Bad Bunny heads into the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas as the night’s most nominated artist, earning 12 nods including Album, Record, and Song of the Year — the same top categories in which he will also compete at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in February.
A win for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”) would cap an extraordinary year for the 31-year-old superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who has continued to dominate global pop culture. His sold-out residency in Puerto Rico wrapped up recently, and he is set to launch a world tour this month in the Dominican Republic.
Bad Bunny previously made headlines after announcing that the tour would exclude U.S. mainland dates out of concern that his fans could be exposed to immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump’s administration. His only U.S. exception will be a massive one—headlining the Super Bowl halftime show on February 8 in Santa Clara, California, one of the most watched broadcasts in American television.
At Thursday night’s ceremony, he faces strong competition from Argentinian hip-hop duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, whose album “Papota” is up for the night’s biggest awards in their first-ever Latin Grammy nominations. The duo recently opened shows across Latin America for Kendrick Lamar, a top contender for the 2026 Grammys.
Veteran producer-songwriter Edgar Barrera, already with more than 70 Latin Grammy nominations in his career, is also in the running for Song and Record of the Year for Karol G’s hit “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (“If I Had Met You Before”). Another Karol G track, “Tropicoqueta,” earned a nomination for Best Tropical Song, adding to her momentum as she prepares to headline Coachella next year.
Brazilian singer Liniker, who made history in 2022 as the first transgender artist to win a Latin Grammy, scored seven nominations for her album “Caju,” including all top three categories. Other major nominees include Alejandro Sanz, Carín León, Gloria Estefan, Joaquina, Rauw Alejandro, Vicente García, and Natalia Lafourcade, who picked up eight nominations.
The Latin Grammys return this year to the MGM Grand Garden Arena after previous editions in Spain and Miami. The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. (0100 GMT Friday) and will feature performances by Bad Bunny, Karol G, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Santana, Rauw Alejandro, Kacey Musgraves, Edgar Barrera, Joaquina, Christian Nodal, Nathy Peluso, Elena Rose, and Grupo Frontera.
