J Balvin tops Latin Grammy noms

NEW YORK Reggaeton star J Balvin received eight Latin Grammy Award nominations on Thursday, including two for record of the year, one for album of the year and one for song of the year with Beyoncé for their hit version of Mi gente, also featuring Willy William.

Spanish sensation Rosalia is next with five nominations.

Balvin, from Colombia, got two nominations for record of the year, for Mi gente with William and X with Nicky Jam, and an album of the year nod for Vibras, a production he decided to do all-inSpanish after having worked with American stars including Cardi B and Liam Payne. His nomination with Beyoncé is in for best urban fusion/performance.

He dominates the best urban song category with three credits, in Anitta’s Downtown; Sensualidad, with Bad Bunny and Prince Royce, as well as X. And he will compete for best urban music album for Vibras.

Rosalia is nominated for record and song of the year for Malamente, a hit that combines flamenco and trap. It also got nods for best urban fusion/performance and best short form music video.

For album of the year, Balvin compites with an eclectic group of established and rising artists that includes Pablo Alboran (Prometo), Chico Buarque (Caravanas), Jorge Drexler (Salvavidas de hielo), El David Aguilar (Siguiente), Kany Garcia (Soy yo), Natalia Lafourcade (Musas, un homenaje al folclore latinoamericano en nanos de Los Macorinos, Vol. 2), Luis Miguel (¡Mexico por siempre!), Monsieur Perine (Encanto tropical) and Rozalen (Cuando el rio suena ...).

Those with four nominations include singer-songwriters El David Aguilar, Jorge Drexler, Kany Garcia and Natalia Lafourcade, and producers Mauricio Rengifo and Andres Torres. Pablo Alboran, Monsieur Perine and Nicky Jam, among others, got three each.