Edgar Barrera leads the 2026 Latin Grammy nominations with 10 nods, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday (Sept. 16). The Mexican songwriter and producer is up for record of the year, album of the year and song of the year, plus songwriter and producer of the year, in recognition of his work on projects by Karol G and Carín León.
Barrera’s 10 new nominations bring his career total to 72, of which he has won 29 so far. Three of his current nominations are in the best regional song category.
Barrera’s Record Year
Barrera’s 10 nominations span the general categories, including record of the year, album of the year and song of the year. He is also competing for songwriter and producer of the year, which he has previously won.
The recognition he has received is largely tied to his collaborations with Karol G and Carín León. The three nominations in the best regional song category correspond to his production work on those projects. Those collaborations have produced some of the most talked-about records of the year, and Barrera’s continued involvement in both projects keeps him deeply embedded in the Latin music conversation.
The Field Around Him
A number of artists sit close behind Barrera, putting on their own strong shows, and each of them has earned seven nominations. Among them are CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Jorge Drexler, Karol G and Rosalía.
Six nominations each went to Silvana Estrada and Mon Laferte, and all of them are competing for album of the year. The field includes Anitta, Carín León, Milo J and Rawayana.
Familiar faces fill the top categories because most of the seven-nominated group also compete for song and record of the year. That overlap means the competition for the night’s biggest prizes is unusually dense, with several artists running the table across all three categories.
Milo J and Omara Portuondo
Milo J, the 19-year-old Argentine singer and rapper, surprised with five nominations. He is up in the three main categories, including a folk album.
The legendary Cuban singer Omara Portuondo has received a fresh nomination at the age of 95, for her work in the category of best traditional tropical album.
The Latin Recording Academy’s chief executive, Manuel Abud, hailed the breadth of the nominations. He singled out Karol G’s presence in a Mexican music category, Niña Pastori’ for her tropical music category nod, alongside Nathy Peluso’s bid in a salsa category.
“I love seeing this flexibility and incredible mobility of our artists,” Abud told Billboard Español. “We have an urban singer like Karol G in a Mexican music category, a flamenco star like Niña Pastori in a tropical music category, and a young Argentine urban artist like Nathy Peluso in a salsa category.”
Album of the Year Diversity
The field for album of the year spans many genres and countries, and Rosalía’s LUX is among them, with its sound crossing pop, alternative and Portuguese language categories.
Abud pointed to the global reach of the category, with its mix of nationalities, and also drew attention to the even split between men and women among the nominees, along with the seven countries they came from.
“The album of the year category, if you analyze it, is a wonderful list,” he said. “There’s such a great diversity — not just in genre. Interestingly, it’s half men, half women. But look at how amazing it is: We have Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay — seven countries represented. And that diversity also permeates the song and record categories.”
Other Multiple Nominees
A number of musicians received more than one nod. Four came to Arath Herce, and three arrived for BRUSES, Feid, Héctor Mazzarri, Jennifer Mosello and Eden Muñoz.
Several artists received two nominations at the ceremony, among them Rauw Alejandro, Anitta, Bad Gyal, Beéle, Bizarrap, Ryan Castro, Daddy Yankee, Kany García, Joaquina, Juanes and Carín León.
Delilah, Fabian, Loulu Gilberto, Arath Herce, Macario Martínez, Maye, Sofia Monroy, Kendall Peña, Dora Sanches, Aria Vega and Zeca Veloso are the artists competing in the best new artist category.
The Broadcast Details
On Thursday, Nov. 12, the Latin Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET/PT across TelevisaUnivision platforms, marking their 27 edition.
Most of the winners will be announced at a non-televised ceremony called the Latin Grammy Premiere, which takes place before the broadcast.
Recordings had to be released during a specific time period to qualify. That period ran from June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026.
The Record of the Year Field
This year’s crop of record of the year contenders runs deep, with the complete roster including:
- “Ha Ha,” CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso
- “¿Cómo Se Ama?,” Jorge Drexler
- “Dime,” Silvana Estrada
- “O Amor Nos Encontrou,” Loulu Gilberto
- “Coleccionando Heridas,” KAROL G, Marco Antonio Solís
- “Femme Fatale,” Mon Laferte
- “Desde Que Te Tengo,” Carín León
- “Niño,” Milo J
- “La Perla,” Rosalía Featuring Yahritza y Su Esencia
- “Alma,” Elena Rose
Each entry lists its producers, engineers and mastering details.
The Album of the Year Field
The songs nominated for best album of the year span many different sounds. Here is the complete set of titles:
| Artist | Producer |
|---|---|
| EQUILIBRIVM, Anitta | Jean Rodriguez |
| FREE SPIRITS, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso | Rafa Arcaute & Federico Vindver |
The category represents the year’s most ambitious full-length releases.
What This Means
The fact that Barrera holds the lead position points to his continuing significance within the Latin music field. His 10 nominations show strength across the general categories, and the fact that three of those nominations come in the best regional song category reflects the specific nature of his production work on Karol G and Carín León’s projects.
The field is varied and wide-ranging. That seven-country spread in the album of the year category demonstrates just how far the conversation around the Latin Grammys has reached across borders.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.