The Latin Recording Academy has just announced the nominations for the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 14.
The Latin GRAMMYs will broadcast live from the Kaseya Center in Miami, marking the awards ceremony's third time in the city. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards and the Latin Recording Academy celebrating Latin music excellence across all genres.
One of the most highly anticipated and career-defining Latin GRAMMY Categories, the Best New Artist Category this year includes 10 nominees from across the U.S., Latin America and Spain. A showcase of the next wave of talent in Latin music, the nominees are: Agris, Kevin Aguilar, Darumas, Nicolle Horbath, Latin Mafia, Cacá Magalhães, Os Garotin, Iñigo Quintero, Sofi Saar, and Ela Taubert. The diverse group of nominees reflects the sounds of música Mexicana, pop, jazz, funk, MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), and more.
Below, get to know all of the Best New Artist nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. Then, be sure to tune into the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, officially known as the 25th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, Thursday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT) on Univision, Galavisión and ViX to see who wins.
Agris
Before becoming a breakout solo artist in Mexico, Agris cut her teeth in various avenues of the media. The singer/songwriter from Guadalajara, Jalisco was once a journalist, a copywriter, and sang in alternative bands such as Galgo and Cobra Kai to make ends meet.
In 2020, Agris decided to bet on herself and released her debut EP, Porque Somos De Barro, Nos Hundimos. The five-track release showcased Agris' knack for mixing folkloric Mexican music with a soulful edge. In May 2024, Agris released her debut full-length, Cumpleaños y Funerales. Across the album's 13 tracks — and highlighted on songs like "Te Perdono" and "Dolor y Gloria" — the artist married emotional lyrics with the sound of ambitious folk and pop. As an artist of the LGBTQIA+ community, Agris has also celebrated her identity in the vulnerable song "Bonita."
Kevin Aguilar
Although Kevin Aguilar is nominated for Best New Artist, he is already a young veteran of the industry. The teenage Mexico City native has been singing since early childhood, and first made waves by winning the reality singing competition "La Voz Kids" in 2022. A year later, Aguilar signed with Universal Music Group Mexico.
Today, Aguilar is embracing the diverse sounds of música Mexicana, putting a youthful spin on everything from mariachi on "Más Que Amigos" to corridos with "Bonita." In August, Aguilar released his debut EP, Nací Para Cantar ("I Was Born to Sing").
Darumas
The all-female group Darumas is breathing new life into Latin pop and funk music. The trio consists of Argentine bassist Aldana Aguirre, guitarist Ceci Leon (who hails from Miami with Cuban roots), and Haitian singer Vedala Vilmond, who relocated to Chile. The group have utilized the diverse sounds from their home countries and beyond to create their unique sound.
Darumas debuted in April 2024 with the groovy "Daruma," which blends funk music with Latin soul. They followed that up in May with the feel-good "Mago." Daruma continues to shake up Latin music with the alluring and longing "La Llamada," which infuses elements of tropical music in the mix. "And even though I try to avoid you / I always fall for you," Vilmond sings in Spanish.
Nicolle Horbath
Singer/songwriter Nicolle Horbath blends sounds of the Caribbean with jazz and pop. Now based in Miami, Florida, she is embracing traditional Latin rhythms through a bicultural lens.
Horbath made her debut in 2022 with the whimsical single "Sueña," and followed up with the breezy "Florecer," which bubbles with Latin percussion. In May, Horbath released her debut EP De Magia Imperfecta, which shows her knack for crafting soothing and serene songs. Her voice soars across songs like the sweeping "Carmen" and "Mi Vida, Mi Corazón," a song about the love, gratitude and deep bond between a father and daughter.
Horbath hails from Barranquilla, Colombia and is an alum from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which has produced previous Best New Artist nominees like Borja, Nicole Zignago, and Marco Mares. In 2018, Horbath was the recepient of the Carlos Vives prodigy scholarship, awarded by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.
