Will 2026 Mark The End of Brazilian Music’s Greatest Era?
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026. Has the future arrived?
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
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The Latin Grammy Awards. The time of year where Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Latin America convene to present their countries’ most notable musicians and the music they create.
Here at Connect Brazil, we watch with interest to see how Brazil’s nominees will fare against the competition. And 2026 is no exception. But this year feels different.
That’s because we are nearing the end of Brazil’s greatest musical era, if we haven’t reached it already. And I’m wondering if we have.
A Short History For This Years’ Latin Grammys
I’m referring to MPB. Música Popular Brasileira grew from the roots of Choro (Brazil’s original instrumental music) and Samba in the early 1900s. Musicians like Noel Rosa (1920s), Ary Barroso (1930s), and Carmen Miranda (1950s) mainstreamed the concept of pop music.
MPB became an acronym in the early 60s, rising up in creative protest against the Brazilian government. Songwriters led the way, using double-entendre to escape censorship on the radio.
By 1970, MPB had become a cultural and commercial powerhouse, expanding Brazilian music internationally in the decades to come. From Elis Regina to Milton Nascimento, Gal Costa to Caetano Veloso. From Leila Pinheiro to Ivan Lins, Rita Lee to Gilberto Gil plus hundreds more.
Three generations of Brazilian musicians nurtured in MPB’s creative cradle.
RIP MPB?
The Latin Grammy Awards (somewhat) reflect the generational pulse of today’s Brazilian music scene. Fresh voices vie for ‘Best New Artist’ and Record, Song, and Album of The Year.
But MPB’s greatest stars are fading and lately every annual Connect Brazil Guide for the Latin Grammys includes fewer of these legendary names.
This year, Djavan’s Improviso is nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter Album, and I can’t help but wonder if this is his (and MPB’s) swan song moment.
What Does Brazil’s Future Hold For The Latin Grammys
Times change, so does music. By any definition, neither MPB or Música Popular Brasileira fit well with Anitta. Pop culture and social perspective is different.
And while there is no shortage of rising stars on the Brazilian Pop scene, few have the talent to captivate in the same way as the greatest talents from MPB’s Golden Age.
Looking for the inheritors of MPB? You’ll be hard pressed to find one on this list of nominations. Perhaps Luedji Luna.
The good news is that Connect Brazil’s list of next gen MPB crusaders can be heard anytime on our live streaming station and the many Brazilian channels we program for AccuRadio.
Happy listening. Embrace the future!
Scott Adams, Creative Director
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
Record of The Year
‘O Amor Nos Encontrou’ by Loulu Gilberto
Album Of The Year
Equilibrivm by Anitta
Song Of The Year
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
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Best Singer-Songwriter Album
Best New Artist
- Loulu Gilberto: (Youngest daughter of João Gilberto)
- Dora Sanches: (Brazilian R&B)
- Zeca Veloso: (Middle son of Caetano Veloso)
Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira)/MAPB (Música Afro Portuguesa Brasileira) Album
- Criolo, Amaro e Dino by Criolo, Amaro Freitas, Dino d’Santiago
- Vende-se Lembrança by Pedro Emílio
- Améfrica by Bia Ferreira
- Afim by Zé Ibarra
- Eita by Lenine
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
The 27th Latin Grammy Awards will air live on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026
Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album
- Equilibrivm by Anitta
- Ludom by Ludom
- Antes Que A Terra Acabe by Luedji Luna
- Brava by Jenni Mosello
- Marinada Vol.01 by Marina Sena
Best Samba/Pagode Album
- 50 Anos De Carreira by Leci Brandão
- Jessé – As canções de Zeca Pagodinho by Teresa Cristina
- Nos Braços do Povo, Vol 2 (Ao Vivo) by Xande De Pilares
- Sentimento by Ferrugem
- Quinhão by Mosquito
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
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Best Portuguese Language Song
- ‘Águas De Um Mar Azul’ by Fábio & Hyldon, songwriters
- ‘Memória’ by Carminho, Noah Goldstein, Armando Machado, Rosalía & Dylan Wiggins, songwriters
- ‘No Vento De Nós’ by Djodje Almeida, Criolo, Dino d’Santiago & Amaro Freitas, songwriters
- ‘Sua Onda’ by Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown & Marisa Monte, songwriters
- ‘Viver e Morrer De Amor Na América Latina’ by Johnny Hooker, songwriter
Best Instrumental Album
- Peregrino by Yamandú Costa & Hermanos Saboya
- NOVA by Hamilton De Holanda feat. Salomão Soares, Thiago Big Rabello
- Obra Viva De Hermeto Pascoal – Vol 1: Flautas by Andrea Ernest Dias, Aline Gonçalves, Eduardo Neves, Carlos Malta
The Connect Brazil Guide: Latin Grammys 2026
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