Lifestyle
Edgar Barrera leads the Latin Grammy nominations for the second year in a row
Edgar Barrera, the songwriter and producer who leads all nominees at the 25th annual Latin Grammy Awards, shown here attending an event celebrating producers, engineers, songwriters and composers at the Grammy museum on January 31, 2024.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images
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Leon Bennett/Getty Images
With another Latin Grammys nominations announcement comes another potential armload of trophies for songwriter/producer extraordinaire Edgar Barrera. The Mexican-American hitmaker tops the list with nine nominations, including songwriter of the year, producer of the year and three different entries under song of the year.
Right behind Barrera with eight nods is Karol G, who collaborated with the writer/producer on the song of the year and record of the year nominee “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” jabbing at her public breakup and new relationship. Last year, Karol G took home the album of the year award for Mañana Será Bonito; she’s nominated in that category again for her follow-up, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season).
Also earning eight nominations is Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, whose Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, released last fall, was more or less a return to his trap roots. Though the Latin Recording Academy has continually awarded Benito in the reggaeton/hip-hop categories, he has never won in a general category. This year, the bulk of his nominations are once again concentrated in the urban categories, save for record of the year (“Monaco”) and best short form music video (“Baticano”).
The Latin Grammy nominations, which span 58 categories overall, were announced Tuesday morning by the Latino Recording Academy. After a controversial move to Spain last year, this year’s ceremony will take place in Miami on November 14.
Songwriter and frequent Barrera collaborator Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, known as “Keityn,” earned six nominations, showing the Latin Recording Academy’s love for behind-the-scenes players extends beyond Barrera. Behind Keityn, there are three contenders tied for five nominations each: engineer Adam Ayan, Dominican bachata and merengue legend Juan Luis Guerra and Colombian songwriter/producer Julio Reyes Copello.
Notably, Kali Uchis — who has spoken about facing resistance from her former label when it came to making Spanish-language music — secured four nods, including record of the year, best pop vocal album and best pop song, all off her second Spanish project, Orquídeas. Colombian reggaetonero Feid, Puerto Rican singer Kany García and regional Mexican artist Carín León all also received four nominations each.
Like their English-language counterpart, the Latin Grammys boast at least 10 nominees in each of the “Big Four” categories: record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist. Barrera, Karol G, Carín León and Argentine songwriter-producer Rafa Arcaute are all nominated in the first three categories. Other notable names up for awards in those categories include Shakira, Residente, Camilo and Jorge Drexler. The best new artist category includes Agris, Nicolle Horbath (who recently performed alongside Juanes at the Tiny Desk) and Sofi Saar.
The Latin Grammys will be introducing a new category this year, best contemporary Mexican music album, intended to shine a light on the names leading a new pop explosion within the traditional regional Mexican genre. Nominees for the inaugural award include Natanael Cano, DannyLux and Peso Pluma. Grupo Frontera straddles the old and new guard of the genre — the Texas group’s 2023 album El Comienzo is nominated for best Norteño album, while their 2024 record Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada is nominated for best contemporary Mexican music album. (To be eligible for nomination this year, recordings must have been released during the Latin Grammys’ eligibility period: June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.)
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Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political. : It’s Been a Minute
Lifestyle
Supermodel Carol Alt ‘Memba Her?!
American model Carol Alt was only 22 years old — and 5′ 11″ — when she shot to stardom after she was featured on the cover of the 1982 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
Alt was featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Cosmopolitan, as well as, scoring sought after ad campaigns like Cover Girl, Hanes, Givenchy and Diet Pepsi.
Lifestyle
‘Fireworks’ wins Caldecott, Newbery is awarded to ‘All the Blues in the Sky’
Fireworks, by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Cátia Chien has won the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children, and All the Blues in the Sky, written by Renée Watson has been awarded the Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.
Clarion Books; Bloomsbury Children’s Books
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Clarion Books; Bloomsbury Children’s Books
The best books for children and young adults were awarded the country’s top honors by the American Library Association on Monday.
Illustrator Cátia Chien and author Matthew Burgess took home the Caldecott Medal for the book Fireworks. The Caldecott is given annually to the most distinguished American picture book for children. Fireworks follows two young siblings as they eagerly await the start of a July 4th fireworks show. Paired with Chien’s vibrant illustrations, Burgess’ poetic language enhances the sensory experience of fireworks.” When you write poems with kids, you see how immediately they get this,” Burgess told NPR in 2025 in a conversation about his book Words with Wings and Magic Things. “If you read a poem aloud to kids, they start to dance in their seats.”
The Newbery Medal, awarded for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature, went to Renée Watson for All the Blues in the Sky. This middle-grade novel, also told in verse, follows 13-year-old Sage, who struggles with grief following the death of her best friend. Watson is also the author of Piecing Me Together, which won the 2018 Coretta Scott King Award and was also a Newbery Medal honor book. “I hope that my books provide space for young people to explore, and say, “Yeah, I feel seen,” Watson told NPR in 2018. “That’s what I want young people to do — to talk to each other and to the adults in their lives.”
This year’s recipients of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards include Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes (author award) and The Library in the Woods, by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (illustrator award). Arriel Vinson’s Under the Neon Lights received the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award for New Talent.
Los Angeles based artist Kadir Nelson was honored with the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has appeared in more than 30 children’s books.
This year’s Newbery Honor Books were The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, by Karina Yan Glaser; A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by María Dolores Águila and The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri.
Caldecott Honors books were Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan, Our Lake by Angie Kang, Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer, and Sundust by Zeke Peña.
Edited by Jennifer Vanasco and Beth Novey.
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