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A 2017 Latin Grammy Preview From 'Alt.Latino'

Rene "Residente" Perez performs onstage at Univision and Fusion host RiseUp AS ONE on October 15, 2016. The artist is nominated nine times at the 2017 Latin Grammys.
Leon Bennett
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Getty Images for Univision
Rene "Residente" Perez performs onstage at Univision and Fusion host RiseUp AS ONE on October 15, 2016. The artist is nominated nine times at the 2017 Latin Grammys.

The 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are set to air live from Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 16. Alt.Latino's Felix Contreras visits the show to give his predictions — and some possible predicaments — ahead of this year's ceremony.

While Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's summer hit "Despacito" rode the crossover pop wave and set streaming records, it's only up for two nominations, recognized in the categories of record of the year and song of the year. Contreras believes that's because despite the track's success, the self-titled album by former Calle 13 front man, Residente, is a much stronger front-runner to win big this year.

In terms of the best new talent, Contreras notes that Cuban R&B singer Danay Suárez has shown tremendous growth since he first saw her live six years ago and believes she justly deserves the four nominations garnered this year, including best new artist.

Check out the full Latin Grammy preview conversation at the audio link.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Michel Martin is the weekend host of All Things Considered, where she draws on her deep reporting and interviewing experience to dig in to the week's news. Outside the studio, she has also hosted "Michel Martin: Going There," an ambitious live event series in collaboration with Member Stations.
Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010.
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