Liniker, the first-ever out trans artist to win a Latin Grammy Award in 2022, is making history once again by receiving seven nominations for the 2025 Latin Grammys — including all three "Big Four" categories that she was eligible for.
Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment — delivered three times a week straight (well…) to your inbox!
Liniker, a Black trans woman born in Araraquara, Brazil, earned her first Latin Grammy nomination in 2019 as the lead singer of Os Caramelows and the group's album Goela Abaixo. As a solo artist, Liniker became the first-ever out trans artist to win a Latin Grammy Award in 2022 for her debut studio album Indigo Borboleta Anil.
The nominees for the 26th Annual Grammy Awards were announced today by the Latin Recording Academy. Not only did Liniker receive seven nominations overall, but she was also included in all three of the "Big Four" categories she's eligible for: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. (For clarity: The fourth category that Liniker is ineligible for is Best New Artist — which she is not.)
Liniker's seven nominations at the 2025 Latin Grammys are:
Album of the Year: Caju
Record of the Year: "Ao Teu Lado" (feat. Amaro Freitas e Anavitória)
Song of the Year: "Veludo Marrom"
Best Engineered Album: Caju
Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album: Caju
Best Portuguese-Language Urban Performance: Caju
Best Portuguese Language Song: "Veludo Marrom"
What about Wendy Carlos, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, and other trans or nonbinary artists?
Music aficionados might recall that Wendy Carlos received seven Grammy nominations over the course of her career. However, six of all seven nominations received by Carlos — and all three of her wins — were from 1970 and 1971, and the American composer only came out as a trans woman in 1979, per reports. In 1989, Carlos received her seventh and final Grammy nomination, but didn't win.
Another notable distinction is that Carlos was nominated for the English speaking-focused Grammy Awards, not the Latin Grammy Awards. This distinction also applies to other trans and nonbinary winners at the (non-Latin) Grammys, like Sam Smith and Kim Petras, to name a few.
What about Arca?
Venezuelan trans artist Arca received one nomination at the Grammy Awards (in 2021 for the album Kick I) and two nominations at the Latin Grammy Awards (in 2021 for Kick I; and in 2022 for Kick II).
Alas, Arca hasn't won a Grammy (Latin or otherwise) so far.
Who is Liniker?
Liniker performing at Primavera Sound Porto in June 2025.
Diogo Baptista/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Liniker is a 30-year-old singer from Araraquara, Brazil who is best known in the MPB genre ("música popular brasileira," which translates to "Brazilian popular music.") In 2015, Liniker disclosed in a G1 interview that her gender was fluid. The singer then came out as a trans woman in 2017 during an interview with Glamour.
Many fans consider Liniker's live performance video of "Zero" as her breakout moment within mainstream culture in Brazil. Other popular songs and collabs from the artist include "Flutua" (with Johnny Hooker), "Caeu," "Baby95," "Calmô," and "Caju" (title track of her sophomore album).
As of this writing, Liniker has 2.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
The 26th Latin Grammy Awards air Thursday, November 13, on TelevisaUnivision.
Years before Stonewall, a cafeteria riot became a breakthrough for trans rights
All about the Compton's Cafeteria riot, when drag queens and trans women rose up against police at a diner in San Francisco.