Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2023 Latin Grammy Awards

Juan Luis Guerra, Miguel Zenón, and Kristhyan Benitez are among this year's nominees.

By
Colette Greenstein
September 20, 2023
Juan Luis Guerra

Juan Luis Guerra

Image courtesy of HBO

Numerous Berklee alumni have received Latin Grammy nominations for performing, songwriting, production, engineering, and mixing across several categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Tropical Song, and Best Instrumental Album.

The Latin Recording Academy will honor the achievements of Latin music and its creators at the 24th annual Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday, November 16, from the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES) in Sevilla, Spain, marking the first-ever international telecast in the history of the organization and awards. The telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision in collaboration with Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) in Spain, and will air on Univision in the United States.

Internationally renowned Dominican musician and singer Juan Luis Guerra ’82, who studied jazz composition at Berklee, is up for three awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Tropical Song for his performance on “Si Tú Me Quieres.” Miguel Zenón ’98, who is a visiting artist this academic year at the college, was nominated for his seventh Latin Grammy in the category of Best Instrumental Album for his contribution to Romance Al Campesino Porteño, which explores the textures of Puerto Rico and Latin America. Lewis Pickett B.M. ’09, who is a former Latin Grammy winner, is nominated in three categories for his work as mixer on “Carretera y Manta” and “Correcaminos,” both nominated for Record of the Year, and for La Cu4rta Hoja, which is one of the nominees for Album of the Year. Producer, songwriter, and singer Cristina Abaroa '91 received her third consecutive nomination in the Best Latin Children's Album category, for her work on Vamos Al Zoo by Danilo & Chapis. Conservatory alumnus and Venezuelan pianist Kristhyan Benitez G.P.D. ’10, A.D. ’15, who won a Latin Grammy in 2021, has been nominated in the Best Classical Album category for his newest project, Afro-Cuban Dances. 

Since the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences founded the Latin Grammys in 2000, 51 Berklee alumni have received 118 awards.

Below is a full list of Berklee alumni Latin Grammy nominees. Please note the list is subject to change as we receive updated information. 

Record of the Year

  • “Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca and Juan Luis Guerra 
    Juan Luis Guerra ‘82, ’09H, singer, producer

    Sebastian De Peyrecave B.M. ’04, recording engineer

  • “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora,” Karol G 
    Juan Andrés Ospina B.M. ’07, producer 

  • “Carretera y Manta,” Pablo Alborán 
    Lewis Pickett B.M. ’09, mixer

  • “Correcaminos,” Alejandro Sanz featuring Danny Ocean 
    Lewis Pickett B.M. ’09, mixer

Album of the Year

  • La Cu4rta Hoja, Pablo Alborán 
    Lewis Pickett B.M. ’09, mixer

  • De Adentro Pa Afuera, Camilo 
    Juan Ariza B.M. ’16, album producer, album recording engineer

  • Vida Cotidiana, Juanes
    Vago Galindo B.M. ’14, mixing engineer

  • Play, Ricky Martin 
    Enrique Larreal B.M. ’04, album recording engineer

  • Eadda9223, Fito Paez 
    Gustavo Borner B.M. ’89, album producer, mixer, and album recording engineer 
    Phil Levine ’16, album recording engineer 
    Justin Moshkevich B.M. ’07, album mastering engineer

Song of the Year 

  • “Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca and Juan Luis Guerra 
    Juan Luis Guerra ’82, ’09H, singer, producer

Best New Artist

      Borja '18 

Best Pop Vocal Album

  • Beautiful Humans Vol. 1, Alemor  
    Alemor B.M. ’12, singer, songwriter

Best Pop Song

  • “Bailo Pa Ti,” Monsieur Periné 
    Natalia Hernández Morales B.M. ’19, songwriter 
    Mitchie Rivera ’17, songwriter

Best Pop/Rock Album 

  • El Diablo En El Cuerpo, Alex Anwadter 
    Evan Sutton B.M. '10, engineer, mixer

Best Salsa Album 

  • Voy A Ti, Luis Figueroa 
    Luis Figueroa B.M. ’20, singer, songwriter

Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album 

  • Hombre Absurdo, Gregorio Uribe 
    Gregorio Uribe B.M. ’07, singer, songwriter, accordion

Best Tropical Song 

  • “Que Me Quedes Tú,” Techy Fatule
    Techy Fatule, '10, songwriter

  • “Si Tú Me Quieres,” Fonseca and Juan Luis Guerra 
    Juan Luis Guerra ’82, ’09H, songwriter

Best Instrumental Album

  • Romance Al Campesino Porteño, Miguel Zenón, José A. Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith, and Casey Rafn 
    Miguel Zenón B.M. ’98, saxophonist, composer 
    José A. Zayas Cabán B.M. ’80, saxophone

Best Latin Children's Album

  • Vamos Al Zoo, Danilo & Chapis
    Cristina Abaroa PDM '91, album producer, songwriter, singer, arranger, vocals, guitar

    Bruce Sugar ’76, mixing engineer

    Jett Galindo B.M. ’12, mastering engineer

    Scott Erickson ’92, arranger, recording engineer

Best Classical Album

  • Afro-Cuban Dances, Kristhyan Benitez 
    Kristhyan Benitez G.P.D. ’10, A.D. ’15, artist, album producer

Best Classical Contemporary Composition 

  • “Aroma A Distancia (Live from Paliesius, Lithuania),” Gonzalo Grau 
    Gonzalo Grau B.M. ’98, composer

Best Engineered Album

  • Quietude, Eliane Elias 
    Rodrigo de Castro Lopes B.M. ’90, engineer 
    Pete Karam B.M. ’94, mixer