Latin Grammy Nods

It’s been a good year for Shakira, who leads the pack of nominees for the seventh annual Latin Grammys.

After picking up an MTV award and a Grammy award earlier this year, the Columbian chanteuse was nominated for five Latin Grammy awards including record, song and album of the year.

Shakira is joined by fellow Sony BMG artists Ricardo Arjona, Gustavo Cerati and Julieta Venegas, who each received four nominations.

The singer’s Fijación Oral Vol. 1 faces competition for album of the year from two of those artists – Cerati for Ahi Vamos, and Venegas for Limón y Sal, – as well as León Gieco’s Por Favor, Perdón y Gracias, and Chayanne’s album Cautivo. Cerati was the only contender to be named twice, however, for his role in producing Fijación Oral Vol. 1 as well as his own album.

Record of the year nods went to Shakira’s “La Tortura,” “Me Voy” by Venegas, Arjona’s “Acompáñame A Estar Solo,” Fonseca’s “Te Mando Flores,” and the Sergio Mendes / Black Eyed Peas collaboration, “Mas Que Nada.”

Arjona and Shakira are also competing in the song of the year category, along with newcomer Lena, a best new artist nominee.

The year’s best new artist nominations went to varied acts including newcomer Pamela, reggaeton group Calle 13, electrojazz singer Céu, latin pop-rocker Inés Gaviria, and Cuban music royalty Lena.

A new category, Best Cumbia/Vallenato album was introduced in this year’s lineup. The genre comes from the popular folk music of Columbia’s Caribbean region.

Latin Recording Academy President Gabriel Abaroa told the Miami Herald this year’s nominations reflected a lack of albums by major stars that opened the field for longtime niche acts, as well as mainstream acts the academy has previously resisted.

The Latin Grammys will broadcast live on the Univision network from Madison Square Garden in New York City November 2nd.