Leading to Grammy nominations on November 8th, Rolling Stone is breaking down 13 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album has always been something of a grab bag; is so broad that anyone could argue that almost any album could fit here. The projects that tend to perform best are straight rock or experimentalism that is difficult to categorize: as examples, Rosalia’s Motomami took the prize in 2023, while Juanes and Natalia Lafourcade shared the prize in an unexpected tie last year.
This year looks to be more of a wildcard race, with tons of releases that showcase the diversity of Spanish-language albums. José Luis Mercado, responsible for the popular Latin music platform and social media account Rock En Las Americas, notes that he has noticed a divide in what artists are doing: the release cycle has been filled with compendiums that harken back to the past and history. of Latin alternative sounds and projects by more recent artists discovering totally different directions. “On the one hand, there were many respected artists, with long legacies, who sought to celebrate their careers,” he says, citing the example of the legendary Colombian rock band Aterciopelados, who regained the energy of their 1995 album. The Golden with an updated live version released in March. “They celebrated their own trajectories, the classics and themes of memory and nostalgia for the fans who were with them.”
Modern artists have dived headfirst into styles that defy genre and capture new energy. Market points to records like that of Argentine disruptor Dillom By cesarean section and the long-awaited second LP by singer Nathy Peluso Fat, who has a great chance of being nominated. “They can go into hip-hop territory, they can go into alternative territory,” he says. “They can do multiple genres at once and are comfortable in all of them.”
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album – Our Predictions
velvety, El Dorado (Live)
Electric diamond, Badly spoken
My pride, Autopoietics
Nathy Peluso, Fat
resident, Letters don’t matter anymore
Who will win?
Nathy Peluso, Fat
Nathy Peluso and Mon Laferte stand out for having the biggest chances here. Both are on the line between representing a more modern sound and having a foot rooted in the classics, and have been nominated before. In 2022, Mon Laferte’s album SIX competed for the award for Best Mexican Music Album and in 2023 his project 1940 Carmen was also a great candidate for this category. Peluso, in turn, was here in 2022, when he debuted Electric shock got a well-deserved nomination. It will be difficult, but we hope Peluso emerges victorious.
Who should win?
My Laferte, Autopoietics
Many people are betting on Mon Laferte this year – and for good reason. “It would be a good indicator of his musical career. We are talking about an artist who has been on the music scene for over a decade and has not yet won an Anglo Grammy”, says Mercado. He also notes that the album’s theme of reinvention and recreation would make it a particularly satisfying victory.
Predicting the Field
It’s difficult to know whether Grammy voters will lean toward more historic reputations, like Aterciopelados, or adopt a more progressive view, like Peluso. A dark horse here could be Diamante Eléctrico, the colorful Colombian band who won love in this category in 2022 and 2024 – perhaps a third time might be the charm. And because “alternative” is so encompassing, we could also see albums like Residente’s Letters don’t matter anymore – a mix of hip-hop, electronic, classical and global production all rolled into one.
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