Eight nationalities, eleven albums, and a single winner. That is how the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs will unfold on Nov. 13, in one of the most coveted and competitive Categories: Album Of The Year.
This year's nominees reflect the cultural richness of Latin music. Puerto Rico is represented by Bad Bunny (DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS) and Rauw Alejandro (Cosa Nuestra). Venezuela shines with Joaquina (al romper la burbuja) and Elena Rose (En las Nubes – Con Mis Panas). From Mexico come Carín León (Palabra de To's – Seca) and Natalia Lafourcade (Cancionera). Brazil contributes with Liniker (CAJU), while Spain competes with Alejandro Sanz (¿Y Ahora Qué?). Argentina is represented by the duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (PAPOTA), Cuba by Gloria Estefan (Raíces), and the Dominican Republic by Vicente García (Puñito De Yocahú).
Album Of The Year also honors not only the lead artist, but the entire creative team behind the project as well — producers who shaped the musical direction; recording, mixing, and mastering engineers who refined every detail; composers and arrangers who built the essence of the songs; musicians and backup singers who added color and depth; and artistic directors who ensured coherence and visual identity. Winning this award means celebrating a network of talent that allows music to truly transcend.
Below, get acquainted with the 10 Album Of The Year nominees at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs — projects that embody diversity, innovation and cultural significance. And be sure to tune in on Thursday, Nov. 13, when the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs air live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT) on Univision.
Rauw Alejandro — Cosa Nuestra
The New York of the 1970s served as Rauw Alejandro's greatest inspiration for the creation of Cosa Nuestra. Beyond the music, the album's visual aesthetic also captures the cultural shock that a Puerto Rican of that era would have experienced upon arriving in the city that never sleeps.
For Alejandro, this project is both an homage to salsa legends Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe and a reflection of his own journey, now in the prime of his thirties. As the two-time Latin GRAMMY winner noted in an interview with LOS40, his mission is to continue representing the Isla del Encanto with style and authenticity.
The album highlights his versatility with urban-driven tracks such as "Qué Pasaría..." featuring Bad Bunny, alongside the salsa gem "Tú Con Él." Together, these songs showcase the range of the album, as Alejandro effortlessly navigates between salsa, classic reggaeton and contemporary fusion.
Bad Bunny — DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is Bad Bunny's sixth album and stands as his most personal project to date, born from the profound love he feels for his native island. Across the project, the artist blends salsa, classic reggaeton, trap, pop ballads, and touches of jazz and R&B, creating a sonic mosaic that intertwines the intimate with the collective.
The album also shines a light on young Puerto Rican talents, whose contributions bring freshness and authenticity to the project. Among its most notable tracks are the salsa piece "BAILE INoLVIDABLE" and the reggaeton anthem "DtMF," songs that embody his roots while revealing his introspective side (and are both nominated for Song and Record Of The Year).
With this work, the 12-time Latin GRAMMY and 3-time GRAMMY winner reaffirms his commitment to expanding his legacy, using music as a bridge between his personal journey and Puerto Rico's cultural identity.
Read More: 5 Takeaways From Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos': A Very Personal, Very Political Sixth Album
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso — PAPOTA
PAPOTA, as its name suggests, is pure protein — but not the kind that builds muscles. It's the musical energy that has propelled CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso to the forefront, earning them Latin GRAMMY nominations for Album Of The Year as well as Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year with PAPOTA singles "#Tetas" and "El Día del Amigo."
Their power comes from an eclectic fusion of genres: trap, funk, R&B, alternative pop, electronic, and even flashes of rock, all delivered through an irreverent and provocative aesthetic that has secured their place on the international stage. In just a few years, the duo has gone from local venues to tours across Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay, and to performances at major festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Lollapalooza.
With PAPOTA, CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso present a bold and entertaining proposal that combines irony and social commentary with the irresistible rhythms that define them as the "yin and yang" of urban pop music.
Read More: CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso Talk 'PAPOTA,' Touring The World And The Importance Of Friendship
Gloria Estefan — Raíces
When someone rolls the dice, you never know what will happen. Something similar occurred with Gloria Estefan as she celebrated her 50-year career: she decided to return to her roots and sing once again in her first language, Spanish, after 18 years. She expressed it clearly when presenting Raíces, her 16th studio album, a project that, in her words, "celebrates love between couples and the Spanish language."
In this work, Estefan explores rhythms such as cha-cha-cha, ballads and Afro-Caribbean percussion, channeling them into a joyful celebration of love and life. Tracks like "Tan Iguales y Tan Diferentes" and "Tú y Yo" embody that spirit of connection and festivity.
Born in Havana and raised in Miami after emigrating as a child, Estefan is considered one of the most influential Latin voices of all time. With more than 100 million records sold, she has been honored with four GRAMMYs and four Latin GRAMMYs, in addition to the Kennedy Center Honors and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has played a pivotal role in opening the doors of the international market to Latin music and in consolidating the presence of Hispanic culture on the global stage — and Raíces is a celebration of her legacy.
Vicente García — Puñito De Yocahú
With Puñito De Yocahú, Vicente García was never aiming to be crowned number one. What the Dominican artist truly sought was to represent his Caribbean culture, rescue the history of his island marked by exploitation and colonization, and translate it into music.
This vision comes to life in tracks like "Quisqueya," where he blends electronics, arpeggiators, Cuban tres, and synthesizers, all interwoven with samples that echo the patterns of other songs. True to his roots, the album also includes bachata — the genre that shaped his upbringing — fused with reggae in pieces such as "Mambo Violento."
García has built a career by merging traditional roots with contemporary sounds, earning recognition as one of the most innovative voices in the Caribbean. With Puñito De Yocahú, the four-time Latin GRAMMY winner explores Dominican identity through a blend of bachata, reggae, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and electronic elements. The album reflects on the history and memory of his island while pushing the boundaries of Dominican music.
