Natalia Lafourcade Receives International Folk Music Awards Nomination for Album of the Year

Natalia Lafourcade latest homage to Mexico is earning a special honor…

The 38-year-old Mexican pop-rock and folk singer/songwriter, a two-time Grammy winner and 13-time Latin Grammy winner, is among the honorees at this year’s International Folk Music Awards.

Natalia Lafourcade

Lafourcade is nominated for Album of the Year for her latest project, Un Canto por México, Vol. 2, which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano).

Lafourcade’s first installment, Un Canto por México, Vol. 1, won the Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) and Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2021.

The recipients of the Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards, which are presented each year to honor the cultural impact of legendary folk music figures (in the categories of living, legacy, and business/academic) were also announced.

Accordionist Flaco Jiménez is honored in the living category.

The 83-year-old Mexican American accordionist, known for playing Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music, has been a solo performer and session musician as well as a member of the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven.

Throughout the course of his seven decade career, he has received numerous awards and honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys, Americana Music Awards, Tejano Music Awards, and Billboard magazine.

He is featured in the film This Ain’t No Mouse Music, and Hohner has even released a Flaco Jiménez Signature series line of accordions. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, The Rolling Stones, and recorded on the number one Billboard Country song “Streets of Bakersfield” by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.

Meanwhile, Eugene Rodriguez will receive the Spirit of Folk award.

The acclaimed Mexican-American musician, educator and documentary producer founded Los Cenzontles, both as a band and as a non-profit music academy and community space for Latinx artists, youth, and families in the San Francisco Bay area.

He has produced over 30 recordings of Mexican roots music and cross-cultural projects and was nominated for a Grammy for the bilingual recording “Papa’s Dream”. He has produced three documentaries for the Cultures of Mexico in California series and conceived of the film project Linda and The Mockingbirds. He serves as a board member of the Arhoolie Foundation and has received numerous awards for his cultural and community service.

Amado Espinoza will also receive the Spirit of Folk award.

The Bolivian multi-instrumentalist, composer and instrument maker has called Kansas City home since 2014. Amado specializes in the Charango and Andean flutes, performs with multiple ensembles, and is the co-founder of Resonation Music and Arts, using educational programming to inspire curiosity and respect for world cultures through music, dance, and storytelling.

He’s a Charlotte Street Foundation Performing Arts Fellow, Lighton International Artist Exchange recipient, TedxKC presenter, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Student Theatre Department at UMKC.

The awards, produced by the Folk Alliance International, will be held during the opening evening of the Folk Alliance International’s annual conference on May 18 in Kansas City, Mo., and will also broadcast online.

Here’s the list of nominations:

Album of the Year:
They’re Calling Me Home (with Francesco Turrisi) by Rhiannon Giddens
Wary + Strange by Amythyst Kiah
Un Canto por México, Vol. 2 by Natalia Lafourcade
Outside Child by Allison Russell
The Fray by John Smith 

Song of the Year:
“On Solid Ground” by Reggie Harris
“Painted Blue” by Sarah Jarosz
“We Believe You” by Diana Jones
“Call Me A Fool” by Valerie June
“Changemakers” by Crys Matthews 

Artist of the Year:
The Longest Johns
Kalani Pe’a
Allison Russell
Arooj Aftab
John Francis Flynn

Bad Bunny Wins First Career Grammy for His Acclaimed Album “YHLQMDLG”

It’s a major first for Bad Bunny

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer/songwriter has won his first Grammy.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny, a five-time nominee since 2019, won the Best Latin Pop or Urban Album gramophone for his history-making album YHLQMDLG during the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.

But Bad Bunny isn’t the only first-time Grammy winner…

Kali Uchis picked up the Grammy for Best Dance Recording for the 26-year-old Colombian-American singer/songwriter’s collaborative single with Kaytranada, “10%.”

Fito Paez is also a first time winner…

The 58-year-old Argentine rock and roll pianist, lyricist, singer-songwriter and film director, a multiple Latin Grammy winner, took home Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for La Conquista Del Espacio, beating out Bajofondo’s Aura and Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia .

Colombia’s most emblematic and symbolic salsa band Group Niche couldn’t miss out on the first-Grammy-win fun…

The group, which has been making music for decades, took home its first Grammy, winning in the best tropical album category for 40, an album that pays homage both to its anniversary and to its late founder, Jairo Varela, who died in 2012.

In the highly contested best regional Mexican music album category, the winner was Natalia Lafourcade for Un canto por México, Vol. 1, an homage to Mexican traditional sounds. Lafourcade had previously won a Grammy in the best Latin rock, urban or alternative category for Hasta la raíz in 2016.

There’s no question Arturo O’Farrill is a Grammy darling…

The 60-year-old Mexican jazz musician picked up his career fifth Grammy for Four Questions, his album with his The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Giancarlo Guerrero is celebrating another big win…

The 52-year-old Costa Rican, Nicaraguan-born music director of the Nashville Symphony and his musicians took home the award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Rouse: Symphony No. 5. It’s the sixth Grammy of his career.

Gustavo Dudamel has his second Grammy…

The 40-year-old Venezuelan conductor, who’d previously won a gramophone in 2012, won in the Best Orchestral Performance category for Ives: Complete Symphonies.

Make that 11 wins for Linda Ronstadt.

The 74-year-old retired half-Mexican American singer picked up the 11th Grammy of her career for Best Music Film for her acclaimed documentary The Sound of My Voice.

Here’s the list of all the winners:

Record of the Year: Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, Folklore
Best R&B Performance: Beyoncé, “Black Parade”
Best Pop Vocal Album: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
Best Rap Song: Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage”
Song of the Year: H.E.R., “I Can’t Breathe”
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG
Best Melodic Rap Performance: Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown”
Best Pop Solo Performance: Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar”
Best Country Album: Miranda Lambert, Wildcard
Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Andrew Watt
Best Country Song: The Highwomen, “Crowded Table”
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours”
Best Country Solo Performance: Vince Gill, When My Amy Prays
Best Rock Album: The Strokes, The New Abnormal
Best Rock Song: Brittany Howard, “Stay High”
Best Metal Performance: Body Count, “Bum-Rush”
Best Rock Performance: Fiona Apple, “Shameika”
Best Rap Album: Nas, King’s Disease
Best Rap Performance: Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage”
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: James Taylor, American Standard
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me”
Best R&B Album: John Legend, Bigger Love
Best Progressive R&B Album: Thundercat, It Is What It Is
Best R&B Song: Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello, “Better Than I Imagined”
Best Traditional R&B Performance: Ledisi, “Anything for You”
Best Latin Jazz Album: Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Four Questions
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Maria Schneider Orchestra, Data Lords
Best Jazz Instrumental Album:  Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade, Trilogy 2
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez, Secrets Are the Best Stories
Best improvised Jazz Solo: Chick Corea’s “All Blues”
Best Alternative Music Album: Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Best Musical Theatre Album: Original Broadway Cast, Jagged Little Pill
Best Comedy Album Winner: Tiffany Haddish, Black Mitzvah
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling: Rachel Maddow, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, And The Richest, Most Destructive Industry On Earth
Best Children’s Music Album: Joanie Leeds, All the Ladies
Best Global Music Album: Burna Boy, Twice as Tall
Best Reggae Album: Toots and the Maytals, Got to Be Tough
Best Regional Roots Music Album: New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Atmosphere
Best Folk Album: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, All the Good Times
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Fantastic Negrito, Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
Best Traditional Blues Album: Bobby Rush, Rawer Than Raw
Best Bluegrass Album: Billy Strings, Home
Best Americana Album: Sarah Jarosz, World on the Ground
Best American Roots Song: John Prine, “I Remember Everything”
Best American Roots Performance: John Prine, I Remember Everything
Best Song Written for Visual Media: Billie Eilish, “No Time to Die” (From No Time to Die)
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Various Artists, Jojo Rabbit
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony, Rouse: Symphony No. 5
Best Classical Compendium: Michael Tilson Thomas, Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton, Smyth: The Prison
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Richard O’Neill, Theofanidis: Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Pacifica Quartet, Contemporary Voices
Best Choral Performance: JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua
Best Opera Recording: David Robertson, Eric Owens & Angel Blue, Gershwin: Porgy And Bess
Best Orchestral Performance: Gustavo Dudamel, Ives: Complete Symphonies
Best Tropical Latin Album: Grupo Niche, 40
Best Regional Mexican Album (Including Tejano): Natalia Lafourcade, Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: Fito Paez, La Conquista Del Espacio
Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
Best Engineered Album, Classical: Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’
Best Remixed Recording: SAINt JHN, “Roses” (Imanbek Remix)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Beck, Hyperspace
Best Historical Album: Mister Rogers, It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers
Best Album Notes: The Replacements, Dead Man’s Pop
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Wilco, Ode to Joy
Best Recording PackageVols. 11 & 12 Desert Sessions
Best Roots Gospel Album: Fisk Jubilee Singers, Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary)
Best Gospel Album: PJ Morton, Gospel According To PJ
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Kanye West, Jesus Is King
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: Zach Williams & Dolly Parton, “There Was Jesus”
Best Gospel Performance/Song: Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music, “Movin’ On”
Best New Age Album: Jim “Kimo” West, More Guitar Stories
Best Music Video: Beyoncé with Blue Ivy, and WizKiD, “Brown Skin Girl”
Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals: Jacob Collier with Rapsody, “He Won’t Hold You”
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: John Beasley, “Donna Lee”
Best Instrumental Composition: Maria Schneider, Sputnik
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Snarky Puppy, Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Best Dance/Electronic Album: Kaytranada, Bubba
Best Dance Recording: Kaytranada, “10%” featuring Kali Uchis

Natalia LaFourcade Among the Top Winners at This Year’s Latin Grammys

Natalia LaFourcade has her hands full…

The 36-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter proved to be one of the night’s big winners at the Latin Grammys awards show, taking home three prizes, including one of the top awards.

Natalia Lafourcade

LaFourcade, a Grammy and Latin Grammy darling, was nevertheless a surprise winner in the Album of the Year category with her Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1, a collection of songs dedicated to Mexico and arranged in traditional style.

LaFourcade also won best regional song for “Mi Religión” and best alternative song for “En Cantos,” alongside Ile and co-written with Ismael Cancel.

LaFourcade now raises her total of Latin Grammy wins to 14 after winning in every category she was nominated this year.

But she wasn’t the only top winner of the night…

Rosalía also took home three awards.

The 27-year-old Spanish singer won those awards due to two collaborations. “Yo x Ti Tu x Mi,” with Puerto Rican star Ozuna, won best urban fusion performance and best urban song, leading also to two Latin Grammy wins for Ozuna and one for Rosalía’s collaborator, El Guincho. And “TKN,” her collaboration with Travis Scott, won best short form video (directed by Nicolás Méndez, aka CANADA). She’s now an 8-time Latin Grammy winner.

Carlos Vives also claimed three awards.

The 59-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter’s “Canción para Rubén,” alongside Ruben Blades, won best tropical song while his album Cumbiana won best contemporary/tropical fusion album and the documentary El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana won best long form video.

J Balvin, the top nominee of the evening, won the very competitive best urban album category for Colores, while Bad Bunny’s provocative “Yo Perreo Sola” won best reggaeton performance. The new category was one of the nods the Latin Recording Academy made this year toward appeasing a contingent of urban artists who felt neglected by the Latin Grammys.

The coveted record of the year award went to Alejandro Sanz’s “Contigo,” while song of the year went to Residente for his biographical beauty “René.”

In a surprise win, Mike Bahía took home the best new artist award, beating out some heavy competition, including Anuel AA, Nicky Nicole, Rauw Alejandro and Nathy Peluso.

“No, I didn’t expect this award,” he said backstage. “I’ve had beautiful career moments where awards, let’s say, haven’t really been with me. I didn’t think this would be the exception. But things happen for a reason, and I want to thank my colleagues for validating my work.”

Here’s the full winners list:

GENERAL FIELD:

Record Of The Year: “Contigo” — Alejandro Sanz
Album Of The Year: Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 — Natalia Lafourcade
Song Of The Year: “René” — Residente, songwriter (Residente)
Best New Artist:
Mike Bahía
Best Pop Vocal Album
: Pausa — Ricky Martin
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Compadres – Andrés Cepeda & Fonseca
Best Pop Song: “TuTu” – Camilo, Jon Leone & Richi López, songwriters (Camilo & Pedro Capó)
Best Urban Fusion/Performance: “Yo x Ti Tu x Mi” – Rosalía & Ozuna
Best Reggaeton Performance: “Yo Perreo Sola” — Bad Bunny
Best Urban Music Album:
Colores – J Balvin
Best Rap/Hip Hop Song:
“Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe” – Residente, songwriter (Residente)
Best Urban Song: “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi” – Pablo Diaz-Reixa “El Guincho”, Ozuna & Rosalía, songwriters (Rosalía & Ozuna)
Best Rock Album: “Dónde Jugarán Lxs Niñxs? – Molotov
Best Rock Song: “Biutiful” – Mon Laferte, songwriter (Mon Laferte)
Best Pop/Rock Album:
La Conquista del Espacio – Fito Paez
Best Pop/Rock Song: “La Canción de las Bestias” – Fito Páez, songwriter (Fito Páez)
Best Alternative Music Album: Sobrevolando – Cultura Profética
Best Alternative Song: “En Cantos” – Ismael Cancel, Ile & Natalia Lafourcade, songwriters (Ile & Natalia Lafourcade)
Best Salsa Album: 40 – Grupo Niche
Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album: Sigo Cantando Al Amor (Deluxe) – Jorge Celedón & Sergio Luis Rodríguez
Best Merengue/Bachata Album: Ahora – Eddy Herrera &
Larimar – Daniel Santacruz (Tie)
Best Traditional Tropical Album: Ícono – Orquesta Aragón
Best Contemporary/Tropical Fusion Album: Cumbiana — Carlos Vives
Best Tropical Song: “Canción Para Rubén” – Rubén Blades & Carlos Vives, songwriters (Carlos Vives & Rubén Blades)
Best Singer-Songwriter Album:
Mesa Para Dos – Kany García
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album: Hecho en México — Alejandro Fernández Best Banda Album: Playlist – Chiquis
Best Tejano Album: Live In México – La Mafia
Best Norteño Album
: Los Tigres del Norte At Folsom Prison – Los Tigres del Norte
Best Regional Song: “Mi Religión” – Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)
Best Instrumental Album: Terra – Daniel Minimalia
Best Folk Album: A Capella – Susana Baca
Best Tango Album: Fuelle y Cuerda – Gustavo Casenave
Best Flamenco Album: Flamenco Son Fronteras – Antonio Rey
Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album:
Puertos: Music from International Waters – Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra
Best Christian Album (Spanish Language): Soldados – Alex Campos
Best Portuguese Language Christian Album: Reino – Aline Barros
Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album: Apká! – Céu —
Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album: Amarelo – Emicida Best Samba/Pagode Album: Samba Jazz De Raiz, Claudio Jorge 70 – Cláudio Jorge
Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album: Belo Horizonte – Toninho Horta & Orquestra Fantasma
Best Sertaneja Music Album: Origens [Ao Vivo Em Sete Lagoas, Brazil / 2019] – Paula Fernandes
Best Portuguese Language Roots Album: Veia Nordestina – Mariana Aydar — Best Portuguese Language Song: “Abricó-De-Macaco” — Francisco Bosco & João Bosco, songwriters (João Bosco)
Best Latin Children’s Album: Canta y Juega – Tina Kids
Best Classical Album: Eternal Gratitude – Paulina Leisring & Domingo Pagliuca; Samuel Pilafian, album producer
Best Classical Contemporary Composition
: “Sacre” – Carlos Fernando López & José Valentino, composers (Carlos Fernando López)
Best Arrangement: “La Flor de la Canela” – Lorenzo Ferrero, arranger (Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra)
Best Recording Package: Soy Puro Teatro – Homenaje a La Lupe – Pedro Fajardo, art director (Mariaca Semprún)
Best Engineered Album: 3:33 – Daniel Bitrán Arizpe, Daniel Dávila, Justin Moshkevich, George Noriega, Erick Roman, Paul Rubinstein & JC Vertti, engineers; Miles Comaskey, Najeeb Jones & Tony Maserati, mixers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Debi Nova)
Producer of the Year: Andrés Torres, Mauricio Rengifo
Best Short Form Music Video: “TKN” – Rosalía & Travis Scott / Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA, video director; Oscar Romagosa & Laura Serra Estorch, video producers
Best Long Form Music Video:
El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana – Carlos Vives / Carlos Felipe Montoya, video director; Isabel Cristina Vásquez, video producer