Latin Mafia
The Mexico City-based trio Latin Mafia — composed of producer Mike De La Rosa and his twin brothers Milton and Emilio — can't be confined to a single genre. Latin Mafia have explored everything from trap-infused R&B in "No Digas Nada" and symphonic pop in "Patadas De Ahogado" (featuring previous Best New Artist nominee Humbe), and elements of Afrobeats in "Flores."
While the group have yet to release a full-length record or sign to a major label, Latin Mafia sold out arenas across Mexico in 2023. This past April, they made their U.S. performance debut at Coachella. As the brothers continue to push Latin pop to new places, they signed with Bad Bunny's record label Rimas Entertainment in July to ready their debut LP.
Cacá Magalhães
Though Cacá Magalhães has become one of Brazil's biggest breakout stars in recent years, Magalhães had her first major break in the U.S. The Salvador, Bahia native showed off the range of her soulful voice in 2020 while belting Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" on NBC's "Little Big Shots."
The 18-year-old singer has since translated that soul that’s beyond her years into her own music. In July 2023, Magalhães released her debut album Só Sinto, which pushes MPB into new directions with elements of pop, alternative, and jazz in the mix. On the 11-track LP, she sings about processing her emotions amidst loss and love.
Her voice has matured since that big break, becoming even more emotive on the heart-wrenching "Para Que Não Se Repita" and the guitar-driven pop of the title track.
Os Garotin
The São Gonçalo-based trio of Anchietx, Cupertino and Leo Guima are leading the R&B movement in Brazil but pulling inspiration from the R&B quartets and boy bands from the 1980s and '90s, adding Afro-Brazilian swagger to the mix. The trio first made waves in 2023 with their debut EP Os Garotin Session, which infused R&B and soul music with the essence of MPB.
In May 2024, Os Garotin released their debut album, Os Garotin De São Gonçalo. In songs like the sensual "Calor Do Momento" and the funky "Curva Escura," the group demonstrate their mastery at blending soulful harmonies with elements of rap.
Iñigo Quintero
Though Íñigo Quintero released his breakthrough single in 2022, the song didn't explode on a worldwide level until a year later. The Spanish singer/songwriter had a sleeper hit on his hands when the heartfelt ballad "Si No Estás" went viral on TikTok.
A song about his faith in God, Quintero soon became the first Spanish artist to reach No. 1 on Spotify's Top 50 global chart. Building off that momentum, Quintero released his debut EP Es Solo Música in April. Quintero has continued to transmit messages of hope: On the soaring "Lo Que Queda De Mí," he sings about not giving up in the face of adversity, while the upbeat "Desconocido" offers similar themes of empowerment.
Sofi Saar
Monterrey, Mexico's, Sofi Saar is proudly representing women in música Mexicana. The singer/songwriter made her debut in 2022 with the love song "Terca," which blended norteño music with a Latin pop twist.
A year later, Saar teamed up with Colombian musician Nabález (who has co-written hits for acts like Morat, Reik, Tini, Ha*Ash, and Feid) for the dreamy "Sigues Siendo Tú." On the track, Saar mixed elements of bachata into her "popteño" sound. Saar has continued to push música Mexicana into a refreshing pop direction through her adventurous and genre-bending debut album, Terca.
Ela Taubert
Ela Taubert's confessional lyrics are connecting with millions of listeners. The Bogotá, Colombia, native is an alum of Julio Reyes Copello's Art House Academy & Abbey Road Institute Miami, which produced last year's Best New Artist winner Joaquina.
In March 2023, Taubert released her debut EP ¿Quién Dijo Que Era Fácil? On the five-track release, Taubert channeled her angst from a relationship on the rocks into the guitar-driven "¿Qué Hubiera Pasado?" Taubert fully delved into that heartbreak in February with her breakthrough single "¿Cómo Pasó?", an emotional synth-pop track that amassed more than 91 million streams on Spotify. Taubert also got a co-sign from previous Best New Artist winner Karol G, who invited her to open for her concert in Bogotá.