Latin music has never been defined by a single sound, and Canada’s vibrant Latin music scene makes that abundantly clear. Moving between languages, genres and cultural influences, Latin artists are producing some of the country’s most exciting music, with a remarkable range of sounds and perspectives to discover.
In 2026, that music earned its own dedicated space at the JUNO Awards with the debut of Latin Music Recording of the Year category. From experimental reggaeton to Cuban soul, the inaugural nominees showcase the breadth, talent, and creativity of Canada’s Latin music community.
This Latin American Heritage Month, get to know the artists and recordings behind the category’s first-ever nominations.
Cuban-born, British Columbia-based singer-songwriter Alex Cuba has spent his career combining Latin rhythms with funk, soul and pop, earning multiple JUNO Awards and a GRAMMY along the way. His 2025 album, Índole, earned him the inaugural Latin Music Recording of the Year JUNO Award. The record pays tribute to his Afro-Latin roots and the African diaspora’s influence on the music of Latin America, a history Cuba wanted to acknowledge through both the songwriting and arrangements.
Across twelve tracks, Cuba draws on Afro-Cuban, Afro-Colombian and Afro-Peruvian traditions to explore his relationship with ancestry and the music it has inspired. The album’s range is particularly evident in the contrast between the percussion-driven “Espíritu Temba” and the breezy, country-influenced “Palabras Vacías,” a song Cuba says he could only have imagined writing after 27 years of living in a multicultural environment.
Andy Rubal began performing at six years old with the Cuban children’s group Baby Salsa before going on to study classical piano and composition in Havana. Born in Santiago de Cuba and now based in Montreal, Rubal draws on that training in his work as a pianist, singer and composer, incorporating jazz and classical influences into contemporary Cuban salsa.
Rubal wrote all the compositions on his third album, BAILA Y CONFÍA (Dance and Trust), bringing together the rhythmic foundations of salsa and timba with his approach to piano and arrangement. The title track features lively exchanges between the instruments, while “Cantarle Un Son” pays tribute to legendary Cuban musician Sixto “El Indio” Llorente. His classical training can be heard throughout the album, complementing the percussion and brass characteristic of Cuban dance music.
Few artists approach reggaeton quite like Isabella Lovestory. The Honduran-born, Montreal-based musician has developed a distinctive sound that incorporates experimental electronics, club music and the aesthetics of early-2000s pop. Her sophomore album, Vanity, builds on the provocative sound of her 2022 debut, Amor Hardcore, turning its attention toward beauty, celebrity culture and the complexities of self-image.
Across tracks like “Puchica,” “Eurotrash” and “Gorgeous,” Vanity moves between Spanish trap, reggaeton and synth-heavy pop, balancing exaggerated glamour with darker, more introspective themes. Lovestory describes the album as an exploration of her complicated relationship with having her image on display, using fantasy and storytelling to examine vanity in all its contradictions.
Following her Polaris Music Prize-winning album La Papessa and the critically acclaimed Miss Colombia, Lido Pimienta turned to orchestral composition for her latest project, La Belleza. The Colombian-born, Toronto-based musician, whose previous work incorporates Afro-Colombian rhythms and electronic production, developed the album following her experience composing for the New York City Ballet.
Recorded with the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra in collaboration with Canadian musician Owen Pallett, the nine-track album draws on classical music, film scores and Pimienta’s Indigenous Wayuu heritage. Strings and choral arrangements take the place of much of the electronic production heard on her earlier releases, accompanying songs about family, memory and her relationship with Colombia. The project introduces a different musical setting for subjects Pimienta has addressed throughout her career.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and based in Toronto, Mario Puglia makes bilingual music that incorporates indie-pop and R&B influences. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, he writes, produces and performs his own material, moving between English and Spanish throughout his album, He Sanado Varias Cosas. Translating to I’ve Healed Several Things, the title refers to the personal changes Puglia experienced while writing the record.
Written across several cities, the album addresses anxiety, self-worth and learning to appreciate the present. “Paz y Felicidad” was conceived during a writing retreat outside Medellín, while “vision board,” written in Mexico City, deals with nostalgia and the mixed emotions that accompany personal growth. The latter’s accompanying video, filmed in Venezuela, incorporates archival family footage, connecting the song’s themes to Puglia’s childhood and relationship with his home country.
Submissions for Latin Music Recording of the Year and all other JUNO Award categories are open now until November 5, 2026. For full eligibility requirements and submission details, visit junoawards.ca/submissions.
