Juanes Sings with the 2023 Best New Artist Nominees During a Full Circle Latin Grammy Moment

Best New Artist past and present nominees united! Colombian rocker Juanes, who won the award back in 2001, performed alongside several of the nominees in the category at the Latin Grammys in Seville.

Armed with his guitar, Juanes ripped through his heartbreaking single “Gris.” The song reflected a moment of marital struggles that he faced while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic with his wife and family that they fortunately worked through. Another bright spot to the performance was the team of Best New Artist nominees behind him like a chorus. Borja, GALE, Falcão, Guanche, Joaquina, and Leiden voices soared with that of Juanes.

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Among the musicians on the rise that joined him were Puerto Rican pop star Gale, who transitioned from writing hits for Shakira and Christina Aguilera to releasing her debut album, Brazilian singer Natascha Falcão, and Paola Guanche, who won La Voz Kids in 2013.

The group was rounded out by indie Spanish act Borja, Venezuelan artist Joaquina, who is also nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter Album, and Mexican pop star Leon Leiden.

Juanes received three Latin Grammy nominations this year, including Album of the Year for Vida Cotidiana, which was a return to rock. The LP also garnered him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2024 ceremony.

“I will say that this is my best album on all levels, not just the lyrics, but also the harmonies. I find this album more elevated in terms of progression, chords, sounds, performing, like everything,” he told Rolling Stone about the record back in May. “And when I was making this album, I told myself, ‘I don’t care about tendencias or modas [trends]. I just want to make my music from my heart, from my soul. I want to make it my own way.’ I feel liberado. There’s no weight on me.”

For the album, Juanes collaborated with Dominican icon Juan Luis Guerra on “Cecilia,” an ode to his wife, and Afro-Colombian rapper Mabiland on “Canción Desaparecida.” The latter is a song about the tragically high enforced disappearance rate in Colombia. On Feb. 13, Juanes will kick off the U.S. leg of his Vida Cotidiana World Tour.

Among the performers at this year’s awards show — hosted for the first time in Seville, Spain — are Chrtistian Nodál and Kany García, Rosalía, Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma, María Becerra, and Feid.

The ceremony is airing live from the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Center in Spain on Univision.

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