Predicting the 2019 Latin American Music Award winners

Nominees:

• Ozuna
• Bad Bunny
• Maluma
• Romeo Santos
• J Balvin
• Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga
• Christian Nodal
• Anuel AA
• Daddy Yankee
• Karol G

Winner: Bad Bunny

In addition to releasing his solo album "X 100Pre" and a joint album "OASIS" alongside J Balvin, Bad Bunny is one of the biggest Latin artists of the year. Since 2018, he's collaborated with a number of artists, including Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez. 

Nominees:

• Sech
• Rosalía
• Darell
• Paulo Londra
• Lunay
• Jhay Cortez

Winner: Rosalía

Over the previous year, Rosalía has wowed a number of fans with her award show performances. She’s been known to revive the flamenco sound with a modern pop and R&B twist. She's also received a number of co-signs by collaborating with artists such as James Blake, Ozuna and J Balvin.

Nominees:

• Bad Bunny & Drake — “MIA”
• DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B — “Taki Taki”
• Daddy Yankee ft. Snow — “Con Calma”
• Pedro Capó and Farruko — “Calma”
• Anuel AA ft. Romeo Santos — “Ella Quiere Beber”

Winner: DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B, “Taki Taki”

DJ Snake is a master at bringing artists together for a smash song. He teamed up with Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B on their hit single, “Taki Taki.” Not only did the song push DJ Snake to step out of his wheelhouse of trap and EDM genres, but it also reached No. 1 on the Latin Airplay and Hot Latin Songs charts.

Nominees:

• Bad Bunny – "X 100PRE"
• Ozuna – "Aura"
• Anuel AA – "Real Hasta La Muerte" 
• Luis Fonsi – "VIDA" 
• Santana – "Africa Speaks"

 Winner: Ozuna – "Aura"

Ozuna has taken reggaeton to new heights, and his album "Aura" was the top-selling Latin album of the year. The album features collaborations with Romeo Santos, Wisin & Yandel, Akon, J Balvin and Cardi B. 

Nominees:

• Natti Natasha
• Karol G
• Becky G
• Rosalía
• Natalia Lafourcade

Winner: Natti Natasha

Although Natti Natasha has been around for a couple of years, she really got noticed once she started collaborating with artists like Daddy Yankee and Becky G. She’s bringing a new sound to the reggaeton genre.

Nominees:

• Ozuna
• Bad Bunny
• Anuel AA
• J Balvin
• Romeo Santos

Winner: Ozuna

Since 2018, not only did Ozuna release his own album “Aura” that featured collaborations with Cardi B and Nicky Jam, but he also worked with J Balvin and DJ Snake. While his songs continuously heat up the Latin Songs charts, he also was the most viewed artist on YouTube in 2018. 

Nominees:

• Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga
• T3r Elemento
• Los Ángeles Azules
• CNCO
• Wisin & Yandel

Winner: Wisin & Yandel

After being on hiatus for a few years and working on solo projects, Wisin & Yandel reunited in 2018. Their latest album featured collaborations with Maluma, Ozuna and Bad Bunny. The album reached No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart, and it showcased how much the duo hasn’t missed a beat of their reggaeton style. 

Nominees:

• Luis Fonsi
• Pedro Capó
• Sebastián Yatra
• CNCO

Winner: Luis Fonsi

Over the last year, Luis Fonsi collaborated on records with artists such as Stefflon Don and Clean Bandit. After a five-year hiatus, Fonsi released his 10^th album, "VIDA," which featured the “Despacito (Remix)," the song that is still the most watched video on YouTube.

Nominees:

• Luis Fonsi – "VIDA"
• Santana – "Africa Speaks"
• Rosalía – "El Mal Querer" 
• Sebastian Yatra – "Fantasía"

Winner: Rosalía – "El Mal Querer"

In November 2018, Rosalía released her second album, "El Mal Querer." Rosalía's album reached No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums and Spanish Billboard charts. "Di mi nombre” became her first No. 1 single and the album's first four singles reached the top 10 on the Spanish singles chart.

Nominees: 

• Pedro Capó x Farruko – “Calma”
• Becky G & Kane Brown – Lost In The Middle Of Nowhere (remix)
• Luis Fonsi, Ozuna – “Imposible”
• Reik a& Maluma – “Amigos Con Derechos”
• Sebastián Yatra & Mau y Ricky – “Ya No Tiene Novio”

Winner: Luis Fonsi x Ozuna – “Imposible”

Luis Fonsi has been on a high since his record-breaking hit “Despacito.” Well he keeps the people dancing on “Imposible” alongside Ozuna. After 17 weeks on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, the song reached No. 1.

Nominees:

• Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga
• Christian Nodal
• T3r Elemento
• Calibre 50

Winner: Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga

At a time when music is constantly evolving and subgenres come into play, there are still artists who have solidified their place by sticking to music they grew up on. Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga is known for keeping its sound traditional in banda, mariachi and ranchera. 

Nominees:

• T3r Elemento – "The Green Trip"
• Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga – "Con Todas Las Fuerzas"
• Raymix – "Oye Mujer" 
• Lenin Ramírez – "Bendecido"

Winner: Raymix – "Oye Mujer"

Raymix has been increasing his fan base since his song "Oye Mujer" became a No. 1 hit and won last year's Latin AMA for Favorite Regional Mexican Song. The album of the same name shows Raymix giving cumbia an electropop twist.  

Nominees:

• Los Ángeles Azules ft. Natalia LaFourcade – “Nunca Es Suficiente”
• Banda Los Sebastianes – “A Través del Vaso”
• Christian Nodal – “No Te Contaron Mal”
• T3r Elemento featuring Gerardo Ortiz – “Aerolínea Carrillo”
• Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga – “Mejor Me Alejo”

Winner: Los Ángeles Azules ft. Natalia LaFourcade – “Nunca Es Suficiente”

Los Ángeles Azules has kept its fans dancing for nearly three decades but came across its first No. 1 hit in nearly 20 years with the single “Nunca Es Suficiente." The band recruited Natalia LaFourcade for the single and continues to keep the iconic cumbia sound alive.

Nominees:

• Bad Bunny
• Ozuna
• Anuel AA
• J Balvin

Winner: J Balvin

Besides releasing his own records, J Balvin is quite the sought-out artist across different genres. Since 2018, he’s worked on songs alongside DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Tyga and Beyoncé.

Nominees:

• Bad Bunny – "X 100PRE"
• Ozuna – "Aura"
• Anuel AA – "Real Hasta La Muerte" 
• Farruko – "Gangalee"

Winner: Bad Bunny – "X 100PRE"

Many fans were waiting for Bad Bunny to drop his own project after a successful year of features with artists like Becky G and Cardi B. Bad Bunny brings his Latin trap and reggaeton sound to the forefront with his debut album, “X 100PRE.” The album features songs with Diplo, El Alfa and Drake.

Nominees:

• Bad Bunny and Drake – “MIA”
• DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B – “Taki Taki”
• Anuel AA & Romeo Santos – “Ella Quiere Beber”
• Daddy Yankee Featuring Snow – “Con Calma”
• Ozuna x Manuel Turizo – “Vaina Loca”

Winner: Bad Bunny & Drake – “MIA”

There’s no doubt how much Drake is a genre-bending artist, so it’s only right when Bad Bunny recruited the 6 God for the hit single “MIA.” Fans get a chance to hear Drake sing in Spanish alongside the Puerto Rican rapper.

Nominees:

• Romeo Santos
• Marc Anthony
• Carlos Vives
• Juan Luis Guerra

Winner: Marc Anthony

Since 2018, Marc Anthony has collaborated with artists such as Bad Bunny, Prince Royce and Will Smith. His 12th album, "OPUS," received rave reviews from fans and critics.

Nominees:

• Romeo Santos – "Utopía"
• Marc Anthony – "OPUS"
• Juan Luis Guerra 440 – "Literal" 
• Gilberto Santa Rosa – "40... Y Contando En Vivo Desde Puerto Rico"

Winner: Romeo Santos – "Utopía"

In April 2019 Romeo Santos released his fourth studio album, “Utopía." He kept his traditional bachata sound while also releasing an Aventura song as a single.

Nominees:

• Romeo Santos  - “Centavito”
• Aventura – “Inmortal”
• Wisin & Yandel and Romeo Santos – “Aullando”
• Prince Royce, Marc Anthony – “Adicto”
• Silvestre Dangond and Maluma – “Vivir Bailando”

Winner: Aventura – “Inmortal”

Bachata band Aventura set social media ablaze when it released “Inmortal,” its first single after a 10-year hiatus. The song ended up debuting at No. 5 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Nominees:

• DJ Snake
• Drake
• Snow
• Sean Paul

Winner: DJ Snake

DJ Snake is typically known for producing songs in the EDM, dubstep and hip-hop realms. However on his 2019 album, “Carte Blanche,” he worked with artists such as J Balvin and Ozuna to give his music more of the urbano Latino feel.

Nominees:

• Jennifer Lopez
• Luis Miguel
• Bad Bunny
• Chayanne
• Marc Anthony

Winner: Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has been in the industry for over two decades, and she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Lopez’s 2019 It’s My Party tour had her selling out arenas like Inglewood’s The Forum and NYC’s Madison Square Garden, as she belted out hits like “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” and “Let’s Get Loud.” The band, choreography and showmanship highlight just how much J-Lo can put on a great performance.

Nominees:

• Camila - “Te Confieso”
• Becky G and Maluma - “La Respuesta”
• Daddy Yankee and Wisin & Yandel - “Si Supieras”
• Sofia Reyes ft. Rita Ora & Anitta -“R.I.P.”
• Sebastian Yatra and Camilo - “En Guerra”

Winner: Becky G and Maluma - “La Respuesta”

The video with Becky G and Maluma showcases life in the 1950s but with a modern twist. It highlights how women are typically subjected to play certain work roles, but the roles are switched in the video, showing women doing work that was once considered "masculine" and looking good while doing it.