Edmonton rapper starts petition to add Hispanic category at Juno Awards

As the Latin Grammys take place south of the border, an Edmonton artist is hoping to help bring similar recognition to Canada.

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Steven Santillana Henriquez, known as El Unico Gio, has started a petition to have a Hispanic category added to the Juno Awards. 

"In Canada, we do have a lot of artists that are not getting recognition in the billboards in the States, and there's a lot of artists that go from here to there trying to get that recognition," he said.

"I feel like the category – the Hispanic category – would really help."

The Salvadoran-Canadian rapper said has spoken with Juno president Allan Reed, but was told a new category wasn't possible at this time.

"There's not enough Latino artists that are submitting their music into the Junos, so that's why there isn't a category for the Hispanics yet," Santillana Henriquez said. "It's one of the things that I've been really, really pushing to a lot of artists."

Brian Fauteux, an associate professor of popular music and media studies, said Latin music has been growing in popularity in recent years on billboard charts and social media.

"There's been some statistics recently for the first half of 2024 and Latin music is one of the biggest growing categories," Fauteux said.

Last year, Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny made Grammy history with his album Un Verano Sin Ti. It was the first all-Spanish language album to be nominated for album of the year.

"You have these metrics there, which I think can eventually make the case for this sort of category if that case hasn't been made yet," Fauteux said, adding a Hispanic category could encourage more homegrown Latin talent.

"It gives that support at a higher level that then can potentially trickle down and allow this type of music to grow," he said.

Without the incentive to work here, Santillana Henriquez worries the local music community will suffer.

"There's actually one artist, Primo, who's really good right now, and he's planning to move to Miami to pursue his career," Santillana Henriquez said.

"He's so good, man. He's from Canada. We don't want that."

Santillana Henriquez is asking people to sign the petition to show their support.

He has joined forces with Argentinian-Canadian artist and producer Martín Añón in Toronto, who is advocating through his non-profit Speaking Non-English. 

In 2025, the Junos will include a new South Asian music award, which will join five other crossover categories: Traditional Indigenous, contemporary Indigenous, Francophone, Christian and global music.

A Juno representative said no more categories will be added for next year, but that it has noted the "promising growth and development of Latin music" and will consider proposals for 2026. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti