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A new Field and two Categories added, and changes to requirements for existing categories also made
MIAMI (MARCH 19, 2025) — As part of The Latin Recording Academy®’s commitment to evolve with the ever-changing musical landscape, and to best serve its membership body of music creators and professionals, we are pleased to announce that several changes, including a new field and two categories, have been added to the 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® Process.
NEW FIELD & CATEGORY
FIELD: VISUAL MEDIA
CATEGORY: BEST MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA
The category of Music for Visual Media recognizes original music created to accompany and enrich the storyline of movies, television series, video games and other visual media.
This includes music that, through its creativity and originality, significantly enriches the narrative and atmosphere of movies, series, documentaries, video games, and other visual media, elevating the viewer's experience. For a project to participate in this category, it must: A) feature Latin rhythms recognized as genres participating in the annual Latin GRAMMY awards; or B) be composed by someone of Ibero-American descent. A fundamental condition is that the music be original and created specifically for the visual media project. To qualify, the total duration of the production must be at least 15 minutes of the original music and not different versions of it, and it can include songs with lyrics and vocals in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or regional dialects, or it can be instrumental. The statuette is presented to: Composer(s) and Artist(s) with significant contributions, Producer(s), Arranger(s), Recording Engineer(s) and Mixing Engineer(s) for 51% or more of the total recording time of the album.
NEW CATEGORY
BEST ROOTS SONG – SINGLES OR TRACKS ONLY (TRADITIONAL FIELD)
This award is given to the songwriters of new, unpublished recordings, both vocal and instrumental, that reflect the traditions and roots of various communities, cultures, or social groups, especially those of Hispanic American origin, whether in Spanish, Portuguese or in indigenous languages or dialects. Eligible genres include tango, folk, flamenco, and other traditional subgenres, excluding tropical music and its derivatives, and must be in Spanish, Portuguese or in indigenous languages or dialects. If another language is included, the recording must contain at least 60% of its lyrics in Spanish, Portuguese or in an indigenous language, be completely original, and have been released during the current eligibility period. The recording can be part of an album (tracks) or presented as a single. Covers, remixes, and recordings that use interpolation or samples from other previously released recordings will not be considered. The award is given to the songwriter(s), and Special Certificates (Publisher’s Certificates) are awarded to the music publishers.
ADDITIONAL CATEGORY AMENDMENTS
1. CATEGORY NAME CHANGES:
Best Pop Vocal Album category will now be named Best Contemporary Pop Album (Pop Field).
Best Urban Fusion/Performance category will now be named Best Urban/Urban Fusion Performance (Urban Field).
Best Latin Children’s Album category will now be named Best Children’s Album (Children’s Field).
2. AMENDMENT TO CATEGORY NAMES WITHIN THE POP FIELD:
The Pop Field is eliminating the word “Vocal” from the categories within its field, therefore, the album categories names will be as follows:
Best Contemporary Pop Album
Best Traditional Pop Album
3. AMENDMENT TO ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Eligibility criteria was updated in the Best Urban/Urban Fusion Performance category (Urban Field):
Remixes are eligible only if the original version of the song was released within the same eligibility year.
The required percentage of urban elements is increasing from 51% to 60% to qualify in this category.
4. NEW SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
The Songwriter of the Year category reduced the minimum song threshold from six (6) songs to four (4). Songwriters with a minimum of four (4) newly written songs will be credited as a songwriter or co-writer, provided they are not also the performer, producer or engineer.
5. NEW VIDEO ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Best Long Form Music Video Category (Music Video Field)
Eligible videos in the Best Long Form Music Video category must have a minimum duration of 12 minutes. Additional eligibility criteria: the duration of the credits will not be counted as part of the video's length unless they contribute to the creative process.
6. AMENDMENT TO THE SCREENING AND VOTING PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR CATEGORY:
The Producer of the Year category (Production Field), recognized as a craft category, will now be screened and voted on by a specialized committee in addition to the membership screening and voting process.
ONLINE ENTRY PROCESS
NEW GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS:
1. REQUIRED INFORMATION
For each entry in the Online Entry Process, the entrant is required to provide the recording date, the UPC or the ISRC number for the recording being submitted for Latin GRAMMY consideration.
2. STREAMING LINKS
The entrant must provide at least two (2) streaming links, ensuring that the links direct to the specific recording and not to the artist's page.
3. ENTRY FEES
The Latin Recording Academy has decided to implement the following fee structure:
MEMBERS - The Per-entry fee structure encourages submitters to carefully evaluate the value of each entry and prioritize work, they truly believe is worthy of recognition. Under this model, all Associate and Voting Members receive five (5) complimentary entries annually. Starting with the 6th entry members will pay $20 USD per additional entry.
RECORD LABELS - Record labels are currently required to pay a $500 fee to submit entries, with such fee varying based on the timing of the submission, as outlined below:
THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY FEE SCHEDULE
| Category | Early Entry Pricing (April 1 - April 30) | Standard Pricing (May 1 - May 30) |
|---|---|---|
| Members | $20 (after 5 courtesy entries) | $20 (after 5 courtesy entries) |
| Record Labels | $500 | $1,000 |
All updates go into effect immediately for the upcoming 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards taking place in November 2025. To view this year’s Awards calendar, visit https://www.latingrammy.com/en/awards/calendar.
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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Latin Recording Academy® is an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, The Biggest Night in Latin Music®, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for the music community through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
The Latin Recording Academy
Nathalie Alberto
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