Jorge Drexler
Photo: John Parra/Getty Images
Jorge Drexler Wins Song Of The Year Latin GRAMMY For "Telefonía"
The winner of the Song Of The Year at the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards is Jorge Drexler for his song "Telefonía," adding songwriting's top honor to his growing list of accolades.
From Uruguay, Drexler is a previous winner of two Latin GRAMMY Awards as well as a previous GRAMMY nominee. Drexler's composition "Telefonía" was also nominated for Record Of The Year. His album Salvavidas De Hielo was also nominated for Album Of The Year and won for Best Singer-Songwriter Album at the Premiere ceremony.
Drexler has earned five other GRAMMY nominations in his career, including a nod for Salvavidas De Hielo for Best Latin, Urban Or Alternative Album at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.
Other competitors in the Song Of The Year category included established greats and newcomers from across the Spanish-speaking world, such as newcomer from Mexico, El David Aguilar, who received four Latin GRAMMY nominations this year. In addition to this nomination for writing "Embrujo," the singer-songwriter was also up for Best New Artist and his album Siguiente was nominated for both Album Of The Year and Best Singer-Songwriter Album. From Puerto Rico, Kany García is a previous winner of two Latin GRAMMY Awards and a previous GRAMMY nominee. García's song "Para Siempre" was also nominated for Record Of The Year & her album Soy Yo was nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Singer-Songwriter Album.
Chilean star Mon Laferte was also nominated with her co-writer/nominee Manú Jalil for their song "Antes De Ti." At last year's Latin GRAMMY Awards, she won Best Alternative Song. for "Amárrame." Another nominee "Danza De Gardenias" was written by Mexican star Natalia Lafourcade and her co-writer/nominee David Aguilar Dorantes. Its performance featuring Los Macorinos was also nominated for Record Of The Year. Her album Musas, Vol. 2 was nominated for Album Of The Year and won for Best Folk Album at the Premiere ceremony. A GRAMMY winner and previous recipient of eight Latin GRAMMY Awards, Lafourcade's Musas, Vol. 1 won the Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Folk Album last year.
"Bailar Contigo" was performed and co-written by Colombian ensemble Monsieur Periné, a previous Latin GRAMMY Award winner and GRAMMY nominee. The group was also nominated for Record Of The Year and their album Encanto Tropical was nominated for Album Of The Year. Their co-writer Mauricio Rengifo is a previous Latin GRAMMY Award winner and GRAMMY nominee who was also nominated a second time in this category, twice for Best Tropical Song as well as for Producer of the Year. Argentine rocker Fito Páez was also nominated this year for "Tu Vida Mi Vida." A previous winner of five Latin GRAMMY Awards and a GRAMMY nominee, Páez's composition won Best Rock Song at the premiere ceremony.
Bringing a flamenco folklore style very much her own, Spanish sensation Rosalía and her hit "Malamente" won Best Alternative Song at the premiere ceremony and were also up for Record Of The Year, Best Urban Fusion/Performance, and Best Short Form Music Video. Her co-writers/nominees were Antón Alvarez Alfaro & Pablo Diaz-Reixa. "La Puerta Violeta" has brought wider recognition for Spanish artist Rozalén's powerful talent both as a writer and performer. Her album Cuando El Río Suena… was nominated for Album Of The Year.
"Robarte Un Beso" was one of this year's feel-good anthems, bringing together Colombia's Carlos Vives and Sebastian Yatra. A previous winner of ten Latin GRAMMY Awards and two GRAMMY Awards, Vives won Best Contemporary Tropical Album at the Premiere ceremony for his album Vives. Fellow Colombian Yatra received his first Latin GRAMMY nomination last year. Their co-writers/nominees were Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres, nominated together this year for Producer Of The Year as well as additional songwriting nominations in Best Tropical Song and another nomination for Rengifo in the Song Of The Year category for his work with Monsieur Periné. Torres won at the 16th Latin GRAMMY Awards for engineering and both men shared in "Despacito"'s Record Of The Year Latin GRAMMY win at last year's awards, as the track's producers.
