Latin Grammys 2025 Predictions: Frontrunners for Album of the Year

Last year saw the return of Latin albums as cohesive works versus collections of previously released successful singles. That trend has only accelerated with multiple conceptual albums that balance commercial appeal with artistic prowess, widening the window of possibilities for album of the year at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards.

Historically, voters have favored encore performances of legacy artists: In the category’s 25 years, seven artists have won more than once, including Juan Luis Guerra (a record-high five times), Alejandro Sanz and Juanes (tied with three each). But recent wins by Karol G and Rosalía demonstrate there is openness to the new and ascendant alongside the venerable.

Come Sept. 17, 10 nominees will be announced — here are five of the most likely.

Rauw Alejandro, Cosa Nuestra (Sony Latin)

The Puerto Rican star has never been nominated for album of the year, but his meticulously crafted Cosa Nuestra could change that. An ambitious album with roots in New York and a clear storyline, it features collaborations with Bad Bunny, Romeo Santos and Laura Pausini, among others. But the star is Alejandro, who infuses tropical music with modernity. Witness the delicious title track, a mix of retro Cuban son with R&B soneos (improvisations), or danceable gems like the hardcore New York salsa “Tú Con El.” Released in November 2024, Cosa Nuestra set the stage for later roots-based albums, including Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, while Alejandro has showcased the music in an equally ambitious theatrical arena tour.

Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Rimas)

Bad Bunny has been ­nominated four times for this award (including his nod for Oasis, his album with J Balvin) but has yet to win. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, however, has many elements that voters will find compelling: a nostalgic premise; its professed love of homeland, particularly at a fraught political time for the Latin ­community; thoughtful use of revered genres and music (the opening “NUEVAYoL,” sampling El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico’s classic “Un Verano en Nueva York,” is a modern take); and employing a new generation of young musicians from the island in the production. It doesn’t hurt that Bad Bunny is at the height of his popularity as an artist shaping the global zeitgeist.

Gloria Estefan, Raíces (Crescent Moon Records/Sony Music Latin)

While speaking with Billboard in May, Estefan described her 30th album, and her first entirely in Spanish in 18 years, “like a modern Mi Tierra.” It’s a reference that will make voters take note. Mi Tierra, released in 1993 as a love letter to Estefan’s native Cuba, was her first album in Spanish, and it ruled Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart for 58 weeks. Raíces, however, is more than nostalgia. Its roots are Cuban, with its impeccable production — courtesy of husband Emilio Estefan Jr. — bringing yesterday and today to the forefront through the voice of Latin music’s original groundbreaking diva.

Fuerza Regida, 111XPANTIA (Rancho Humilde/Streetmob/Sony Latin)

111XPANTIA debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, the highest position for a Latin duo or group in history. While that feat alone should earn the música mexicana act’s ninth studio album serious Latin Grammy attention, 111XPANTIA also shines outside of its chart accolades. After dabbling in EDM and urban, Fuerza Regida forcefully returns to its norteño roots and corridos with crisp instrumentation and clever nods to past and present. The album opens with “GodFather,” a reimagining of Nino Rota’s The Godfather theme with Mexican swag and sensibility, which says a lot about the band’s evolution.

Joaquina, al romper la burbuja (Universal Music Latin)

In 2023, Joaquina became the youngest person to win the Latin Grammy for best new artist. Her debut full-length, al romper la burbuja, features 14 songs that speak to the daily angst of a 21-year-old navigating the world with open-eyed curiosity. Charming but sophisticated, Joaquina has connected with fans her age by speaking to them peer to peer. While it has been a beat since Latin music boasted such a young woman singer-songwriter in the purest sense of the word, Joaquina entering this ­category would be a full-circle Latin Grammy moment.

This story appears in the July 19, 2025, issue of Billboard.