The 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held on Thursday, November 19, 2020 and broadcast on TelevisaUnivision. The 2020 Latin Grammy ceremony was anchored from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, though the health protocols enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant there was no live audience in the venue, and performances were presented from remote locations from many parts of the world. The telecast marked the 21st anniversary of the Latin Grammy Awards and honored musical releases within Latin music released from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020. Nominations were announced on September 29.
Background On March 28, 2020, less than three weeks after the March 11 declaration by the World Health Organization that the COVID-19 outbreak was officially a pandemic, the Latin Recording Academy announced that its annual gala was still set for November 2020.
Starting in 2020, the Latin Grammys would include a category exclusively focused on reggaeton to prevent of the controversies and calls for boycott experienced the year before. Thus, a new category named "Best Reggaeton Performance" was introduced this year.
Also starting with the 2020 awards, the Latin Recording Academy announced that it would stop using the term "urban music" in response to controversies which had led its sister organization, The Recording Academy, to announce changes to the names of some that academy's Grammy Awards categories six months after its own January 2020 awards presentations. "Best Pop/Rock Song" and "Best Rap/Hip Hop Song" replaced the "urban" categories, with the latter one including trap music. The "Best Flamenco Album" category made its return to the Latin Grammys after being erased in 2018, due to the lack of competition.
On August 18, the Latin Recording Academy announced the official date for the gala's celebration and its format. Under the slogan "Music Humanizes Us", the 2020 Latin Grammy Awards was returning to Miami, for the first time since the 2003 ceremony. In that announcement, the Latin Grammys organization stated: "If local conditions are favorable in November, The Latin Academy will consider hosting a live audience telecast composed primarily of nominees, presenters and performers."
In November, due to the ongoing pandemic, the ceremony was held without a live audience in the venue, and featured remote performances from all around the world. As a result of the pandemic, the special awards, namely the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Latin Grammy Trustees Award, were not presented this year.
Originally, Carlos Rivera and Roselyn Sánchez were announced as hosts for the ceremony but Sánchez could not continue as host due to health issues. Later, actresses Yalitza Aparicio and Ana Brenda Contreras were announced as hosts alongside Rivera, but a few days later Rivera cancelled his participation due to a COVID-19 case in his team. Then, singer Victor Manuelle was announced as performer and also host with Aparicio and Contreras.
Performances Artist(s) Song(s) Rauw AlejandroIvy QueenVictor ManuelleRicardo MontanerJesús Navarro Tribute to Héctor Lavoe "El Cantante" Debi NovaRaquel Sofía Alex Cuba "Amor en Cuarentena""Esta Situación" Lupita InfanteMariachi Sol de México de José Hernández Tribute to Pedro Infante"Amorcito Corazón" Karol G "Tusa" José Luis Perales "Y Como es Él""Te Quiero" J Balvin "Rojo" GuaynaaSebastián Yatra "Chica Ideal""Three Little Birds" Alejandro FernándezCalibre 50Christian Nodal "Decepciones""Ay Ay Ay""Más No Puedo" Carla MorrisonRicky Martin "Recuerdo""Tiburones" Fito PaezNathy Peluso "La Conquista del Espacio""Buenos Aires" Pitbull "I Believe That We Will Win" Kany GarcíaNahuel PennisiPedro CapóCamilo "Lo que en ti veo""Titanic""Tutu" Los Tigres del Norte "Tres Veces Mojado" Bad Bunny "Bichiyal""Si Veo a Tu Mamá" Julio Reyes CopelloMarc Anthony "Un Amor Eterno" Anitta "Mas, que Nada!""Me Gusta" Natalia JimenezJuanesPrince RoyceLeslie Grace Tribute to Julio Iglesias"Hey"Tribute to Roberto Carlos"Un Gato en la Oscuridad"Tribute to Juan Luis Guerra"Burbujas de Amor" Anuel AA "Estrés Postraumático""El Manual"
Presenters Leslie Grace and Prince Royce – presented Best Urban Music Album Natalia Jiménez and Sebastián Yatra – presented Best Tropical Song Ivy Queen – presented Best Singer-Songwriter Album Pedro Capó – presented Best New Artist Yalitza Aparicio and Ana Brenda Contreras – presented Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album Debi Nova and Alex Cuba – introduced Kany García, Nahuel Pennisi, Pedro Capó and Camilo Juanes – presented Record of the Year Lin-Manuel Miranda – introduced Bad Bunny Kany García – presented Best Pop Song Mike Bahía – introduced Anitta Ricardo Montaner – presented Song of the Year Feid and Greeicy – introduced Anuel AA Victor Manuelle – presented Album of the Year
Winners and nominees The following is the list of nominees.
