Kenyan Guitarist Kato Change Earns Two Latin Grammy Nominations

Kenyan guitarist and producer Kato Change has received two nominations at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards for his co-production work on a Brazilian album with vocalist Luedji Luna.

The album has been nominated in two categories: Best Brazilian Popular Music Album and Best Afro-Portuguese-Brazilian Music Album. According to the Latin Recording Academy, the nominations recognise the project’s musical depth, the strength of Luna’s vocal performance, and the collaborative nature of its production. 

The awards ceremony will take place on 13 November at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Change began working with Luna during his artist residency in Brazil, where he joined her band and launched a creative partnership that has produced five albums to date. 

This is his second appearance at the Latin Grammys, following a shared nomination and live performance with Luna at the 2021 ceremony. The announcement follows Change’s recent performance in Nairobi, where he opened for American jazz musician Kenny G at Stanbic’s One Night Only concert. Despite his international work, Change rarely makes public appearances and remains largely under the radar in Kenya’s mainstream music scene. 

“I’ve never wanted to be on the front pages or be seen as this big star chased by paparazzi and social media bloggers,” he said. “I’m an introvert. I prefer to have my space to do what I do, get paid, and go on with my life as an ordinary Kenyan.”

Founded in 2000, the Latin Grammy Awards were established to recognise excellence across Latin music genres. The inclusion of Change in this year’s nominations reflects an increasing presence of African artists in global music collaborations and highlights the expanding cultural scope of the awards.