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Who will win the top prize at the Latin Grammys 2025? Every year, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors dissect the top categories — song of the year, record of the year, album of the year, and best new artist — to forecast the winners and spotlight the most deserving artists.

As we approach the Latin Grammys on Thursday (Nov. 13), our Latin/Español editorial team has engaged in spirited analysis, weighing market trends and historical voting behaviors to make educated predictions. This discussion includes insights from Billboard’s Leila Cobo, Chief Content Officer, Latin/Español; assistant editor, Latin, Jessica Roiz; senior editor, Latin, Griselda Flores; and Billboard Español associate editor Isabela Raygoza.

On its 26th anniversary, the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The three-hour telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision and air across the network’s U.S. platforms, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The Latin Grammy Premiere, where the majority of the categories are awarded, will precede the telecast.

To refresh your memory, here’s the complete list of this year’s nominees. Below, our predictions:

Album of the Year

Leila Cobo: I cannot imagine anything other than Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos winning here. I think it would be a travesty if he didn’t win. I’m not saying the other albums aren’t great, there are a lot of really good albums in that category — but this album is that perfect balance of commercial success and critical acclaim, from the biggest artist in the world right now after Taylor Swift, I’d say. I can’t imagine anyone else could win.

Griselda Flores: If Bad Bunny wasn’t nominated, I could see Rauw Alejandro as a frontrunner. His album really set the stage for Bad Bunny’s and Karol’s tropical-leaning albums. But there’s so much momentum around Bad Bunny — the residency, the Super Bowl halftime show — and Debí Tirar Más Fotos is worthy of a win. Lyrically and sonically it’s strong. It has substance. Plus, it beams with pride and it’s such a big statement in this political climate. This will be the year he wins this category.

Isabela Raygoza: I agree. The back-to-roots approach and how he positioned Puerto Rico in the larger conversation. I thought it was amazing and beautiful, and he brings these icons of plena to perform on the album and also gives it this modern urbano sound. It does embody a love of his cultural and musical roots, but also with a contemporary and commercial appeal. If it’s not Bad Bunny, potentially Gloria Estefan could take this one if the Latin Academy wants to honor a legend.

Jessica Roiz: If Bad Bunny doesn’t win, it will be a big snub, and it will be controversial. I agree with what everyone has already said. But other favorites that I would like to see win are Elena Rose’s debut album; I’m happy it got recognition. And Papota is a really cool and edgy alternative album that I feel is doing something different.

Raygoza: CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso’s Papota would be the wildcard winner for sure.

Song of the Year

Roiz: I hope it’s “Baile Inolvidable.” That’s my favorite song this year. It’s Bad Bunny’s first salsa song, and it turned out to be phenomenal. That was the first song that really resonated with me when I first listened to the album in January. I know Rauw Alejandro did the salsa thing before with “Tú Con Él,” but Bad Bunny took it to the next level. I think all the salsa legends showed up to his residency because of this one song.

Cobo: I am going with Karol G. I think “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” was the song of the year. It’s one of those smash hits that in 20 years, we’ll still be dancing to it. It’s that kind of song, it has permanence, such a strong melody. I love “Baile Inolvidable,” but overall, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” for me — it’s a better crafted song. It’s the kind of song that has lasting appeal.

Raygoza: I love “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” And it’s with Edgar Barrera, who is a prolific songwriter/producer. It maintained that mainstream appeal, but also that balladic emotional depth. She sings it really beautifully.

Flores: While I love both of those songs, I believe “DtMF” will and should win. Personally, this is my favorite on the album because of the message of living in the moment that resonates so well today, at a time when everything seems to moving at warp speed. “I should have taken more photos, I should have given you the kisses and hugs that I didn’t,” I mean, how can you not get behind that? And sonically — marrying the rhythms of modern plena with the pulsating beats of reggaetón — it’s just really gorgeous. And, out of all the songs in the album, this one is up for record and song of the year at the Grammys.

Record of the Year

Cobo: For record, here I would say “Baile Inolvidable.” It’s a song that pulls in so many directions. It’s already a great song but the production is really clever. He’s able to do something very contemporary and turn it into something classic and vice versa in ways that are not obvious. I very much like what he did there.

Flores: Same here. I like “Baile Inolvidable” as the winner of this particular category. But can also see Natalia Lafourcade winning because of her work with “Cancionera.” She won this same category two years ago for “De Todas Las Flores,” and I think the Academy really appreciates her craft and the way she approaches the production aspect of her music, which is very raw and folky.

Raygoza: I think Jorge Drexler and Conociendo Rusia have a shot here. Conociendo Rusia is like a hidden gem, and I am such a huge fan of his music. The way they created “Desastres Fabulosos” is very poetic, very elegant — the production is incredible. It was produced by Nico Cotton, who is exceptional, so he has that alternative, trap edge. But this song has technical brilliance. And Jorge Drexler is a Latin Grammy darling, so this is very possible here.

Roiz: Bad Bunny went above and beyond for “Baile Inolvidable,” stepping outside of his comfort zone. He deserves this win.

Best New Artist

Flores: If Annasofia wins, that would be three consecutive wins for Julio Reyes Copello’s Miami Art House, which would be interesting… It would be nice to see Ruzzi, who is a multi-instrumentalist from Mexico, win. She’s collaborated with Natalia Lafourcade and Ximena Sariñana. Alex Luna is also pretty cool. His lyrics feel young and relatable and he has that Gen Z/Millennial appeal. I sort of love that new Mexican pop scene with artists like Alex and Latin Mafia, who aren’t your typical pop artists who sing ballads, they have a more worldly approach to their sound.

Raygoza: Looking at the history of recent winners, like Ela Taubert, Joaquina and Silvana Estrada, there’s like a clear pattern. My favorite here is Yerai Cortés, from Spain, and he’s helping resurrect the new flamenco and he’s already performed alongside C. Tangana. He’s a young guitarist, he’s honoring this historic genre and modernizing. This would be a refreshing win considering the previous winners.

Cobo: Isa, I am with you. I think Yerai Cortés would be a break from the tradition of the past few years. He’s pretty well known in Spain. The association with C. Tangana is because he did the documentary “La Guitarra Flamenca de Yerai Cortés.” Yerai has that name recognition in Spain, he’s the subject of a documentary, comes from a family of musicians, he’s on tour, it makes sense.

Roiz: I was pleasantly surprised to see Camila Guevera from Cuba nominated. I discovered her when I was listening reparto music, although she doesn’t do reparto music. She does soulful boleros, trova and she’s really good, and she is the granddaughter of late Cuban trovador Pablo Milanés. She’s super talented.