General Record of the Year "Contigo" - Alejandro Sanz Julio Reyes Copello & Rafa Sardina, producers; James Fitzpatick, Jan Holzner, Nicolás Ramírez, Julio Reyes Copello & Rafa Sardina, recording engineers; Nicolás Ramírez, mixer; Carlos Hernández Carbonell, mastering engineer Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, J Balvin — "China" Marco Masis "Tainy", producer; Luis "Wichie" Ortiz, recording engineer; Luis "Wichie" Ortiz & Juan G. Rivera, mixers; Luis "Wichie" Ortiz & Juan G. Rivera, mastering engineers Pablo Alborán — "Cuando estés aquí" Pablo Alborán, record producer; Pablo Alborán, recording engineer; Oscar Clavel, mixer; Oscar Clavel, mastering engineer Bad Bunny — "Vete" Cesar Oscar Batista Escalera, Jose Carlos Cruz, Freddy Momtalvo, Ivaniel Ortiz, Edgar Wilmer Semper-Vargas & Xavier Alexis Semper-Vargas, record producers; La Paciencia, recording engineer; Josh Gudwin, mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer Bajofondo featuring Cuareim 1080 — "Solari Yacumenza" Juan Campodónico & Gustavo Santaolalla, record producers; Julio Berta, recording engineer; Juan Campodónico, Aníbal Kerpel & Gustavo Santaolalla, mixers; Tom Baker, mastering engineer J Balvin — "Rojo" Alejandro "Sky" Ramírez & Taiko, record producers; Joel Iglesias, recording engineer; Josh Gudwin, mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer Camilo featuring Pedro Capó — "Tutu" Jon Leone, Richi López & George Noriega, record producers; Camilo, Jon Leone, Richi López & George Noriega, recording engineers; Juan G. Rivera, mixer; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer Kany García and Nahuel Pennisi — "Lo que en ti veo" Julio Reyes Copello, record producer; Sebastián Ezequiel Sanabria, Carlos Fernando López, Nicolás Ramírez, Julio Reyes Copello, Marcos Sánchez & Daniel Uribe, recording engineers; Marcos Sánchez, mixer; Gene Grimaldi, mastering engineer Karol G and Nicki Minaj — "Tusa" Daniel Oviedo Echevarria, record producer; Daniel Oviedo Echevarria, recording engineer; Rob Kinelski, mixer; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer Residente — "René" Residente, record producer; Phil Joly & Carlos Velázquez, recording engineers; Beatriz Artola, mixer; Ted Jensen, mastering engineer
Album of the Year Natalia Lafourcade — Un Canto por México, Vol. 1
Kiko Campos, album producer; José Luis Fernández & Rubén López Arista, album recording engineers; Rubén López Arista, album mixer; Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter; Michael Fuller, album mastering engineer Bad Bunny — YHLQMDLG Henry De La Prida & Marco Masis "Tainy", album producers; La Paciencia, album recording engineer; Josh Gudwin, album mixer; Bad Bunny, songwriter; Colin Leonard, album mastering engineer J Balvin and Bad Bunny — Oasis Marco Masis "Tainy" & Alejandro "Sky" Ramírez, album producers; Joel Iglesias, Marco Masis "Tainy", Alejandro "Sky" Ramírez & Roberto Rosado, album recording engineers; Josh Gudwin, album mixer; Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Marco Masis "Tainy" & Alejandro "Sky" Ramírez, songwriters; Colin Leonard, album mastering engineer J Balvin — Colores Alejandro "Sky" Ramírez, album producer; Joel Iglesias, album recording engineer; Josh Gudwin, album mixer; J Balvin, Michael Brun, Rene Cano & Alejandro"Sky" Ramírez, songwriters; Colin Leonard, album mastering engineer Camilo — Por Primera Vez Camilo, Jon Leone, Richi López & Ricardo Montaner, album producers; Jon Leone & Richi López, album recording engineers; Édgar Barrera, Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, album mastering engineer Kany García — Mesa Para Dos Julio Reyes Copello, album