Joaquina — al romper la burbuja
The calling card of this young Venezuelan singer is al romper la burbuja, an album that Joaquina described to LOS40 as the result of five years of intense work and a faithful snapshot of her life. Her debut full-length is a raw canvas where she captures her essence, flowing between pop ballads and folk.
At just 21 years old, Joaquina has established herself as a generational icon thanks to her lyrical honesty and authentic style. Her debut EP, 2023's Los Mejores Años, helped her earn the honor of Best New Artist at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs. With al romper la burbuja — and introspective songs such as "gracias x estar aquí" — she reveals both her vulnerability and her strength, cementing her as one of the most promising young voices in Latin music.
Watch: Joaquina Share The Guitar That Has Her Heart | It Goes To 11
Natalia Lafourcade — Cancionera
Cancionera was born in the midst of the devastating pandemic. To endure isolation, Natalia Lafourcade found refuge in her mother's piano and, from a distance, gathered musicians to bring this intimate project to life.
Love transcends words and becomes the true language, flowing through pieces such as "Apertura Cancionera" and "Cancionera (acústica)," both dedicated to her parents. With her ninth studio album, Lafourcade puts to the test what she calls her "cat-like instinct," pursuing unity through music that dissolves loneliness with the sounds of Latin folk, traditional Mexican music and echoes of Latin American culture.
Lafourcade is the female artist with the most Latin GRAMMY wins with 18 to date (she's also won 4 GRAMMYs). With eight more nominations at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs — including Record and Song Of The Year for Cancionera's title track, which pays homage to those who have inspired her artistic evolution — she may just add to her remarkable legacy.
Carín León — Palabra De To's (Seca)
Carín León's album Palabra De To's further declares his position as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Mexican music. It's a project that blends the deep roots of regional Mexican styles such as norteño, banda and mariachi with modern pop sounds and even touches of country and funk, resulting in a versatile and contemporary sound.
A GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner, León has established himself as one of the genre's most innovative performers. With Palabra De To's (Seca), he not only honors Mexican musical tradition, but also reinforces the narrative character of his lyrics: stories of love, heartbreak and pride told with distinctive authenticity.
The album cover carries a special meaning, too. Carín chose to feature all the men and women, composers, and collaborators who made the project possible, underscoring the idea that music is a collective endeavor. With this gesture, and with the album itself, he breaks free from what he once described as a "musical slavery" that limited him in the past, embracing a new era of creative freedom.
Palabra De To's also highlights the unity of the Hispanic community, where genre boundaries blur to give way to brotherhood. This is evident in collaborations such as "Si Tú Te Vas" with Maluma and "Me Está Doliendo" with Alejandro Fernández. The album also includes songs rooted in real-life stories, like "Por la Suave," inspired by the tale of a man from León's hometown who lived with a mannequin dressed as a bride after losing his fiancée just four days before their wedding.
Watch: Carin León Wins Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album For 'Boca Chueca, Vol. 1' | 2024 Latin GRAMMYs
Liniker — CAJU
CAJU, Liniker's latest album, cements her place as one of the most original and moving voices in contemporary Brazilian music. It draws on the richness of MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) and blends it with soul, R&B and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, creating an intimate, poetic and profoundly spiritual soundscape.
Across the project, Liniker reflects on love, identity and freedom, but also on resistance and healing, always from a deeply personal and honest perspective. The title CAJU — a fruit native to Brazil — serves as a metaphor for the everyday and the sacred, for the sweetness and harshness of life that coexist in each song.
CAJU celebrates not only her artistic maturity, but also a new chapter in her career following the success of Índigo Borboleta Anil. Each track is infused with Liniker's powerful interpretive style, capable of transforming vulnerability into strength and pain into beauty.
The album is so impactful, in fact, that it earned the Brazilian singer nods in the Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year Categories at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYs — the former for the poetic love song "Ao Teu Lado," and the latter for "Veludo Marrom," one of the most emotional and distinctive pieces to emerge from this musical universe.
Read More: Liniker Performs "CAJU" At Amsterdam's Famed Paradiso | Global Spin
Elena Rose — En Las Nubes - Con Mis Panas
Venezuelan singer/songwriter Elena Rose invites listeners to step into her personal refuge with En Las Nubes - Con Mis Panas — a space among the clouds where, instead of hiding, one can feel protected and free to be authentic.
The title of this eight-song project was born from a childhood memory, when Rose was often told she always had her head in the clouds. From that image comes both the name and the essence of the album, an intimate universe that connects directly with her true self.
According to Rose, the track "Me Lo Merezco" is a magical and pure piece that embodies the central theme of the album: self-love. The project is wrapped in a fresh Latin pop sound, infused with touches of urban music that highlight her distinctive style.
Alejandro Sanz — ¿Y Ahora Qué?
For two years, Alejandro Sanz worked intensely on a six-song EP, conceived as a space for healing and catharsis, but also for entertainment. From that process emerged ¿Y Ahora Qué?, a deeply personal project that, through a simple question (What Now?), reminds us that feeling bad is just as valid as feeling good.
The album features tracks such as the Grupo Frontera collaboration "Hoy no me siento bien" and "Palmeras en el jardín," the latter of which is nominated for Record and Song Of The Year. Both songs highlight the sound that has always defined the 22-time Latin GRAMMY winner: a dialogue between Latin pop and heartfelt ballads.
Throughout his career, Sanz has transcended genres and generations, also championing the importance of mental health. Embracing vulnerability has long been the heart of his music, and ¿Y Ahora Qué? helps reaffirm one of his most powerful messages — and what's made him a beloved icon.