The short version: Latin Grammys 2026 nominations are announced Wednesday, September 16, one day into Hispanic Heritage Month, and the ceremony is Thursday, November 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The eligibility window closed May 31, so this is the Rosalía, Carín León, Rawayana and CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso year, not another Bad Bunny sweep. Below: five predictions, three possible snubs, and the categories the mainstream coverage will skip.
Latin Grammys 2026 season starts the same week as Hispanic Heritage Month, and for once the timing is right. The Latin Recording Academy announces nominations on Wednesday, September 16, and the 27th ceremony happens Thursday, November 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Last year was Bad Bunny’s. He led the field with 12 nominations. But this year’s eligibility window ran June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026, which means the conversation moves on. Here’s where we think it goes.
First, how the Latin Grammys 2026 actually work
Three things worth knowing before you argue with your primo:
- The window matters more than the release hype. Anything released between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026 is eligible. A record that dropped in June 2026 waits until next year.
- The Big Four are Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Record goes to the recording (artist, producers, engineers). Song goes to the songwriters.
- Voting members choose, not streams. That’s why the Latin Grammys reward musicianship, arrangements and “serious” albums more than the Billboard charts do. It’s also why the Academy gets accused of being out of touch with reggaeton and música mexicana every single year.
Prediction 1: Rosalía’s LUX is the Album of the Year favorite
Rosalía already won Album of the Year for Motomami. LUX, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and sung across several languages, is exactly the kind of ambitious, orchestral, “this is art” record that Academy voters love. It hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on multiple Latin charts. Expect it in Album of the Year, and “Berghain” (with Björk and Yves Tumor) in the Record of the Year conversation.
The counter-argument: some voters think she’s already been rewarded, and LUX is not a record you dance to. That opens the door.
Prediction 2: Carín León and Rawayana are the real fight
Carín León has made Album of the Year two years running and just won Best Música Mexicana Album at the Grammys. MUDA pulls in soul, ska, salsa, disco and Colombian carranga, with Juanes and Rawayana on it. He’s the strongest música mexicana artist the Academy has ever been comfortable with.
Rawayana is the sleeper. The Venezuelan band’s ¿Dónde Es El After? topped Billboard’s midyear best Latin albums list, and “Inglés en Miami” with Manuel Turizo gave them their first No. 1 (Latin Rhythm Airplay). A 23-track album that spans reggae, funk, electronic and tropical is Academy catnip. If voters want to make a statement about the Venezuelan diaspora, this is how they do it.
Prediction 3: CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso get nominated everywhere again
The Argentine duo pulled 10 nominations last year with Papota. Free Spirits is bigger, stranger and has Sting and Anderson .Paak on it. The Academy loves a repeat story. Expect them in Album of the Year and several alternative and urban categories.
Prediction 4: Fonseca finally wins something big
Four Album of the Year nominations, zero wins. Antes Que El Tiempo Se Vaya has salsa, cumbia and merengue on it, plus Juanes, Rubén Blades and Rawayana. The Academy has a habit of paying off a long-overdue artist in a year without a runaway favorite. This might be that year.
Prediction 5: The categories nobody covers are where Latinos actually live
Mainstream coverage will stop at the Big Four. Wehpa won’t. Watch these:
- Best Salsa Album and Best Tropical Song. Rubén Blades released País Portátil in August, which is outside this window, so the salsa field is open to the working orchestras. This is where a Cali or Puerto Rico record can win on musicianship alone.
- Best Música Mexicana categories. This is the genre that dominated streaming for three years and the Academy still splits it into a few boxes. Whether Fuerza Regida or Peso Pluma show up in the Big Four is the real “are they listening” test.
- Best Reggaeton Performance and Best Urban Album. With Bad Bunny out of the window, this is the year someone else gets the shine.
- Best New Artist. Historically the most interesting category on the ballot. Look for a name from the salsa or música mexicana underground rather than a label priority.
Three snubs we’re bracing for
- Música mexicana in Album of the Year beyond Carín León. The Academy has never fully embraced corridos tumbados.
- Reggaeton in Record of the Year. It happens, but rarely without a crossover pop hook.
- Anyone independent. Bandcamp-first artists don’t get nominated. That’s not a complaint, it’s why Wehpa runs its own weekly drops list.
Why the Latin Grammys 2026 matter more this year
They fall inside Hispanic Heritage Month, the show is in Las Vegas the week after Día de los Muertos, and the field is the most genre-diverse it’s been in a decade: Spanish flamenco-opera, Venezuelan reggae-funk, Sonoran soul, Argentine art-pop, Colombian tropical. That’s the whole map in one ballot.
We’ll update this piece with the real nominations on September 16 and score our predictions in public.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Latin Grammys 2026?
Thursday, November 12, 2026 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Nominations are announced Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
What is the eligibility period for the 2026 Latin Grammys?
Recordings released between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026.
Is Bad Bunny nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammys?
His major 2025 releases fell in last year’s window, when he led with 12 nominations. Anything he released after June 1, 2025 could still be eligible for individual categories.
Who is favored for Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys 2026?
Early favorites named by critics include Rosalía (LUX), Carín León (MUDA), Rawayana (¿Dónde Es El After?), CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (Free Spirits) and Fonseca (Antes Que El Tiempo Se Vaya).
Where can I watch the Latin Grammys 2026?
The ceremony airs on Univision in the US. Check local listings closer to the date.
Watch on Wehpa
For the roots behind these categories, read the four godfathers of reggaeton, why salsa was born in New York and regional mexicano vs reggaeton.
