MIAMI — Karol G and Shakira arrive tied at the 23rd edition of Premios Juventud, each with six nominations, in a ceremony where Colombia is shaping up as one of the night's strongest delegations. The nominee list, unveiled July 28, placed both Colombian stars within a field of 338 artists spread across 50 categories, in the first edition of the event held outside the Americas.
Six Nominations, Two Different Generations
Mexican star Carín León tops the overall list with nine nods, while Beéle, Kany García and Rauw Alejandro each collected seven, according to the breakdown. Just below that group sit Karol G and Shakira, alongside Xavi, Romeo Santos, Manuel Turizo, Quevedo, Ovy On The Drums, Farruko and Eladio Carrión, all with six nominations, per the official count. The tie carries symbolic weight: two distinct chapters of Colombian pop — one built over three decades, the other forged in the last one — competing on essentially even footing.
Karol G's bid rests on the momentum of Tropicoqueta, the album that lands her an Album of the Year nod. That nomination is joined by her duet with Marco Antonio Solís, "Coleccionando Heridas," which places her in the My Favorite Track race, while "Amiga Mía," her collaboration with Greeicy, puts her among the Girl Power contenders. Rounding out the list are "Verano Rosa," her track with Feid, in Best Urban Rhythmic Song; "Un Gatito Me Llamó" as a Best Dembow Song contender; and her nomination for Premios Juventud Female Artist, according to the category-by-category breakdown published by Univision.
From a World Tour to a Duet With Burna Boy
Shakira spreads her six nominations across several fronts of her musical year. Her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour competes for Best Tour, while "Dai Dai," the duet she recorded with Nigerian star Burna Boy that became the official song of the 2026 World Cup, lands her an OMG Collaboration nod. Those two are joined by her nomination for Premios Juventud Female Artist, "Choka Choka" with Anitta in Girl Power, "Bésame" alongside Alejandro Sanz in Best Pop Song, and "Algo Tú," her pairing with Beéle, in Best Dance Track. That crossover between Shakira and Beéle also shows how Colombian pop's old and new guards ended up intertwined this year.
Shakira's Message That Went Beyond Music
Both candidacies arrive loaded with emotional weight for Colombian audiences, and in Shakira's case that connection reached beyond the stage. On Tuesday, July 7, Colombia was eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after a scoreless draw with Switzerland at Vancouver's BC Place and a 4-3 loss in the penalty shootout, as reconstructed by El Colombiano. Shakira, who had performed "Dai Dai" as the tournament's official song, took to her Instagram stories to send a message to the team minutes after the loss, with a special note to Luis Díaz. "My national team has played this World Cup with a commitment that makes us all proud," the singer wrote, as reported by El Tiempo. The gesture reinforced her standing as one of Colombia's most influential cultural voices and added a sporting layer to a nomination already tied to the World Cup through "Dai Dai."
Colombia Dominates the Nominee Map
The phenomenon isn't limited to Karol G and Shakira. Beéle leads the Colombian delegation with seven nominations, closely followed by Ovy On The Drums, also with six, while names like Carlos Vives, J Balvin, Maluma, Feid, Camilo, Juanes, Ryan Castro and Manuel Turizo round out one of the largest delegations in the entire ceremony, according to the full list published by El Espectador. That concentration of talent makes Colombia, alongside Mexico, one of the two delegations set to shape the night.
The ceremony will be held at Marbella's Starlite Amphitheater as part of PJ Fest, a six-day run with lead-up events in Miami, Houston and Los Angeles before closing out in Spain on Thursday, September 3. The venue shift marks a turn for an awards show that debuted in Miami in 2004 and has more recently been staged in Puerto Rico, and that only last year took its first step outside the United States with an edition held in Panama.
Why This Rivalry Matters to U.S. Latino Audiences
For Colombian communities in Doral, Weston and South Florida, the tie between Karol G and Shakira isn't just an entertainment curiosity — it reflects how two generations of Colombian music, the classic pop that made Shakira a global star starting in the 1990s and the urban genre that propelled Karol G over the last decade, keep competing for the same diaspora audience that fills stadiums in Miami and Houston every time either announces a tour.
The overlap with Shakira's World Cup message, and her performance of the tournament's official song, ties together two sources of identity that strongly move that audience: soccer pride and musical pride, both anchored in Colombian belonging from abroad. With public voting closed on August 11 — August 10 Pacific Time, per the contest's official terms — and results due September 3, the winner's fate once again rested directly on fan support.
