The 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards will air live on Telemundo from The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas on April 26th this year. Among the nominees for Best New Artist category are El Fantasma, Bad Bunny, Alta Consigna, and Christian Nodal. Although Puerto Rican Latin Trap star Bad Bunny is the only non-Mexican artist up for the award, he is largely considered the front-runner, alongside El Fantasma, also revered as the “king of the underground” of narco-corridos. Alta Consigna, a young regional banda quintet, and 19-year-old singer/songwriter Christian Nodal whose smash hit Adiós Amor has reached over 500 million views on Youtube, have been gaining rapid popularity, though, over the past few months.

Leading the pack in nominations is Colombian fan-favorite J Balvin, who received a total of 12 nominations including Artist of the Year, Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year. Shakira also co-leads the nominations with 12 of her own, including Hot Latin Songs Female Artist of the Year and Top Latin Album of the Year.

Puerto Rican superstar Ozuna, whose album Odisea has spent 30 weeks atop Billboard’s Top Latin Album chart, will compete for Top Latin Album of the Year as well as Hot Latin Songs Artists of the Year, alongside Balvin, Luis Fonsi, and Daddy Yankee.

Newcomer Karol G will go head-to-head with the female vets in the Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year. The other nominees in this category are Alejandra Guzman, Shakira, and Gloria Trevi.

A complete list of nominations can be found here.

TV personalities Gaby Espino and Marco Antonio Regil will host this year’s award show that will honor albums, songs and performers in Latin music, as determined by the sales, radio airplay, streaming and social data. The awards show will serve as the culmination of the Billboard Latin Music Conference. For more information, and to register, go here.

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