2024 Latin Grammys: Xavi’s Zero Nominations and Other Snubs & Surprises

For its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammys incorporated some new categories, including best contemporary Mexican music album — a nice surprise for the new generation of artists who are fueling the movement.

For the inaugural category, the following albums are nominated: Natanael Cano’s Nata Montana; DannyLux’s Evoluxion; Grupo Frontera’s Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada; Carín León’s Boca Chueca, Vol. 1; Michelle Maciel’s Trastornado; and Peso Pluma’s Génesis. Each of the artists behind these sets has contributed to the rise of the música Mexicana genre.

Xavi, who Billboard predicted could score a best new artist nomination, was not nominated…at all.

Maybe he doesn’t qualify for the coveted best new artist because he’s released more than 15 singles, according to the Latin Grammys category definition — but at 20 years old, the artist born Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez is one of the biggest hitmakers today, releasing some of the top-charting songs this year with his signature tumbados románticos sound.

Last year December, he earned his first top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart with “La Victima.” In January, “La Diabla” topped Hot Latin Songs for 14 weeks. In May, he scored another No. 1, on Regional Mexican Airplay, with “Corazón de Piedra.” Any of those songs would have been deserving of a nomination.

For a second consecutive year, Edgar Barrera is the top nominee, with nine nods. Though he’s very deserving of all his noms, it comes as a surprise, because it’s not often that a producer becomes the most nominated person — typically, it’s an artist. Other producers who’ve led nominations in the past include Eduardo Cabra and Julio Reyes Copello.

Last year, Barrera nabbed three of his 13 nominations: producer of the year, songwriter of the year and best regional song for Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera’s “un x100to.” During his speech, he thanked the Academy “for opening up a space to those of us who are dedicated to writing songs but don’t sing them, who usually aren’t seen — but once a year, show our face.”

With six nods, Keityn (real name: Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno) is one of this year’s top Latin Grammy nominees. In fact, three of the song’s he’s written are up for song of the year: Shakira and Grupo Frontera’s “(Entre Paréntesis),” Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” and Maluma and Carin León’s “Según Quién.”

However, the Colombian hitmaker is not nominated for songwriter of the year, which we consider a notable snub. His colleagues, Edgar Barrera, Yoel Henríquez, Manuel Lorente Freire, Horacio Palencia and Pablo Preciado are this year’s nominees.

It’s a pleasant surprise to see the new wave of salsa artists dominating the best salsa album category. This year, Latin Grammy darlings Marc Anthony and Rubén Blades are nominated with their respective albums Muevense and Siembra: 45° Aniversario — but so are emerging artists Christian Alicea with his album Yo Deluxe, Ronald Borjas with Joyas Que Bailan and Luis Figueroa with Coexistencia. The latter of the three is also nominated for best tropical song, with “Llorar Bonito.”

Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.