Latin Grammy Nominations 2026: Edgar Barrera, Karol G and Rosalía Lead as Maluma and Romeo Santos Suffer Massive Shutouts

The nominations for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards are officially out, and the Latin Recording Academy brought plenty of drama alongside the celebration. Producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera sits comfortably at the top of the pack, securing an impressive 10 nominations for his behind-the-scenes magic. Barrera is up for major honors including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. Right on his heels is a powerhouse lineup of global superstars. Latin pop heavyweights Karol G and Rosalía both bagged seven nods apiece, tying with duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso and singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler. Meanwhile, alt-latino favorites Silvana Estrada and Mon Laferte locked in six nominations each.

The battle for Album of the Year promises to be one of the fiercest races of the night. Karol G and Rosalía will face off against a diverse slate of hitmakers. The elite list of nominees features Anitta, Carín León, Milo J, Rawayana, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Jorge Drexler, Silvana Estrada, and Mon Laferte. While music insiders accurately predicted several of those selections, the Academy left some of the year's biggest chart-toppers standing outside the door.

BUZZBEAT

No award announcement is complete without a few head-scratching omissions, but music lovers were stunned by some massive shutouts this year. Bachata royalty Romeo Santos and Prince Royce teamed up for their highly anticipated joint project, *Better Late Than Never*, which launched straight to the top of the Billboard charts. The surprise record grabbed the No. 1 spot on Tropical Albums and No. 2 on Top Latin Albums, yet failed to score a single nomination from voters. Colombian star Maluma also faced a total shutout. His love letter to his homeland, *Loco X Volver*, blended traditional genres like salsa, vallenato, and música popular. Despite heavy fan acclaim and critical praise, the academy bypassed the project completely. As the countdown to music's biggest night in Latin music begins, the contrast between massive chart hits and academy voters' picks has already ignited heavy debate across fandoms.