Maluma, Carín León, and Peso Pluma Lead the Premios Juventud Nominees

It's that time of year again. Premios Juventud is set to take place on July 25 in Puerto Rico's famed Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot — or "El Choli," as locals refer to the venue. Lele Pons, Clarissa Molina from El Gordo y La Flaca, and reggaeton legend Wisin will be the evening's hosts.

The theme seems to be "Atrévete a Más," but the underlying theme could be the grand change in Latin music by way of música mexicana.

Maluma, Carín León, and Peso Pluma lead the pack with seven nominations each, making it clear that this is the year we feel the full impact of regional Mexican music.

With nominations in categories such as "Premios Juventud Male Artist," "The Perfect Collab," "Best Urban Track," and "Best Regional Mexican Album," Peso will be a force to reckon with this award season. He was last summer's hottest Latin artist and appears to continue that trend with his latest release, Exodus. It wouldn't be surprising if he goes home with plenty of hardware, but he's definitely a contender for "Best Regional Mexican Collaboration" for the track "Lady Gaga," his collaboration with Junior H and Gabito Ballesteros.

Peso isn't the only one with great collaborations being recognized. Carín León and Maluma's "Según Quién" is vying for "Best Regional Mexican Fusion," up against songs like "Lunes a Lunes" by Grupo Frontera and Manuel Turizo (which also has a good shot at nabbing the prize) and Peso Pluma's Bizarrap Session.

Beyond the Regional Mexican scene, some of Colombia's biggest superstars are up for major awards. Karol G and Shakira are tied at six nominations, facing off in categories such as" Girl Power" and "Premios Juventud Female Artist."

Despite releasing a somewhat mediocre album last year, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, Bad Bunny was nominated for four awards, including "Premios Juventud Male Artist," alongside other nominees Sebastián Yatra, Maluma, and Carín León. The biggest omission in the category is Feid, one of the biggest Latin artists of the past few years, who only continues to become more popular. He only scored four nominations in total, which is strange when compared to other artists like Bad Bunny and Ozuna, who haven't been moving the needle as much as Feid lately.

One of the night's biggest battles will be who takes home the prize for "The Best Beakmarks." Of the ten nominees, Tainy, Ovy on the Drums, Bizzarap, and Edgar Barrera probably have the best chance of winning. Tainy has produced countless hits for the likes of Álvaro Díaz and Bad Bunny, and his debut album, Data, featured some of his best production work. Ovy is Karol G's go-to producer and recently released his project with Myke Towers, Cassette 01. Bizarrap, well, is Bizarrap. Since he started his Sessions series, he's made bangers with everyone from Anuel AA to Peso Pluma to Shakira. Edgar Barrera is a force in the regional Mexican scene, producing some of the biggest hits for acts like Grupo Frontera and Peso Pluma. He's helped push música mexicana into new directions sonically.

Some of the other winners might be easier to predict, such as "Best Regional Mexican Song," which will surely see Xavi take home the prize for his song "La Diablo."

The other award he's nominated for, "New Generation - Regional Mexican," will likely go to either him or the other young star in the scene, Chino Pacas. Chino has made hits with fellow labelmates Fuerza Regida (nominated for four awards) and was recently featured on Peso's Exodus. He also has a cosign with Drake (yeah, not really the best thing now, but at the time, it was a hype moment), and performances on "From the Block" only cemented his street credibility.

Voting for the 2024 Premios Juventud is underway at premiosjuventud.com/vota, which, beyond music, also awards content creators and TV and film stars. You have until Monday, July 8, at midnight PT, to cast your ballot. The awards will air live on Thursday, July 25, starting at 7 p.m. on Univision.