Q’s With Manuel Abud: 25 Years Of The Latin Grammys

The Latin Recording Academy made history last year by having its Latin Grammys ceremony in Seville, Spain, the charming, beautiful birthplace of flamenco. The move marked a turning point for the association and music at large as genres like reggaeton and regional Mexican dominated global sales and streaming charts. 

With Latin music going global, the Academy followed suit, and so how does one follow up such a historic move? Simply by celebrating yet another major milestone. The Latin Grammys are turning 25 this year and the Nov. 14 ceremony at Miami’s Kaseya Center promises to be another memorable evening by celebrating the past, present and future of the show as well as música Latina, and it was only fitting that the iconic gramophones be handed out in the city the Academy has called home since its inception in 2017.

Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with Pollstar about the upcoming show, the evolution of Latin music and the lessons learned from last year’s ceremony in Spain.

Pollstar: Last year’s show in Seville was a herculean effort. How do you feel going into this year’s production in Miami after Spain?

Manuel Abud: Sevilla was an amazing experience, but something I really want everybody to understand is that it was not a day trip. It’s part of a comprehensive and organic growth strategy to expand the experiential portion of the Latin Grammy experience. It proved the concept that this is totally doable, that Latin music is at that super high level that attracts the talent and the audience for it to become like an Olympics or F1 event.

Miami was a perfect segway because it’s our 25th anniversary. We’re going back home, and Miami has been pushing really hard to consolidate as that hub for big events, not only Latin American but in general. This year, we’ve been all over the map in creating a comprehensive and robust road to the Latin Grammys. We’re in Cádiz, in Malaga, twice in Buenos Aires, in Puerto Rico, in [Los Angeles]. We also have three exhibits: one in New York, one in LA and one in Miami.

What can you tell me about this year’s new categories (Best Latin Electronic Music Performance and Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album), and what do such changes say about modern Latin music?

Our process of adding categories is very robust. We want to make sure that we don’t create a category that we need to cancel three or four years down the road. So, first we listen to our membership. Then, a specific committee needs to prove the concept and make an estimate of how many entries we will have, what kind of interest we have. That is a process that takes from one to two years, and we take it very seriously. So, both of the new categories have been in the works for a couple of years, at least, and we thought this was the right time. Both categories show robust participation, and they’re a testament of our ability to really stay with the times. Music is evolving all the time, and … this evolution is a constant fusion of different genres. It is a challenge to make sure that the categories are reflecting that evolution.

Last year’s show was an indication of Latin music’s globalization. What’s the messaging in 2024?

It’s a celebration of a journey that reflects what is going on with Latin music. For us at the academy, we’re very proud and humble that we’ve been able to really walk through this journey with our artists and hopefully helped them achieve these global successes. 

This year our Latin Grammy Week is more robust than ever. I can venture to say that it’s going to be more than 50 performances. We want to make sure it’s a celebration, but it’s not just nostalgia. It’s recognizing the past but celebrating the present and being ready for the future.

Looking ahead, is there a possibility of taking the Latin Grammys to another country?

Absolutely. I can’t assure you 100% that next year it’s going to happen because we have a lot of great learnings from Sevilla, and one of the major ones is that these are great experiences, but they don’t have to be that crazy. You can do it with time, with more planning, allowing the sponsors to come along, for the artists to plan their touring. 

Sevilla was pulled together in less than a year. It was incredible, so I don’t completely discount the possibility of going out next year because there are a couple of cities that are in the hunt. But the likelihood is that for sure between now and 2026, we’ll go international again and most likely in Latin America.

We’re less than two weeks away from the show. What are you looking forward to personally?

Number one should always be the safety of all our attendees. When people ask me about Sevilla, that was my number one concern. Today in this environment and being in Miami, from political issues to hurricanes, we’re not free of risks, and so the first thing is that everybody is safe and that we finish with no incidents. 

And then we get together and celebrate excellence, regardless of who the winners are. They’re all incredibly talented, and whether you take home the gramophone or not, you’ve already won. That’s what I tell the younger artists. I speak individually with each one of the nominees for Best New Artist and tell them a little bit of what I’m just sharing with you, which is enjoy it. It’s a celebration. It’s not a competition. So, let’s just go and celebrate. Yes, one of you is going to go home with a gramophone and it’s going to feel great, but all the other nine should feel very proud and very happy to be here.