On Thursday, the 25th Latin GRAMMY Award airs live on November 14 on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT, preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
This year’s list of nominees is filled with names from across the LGBTQ Latine community.
Anitta, Kali Uchis, Kany García, Maria Becerra, Young Miko, Mon Laferte, Rubio as well as allies Karol G, Nathy Peluso, Residente and Emilia are some of the artists bringing visibility to the LGBTQ community at the awards.
Queer Latine women are shining bright ahead of the Latin GRAMMYs, a trend also reflected in the wider recording academy nominations.
Colombian-American singer and songwriter Kali Uchis, who is openly bisexual, is nominated in four top categories – Record Of The Year (for “Igual Que Un Ángel”), Best Pop Vocal Album (“Orquídeas”), and Best Pop Song (“Igual Que Un Ángel”), Best Reggaeton Performance (“Labios Mordidos”).
Mon Laferte, the Chilean and Mexican musician, singer, composer and painter received nominations in three major categories this year – Record Of The Year (for “Tenochtitlán), Album of the Year (“Autopoiética”), and Best Alternative Music Album (“Autopoiética”). Laferte avoids labeling her sexuality, but affirms in an interview, “I can love and desire anyone.”
Anitta, the Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress received nominations in the Record Of The Year (for “Mil Veces”) and Best Portuguese Language Urban Performance (“Joga Pra Lua”) categories. Anitta came out as bisexual during her 2018 Netflix docuseries Go Anitta, and is outspoken against bi-erasure.
Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter Young Miko is nominated for Best Urban Fusion/Performance (“Young Miko: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 58”).
A trailblazer in the historically exclusive urbano genres of reggaetón and trap, Young Miko boasts “about her love for women in risqué bangers” (Elle) with unapologetic authenticity.
Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany Garcia is nominated in four categories – Album Of The Year (for “García”), Song Of The Year (“Te Lo Agradezco”), Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (“García”), and Best Singer-Songwriter Song (“García”). After coming out in 2016, García continues to be a voice for “all the victims of hate in the LGBTQ+ community” (Billboard).
Maria Becerra, the Argentine singer and songwriter, is nominated in the category of Best Urban Fusion/Performance (for “Corazon Vacio”). Becerra is openly bisexual and in an interview said “I also represent the LGBTQ community because I’m bisexual” and “I’m not only going to make songs about men because I don’t only like men.”
Rubio, the solo electronic project of Chilean drummer and singer Fran Straube, is nominated for Best Long Form Music Video (“Nacimos Llorando”). Straube’s queerness is not a defining feature of her music, just a fact, and her sound is described in Rolling Stone as “deep, moody songs that melted together hints of dembow, electronica, and chill-wave sounds.”