Latin Grammys Returned to Miami With Dazzling Performances and Perplexing Winners

It was a beautiful, albeit humid, night in Miami as the Latin Grammys made its grand return to the 305. The last time the pomp and circumstance of the award show invaded the city was in 2003, with Miami also hosting a scaled-back ceremony with no live audience in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Hosted at the Kaseya Center downtown, some of the biggest names in Latin music walked the red carpet in custom looks. Throughout the evening, the nominees and invited guests made time to stop and catch up with each other, giving the air of a get-together rather than an award show.

Inside the arena, the Kaseya had been transformed into a proper setup for what turned out to be one of the most exciting nights for Latin music.
I say interesting as the event felt like a love letter to the Latin music industry, watching segments such as the opening music medley by 2024's Person of the Year, Carlos Vives, who played hits "La Bicicleta," "Robarte un Beso," "La Tierra Del Olvido," and more. Joining him on stage were Juanes, Sebastián Yatra, Camilo, Kapo, and Silvestre Dangond.

However, the segment that your abuela probably loved the most was the tribute to salsa produced by everyone's favorite salsero, Marc Anthony, with the help of Sergio George. It saw an all-star cast of salsa hit makers past and present come together to play against a backdrop of New York City. Only at the Latin Grammys can you see La India, Luis Figueroa, Grupo Niche, and Tito Nieves come together and play tracks "Una Aventura," "Tu Me Vuelves Loco," "Llorarás," and more.

The in-memoriam portion of the ceremony also proved to be a somber highlight with Reik, Carlos Rivera, David Bisbal, Leonel Garcia, and Alejandro Fernández performing songs from legendary Mexican artists José José, Juan Gabriel, and Vicente Fernández.
There were also interesting attempts to appeal to the Anglo market, as several American artists appeared for various segments and performances. DJ Khaled's coming through and hosting Eladio Carrión, Quevedo, and Myke Towers on stage just made sense, as these guys are definitely inspired by hip-hop.

Meanwhile, Jon Bon Jovi and Pitbull's new club-ready rendition of the American rock classic "It's My Life" shouldn't work as well as it does, but it was a fun performance to watch. Unfortunately, it feels a couple of years too late, as everyone has pretty much moved on from Mr. Worldwide's brand of early 2010s pop-rap.

One collaboration that worked was Ela Taubert and Joe Jonas' rework of Taubert's hit "¿Cómo Pasó?" Ela revealed to New Times afterward that it came together when she DMed him late one night. Taubert also took the stage again last night to receive the trophy for "Best New Artist."
The trio Darumas, also up for the award, took the stage to perform their single "Francotirador." Their performance reminded everyone how wide Latin music stretches. We're finally in an era where stars in salsa, rock, reggaeton, regional Mexican, and more have attracted a global audience.

Unfortunately, where the Latin Grammys went a bit off the rails was perhaps in who took home the trophies.

"Best Urban Music Album" should have really gone to Álvaro Díaz for Sayonara since the Academy didn't even bother nominating Tainy's Data. If you're a fan of the genre, you'd know that both Díaz and Tainy delivered some of the past year's most compelling, out-of-this-world albums that will definitely influence the industry for years to come.

Instead, voters chose the safer choice, picking Karol G's Mañana Sera Bonito (Bichota Season).

Similar choices raised an eyebrow. I understand the impact and importance of musicians like Jorge Drexler and Juan Luis Guerra, legacy acts that are heavily favored by the members of the Latin Recording Academy, but there needs to be space to embrace and recognize the artists currently impacting the music industry.
It would've been phenomenal to recognize Anitta for "Record of the Year" for "Mil Veces." She took a risk banking on Brazilian funk, and it paid off. Thanks to her, mainstream acts have started to gravitate toward that sound.
Or maybe it should've gone to Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma's "Igual Que Un Ángel," which was a hit with critics and a commercial success. Instead, the award went to Guerra for "Mambo 23."

"Album of the Year" was no different, with Guerra winning for Radio Güira, overlooking projects like Residente's socially critical, personal, and political album Las Letras Ya No Importan.

Kany García and Carin León had already won awards earlier in the night, but García and Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 being overlooked also didn't sit right with me. If you're not going with Residente, why not award something that bends the rules of genre?

Much like its Anglo counterpart, the Grammys, has attempted to do the past few years, perhaps it is time the Latin Recording Academy looks into whether its voters actually reflect today's music industry.

After the award show, New Times spoke to songwriter and producer Édgar Barrera. When asked which of his 26 — count 'em, 26 — trophies he's most proud of, Barrera said without hesitation his awards for "Best Songwriter" and "Best Producer," as those are the ones he won himself.

Even though the acts I would have chosen didn't win, the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys went off without a hitch. It was a spectacle filled with unforgettable performances from many of the industry's biggest names. Here's hoping the ceremony returns to Miami soon.

Check out the complete list of winners for the 2024 Latin Grammy Award at latingrammy.com.