her collab with Becky G—and filled arenas across the U.S. with her Strip Love Tour. Both acts performed on the main stage at Coachella in 2022. Anitta, who earned major noms at the VMAs, EMAs and AMAs this year, is eligible for Best New Artist.

Another breakthrough, Lumbre/Columbia’s Yahritza y Su Esencia, could likewise get some love for Best New Artist. Their viral debut, “Soy el Unico,” reached the Top 3 on Apple Music all-genre as fans—and the biz—were mesmerized by 15-year-old Yahritza Martinez’s powerful vocals.

The Academy has trumpeted its attempts to diversify for the last few years—let’s see if that rings true in its upcoming nominations.

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