Latin Grammys Name 11 Best New Artist Nominees
The Latin Recording Academy has announced its field of 11 contenders for the 2026 Best New Artist award.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Latin
The Latin Recording Academy has announced 11 nominees for the 2026 Latin Grammy Best New Artist category. The field spans Mexican indie folk, coastal Colombian rhythms, Brazilian R&B, dream-pop, and singer-songwriter confessionals.
Why it matters
Best New Artist is one of the Latin Grammys' four General Field categories, alongside Record, Album and Song of the Year. Past winners in the category include Juanes in 2001, Calle 13 in 2006 and Karol G in 2018.
The category field totals 11 nominees across a single General Field award, and the stub does not provide sales, streaming or chart figures for the nominees. Winners' career outcomes after their Best New Artist honors are not quantified in the source material.
The players
Latin Recording Academy
The Latin Recording Academy is the organization that presents the Latin Grammy Awards and selects the nominees in each category.
Juanes
Juanes is a Colombian singer-songwriter who won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2001.
Calle 13
Calle 13 is a Puerto Rican urban music group that won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2006.
Karol G
Karol G is a Colombian singer and reggaeton artist who won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018.
Loulu Gilberto
Loulu Gilberto is a nominee in the 2026 Best New Artist category and the child of bossa nova icon João Gilberto.
The details
The Latin Recording Academy presented the nominees in alphabetical order, with introductions covering each artist's sound, breakthrough moments and audience reach. Nominees include Loulu Gilberto, child of bossa nova icon João Gilberto, and Zeca Veloso, child of tropicalia icon Caetano Veloso.
Timeline
2001: Juanes wins Best New Artist.
2006: Calle 13 wins Best New Artist.
2018: Karol G wins Best New Artist.
2026: Latin Recording Academy announces 11 Best New Artist nominees.
Industry Dynamics
The 2026 field reflects a range of regional sounds from Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, consistent with the Latin Grammys' recognition of diverse Latin music. Past winners Juanes, Calle 13 and Karol G span two decades of the category's history.
Listeners can follow the 11 nominees on streaming platforms ahead of the awards, as the field spans multiple regional sounds. The source material does not specify ticketing or broadcast details for the ceremony.
The takeaway
The 2026 field shows how Best New Artist continues to highlight regional Latin sounds, from Mexican indie folk to Brazilian R&B. Listeners exploring the category can sample across these genres to hear the breadth of the nominees.
Further reading
For more on the artists shaping the genre, explore Latin.
