Camilo Nabs 10 Latin Grammy Nominations. Reggaeton Still Largely Shut Out

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Colombian singer Camilo is up for album of the year, song the year and record of the year across 10 nominations for the Latin Grammys. / Redferns/Getty Images

The Latin Grammys usher in a new era with nominations that favors a wider range of artists, genre, and fusion pieces.

Colombian singer Camilo was the stand-out artist this year, garnering 10 nominations for headlining awards like album and song of the year. The announcement ties a bow on what has proven to be a momentous year for the relatively new artist, from releasing a highly-praised sophomore album (Mis Manos) to several high-profile collaborations, including "999" with Selena Gomez.

Rising star Rauw Alejandro will vie for song and record of the year alongside industry legends like Marc Anthony and Julio Iglesias. "Tattoo (Remix)," Alejandro's single with Camilo, is up for best urban fusion/performance.

Colombian band Diamante Eléctrico, which recently performed a Tiny Desk (home) concert, received nominations for best record and song of the year, as well as for best pop/rock album and song.

Reggaeton, despite its artistic and commercial success worldwide, remains a poor showing in Latin Grammy nominations. Bad Bunny came away with four; El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo was the only reggaeton record to receive a nod for album of the year. J Balvin, Farruko, Karol G, Ozuna and "La Curiosidad'' by Jay Wheeler, DJ Nelson and Myke Towers are up for best reggaeton performance.

Arguably one of 2021's biggest stories in music, "Patria y Vida" has been nominated song of the year and best urban record of the year. For an in-depth explainer that dug into its many references, Alt.Latino called the collaborative track "a unifying cry for the largest uprising in recent Cuban history." Written and performed by Cubans in exile (Gente de Zona, Orishas' Yotuel Romero, Descemer Bueno) and those still on the island (Maykel Osboro and Eliécer "el Funky" Márquez), "Patria y Vida" has become the artistic cornerstone for a massive historical moment, paving the way for future Latin American protest through music.

The awards will air live on Univision on Nov. 18.

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