producer; Nicolás Ramírez, Julio Reyes Copello & Daniel Uribe, album recording engineers; Nicolás Ramírez & Marcos Sánchez, album mixers; Kany García, songwriter; Gene Grimaldi, album mastering engineer Jesse & Joy — Aire (Versión Día) Charlie Heat, Jesse Huerta & Martin Terefe, album producers; Oskar Winberg, album recording engineer; Josh Gudwin, album mixer; Jason Boyd & Jesse & Joy, songwriters; Colin Leonard, album mastering engineer Ricky Martin — Pausa Julio Reyes Copello & Jean Rodríguez, album producers; Nicolás De La Espriella, Enrique Larreal & Julio Reyes Copello, album recording engineers; Jaycen Joshua, album mixer; Ricky Martin & Danay Suárez, songwriters; Felipe Tichauer, album mastering engineer Fito Páez — La Conquista del Espacio Gustavo Borner, Diego Olivero & Fito Paez, album producers; Gustavo Borner & Phil Levine, album recording engineers; Gustavo Borner, album mixer; Fito Paez, songwriter; Justin Moshkevich, album mastering engineer Carlos Vives — Cumbiana Andrés Leal, Martín Velilla & Carlos Vives, album producers; Andrés Borda, Nicolas Cajamarca, Jorge Corredor, Daniel Cortés, Chris Crawford, Einar Escaf, Sancho Gómez Escolar, Lobzan Graciani, Andrés Leal, Harbey Marín, Dave Rowland & Martín Velilla, album recording engineers; Manny Marroquin, album mixer; Carlos Vives, songwriter; Emerson Mancini, album mastering engineer
Song of the Year "René" Residente, songwriter (Residente) "ADMV" Vicente Barco, Édgar Barrera, Maluma & Stiven Rojas, songwriters (Maluma) "Bonita" Juanes, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres & Sebastián Yatra, songwriters (Juanes and Sebastian Yatra) "Codo con codo" Jorge Drexler, songwriter (Jorge Drexler) "El Mismo Aire" Édgar Barrera, Camilo, Jon Leone, Richi López & Juan Morelli, songwriters (Camilo) "For Sale" Alejandro Sanz & Carlos Vives, songwriters (Alejandro Sanz and Carlos Vives) "#ElMundoFuera" (Improvisación) Alejandro Sanz, songwriter (Alejandro Sanz) "Lo que en ti veo" Kany García, songwriter (Kany García & Nahuel Pennisi) "Tiburones" Oscar Hernández & Pablo Preciado, songwriters (Ricky Martin) "Tusa" Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Karol G, Nicki Minaj & Daniel Oviedo Echavarría, songwriters (Karol G and Nicki Minaj) "Tutu" Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters (Camilo featuring Pedro Capó)
Best New Artist Mike Bahía Anuel AA Rauw Alejandro Cazzu Conociendo Rusia Soy Emilia Kurt Nicki Nicole Nathy Peluso Pitizion WOS
Pop Best Pop Vocal Album Ricky Martin — Pausa Aitana — Spoiler Beret — Prisma Camilo — Por Primera Vez Juanes — Más futuro que pasado
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Andrés Cepeda and Fonseca — Compadres Reyli Barba — La Metamorfosis Andrés Cepeda — Trece Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks — ¡Spangled! José Luis Perales — Mirándote a los Ojos
Best Pop Song "Tutu" — Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters (Camilo featuring Pedro Capó) "Amor en Cuarentena" — Raquel Sofía, songwriter (Raquel Sofía) "Bonita" — Juanes, Mauricio Rengifo, Andrés Torres & Sebastián Yatra, songwriters (Juanes and Sebastian Yatra) "Cuando estés aquí" — Pablo Alborán, songwriter (Pablo Alborán) "Una vez más" — Elsa Carvajal, Grettel Garibaldi, Susana Isaza & Ximena Sariñana, songwriters (Ximena Sariñana)
Urban Best Urban Fusion/Performance Rosalía and Ozuna — "Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi" Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, J Balvin — "China" Bad Bunny, Duki and Pablo Chill-E — "Hablamos Mañana" J Balvin — "Azul" Ricky Martin, Residente and Bad Bunny — "Cántalo"
Best Reggaeton Performance Bad Bunny — "Yo Perreo Sola"