5th Annual Latin GRAMMY Nominees Spotlight Eclectic Balance of Established Music Makers and Dynamic, Emerging Crossover Scene.

LOS ANGELES -- The Latin Recording Academy:

--Nominations Led by Brazilian Producer Tom Capone with Five; Alvaro Alencar, Maria Rita, Alejandro Sanz and Bebo Valdes with Four Each

--Cafe Tacuba, Diego El Cigala, Mick Guzauski, Kevin Johansen, Javier Limon, Pepe Loeches, Robi Draco Rosa, Rafa Sardina and Julieta Venegas Earn Three Nods Each

--Akwid, Albita, Obie Bermudez, Roberto Carlos, Beto Cuevas, Marco Da Costa, Emmanuel Del Real, Vicente Fernandez, Alejandra Guzman, Rita Lee, Victor Manuelle, Lulo Perez, Gustavo Santaolalla, Eric Schilling, Skank, Marco Antonio Solis and Fernando Trueba among Those Who Earn Two

--Pepe Aguilar, Ramon Ayala, Cafe Quijano, Desmond Child, Pablo Croce, Alejandro Fernandez, Kinky, Ricky Martin, David Bisbal, Luis Miguel, Ednita Nazario, Ozomatli, Paulina Rubio, Roselyn Sanchez, Soraya, Tatiana, Los Tigres Del Norte and Jaci Velasquez Also among Those Nominated

--5th Annual Latin GRAMMYs to be Broadcast on CBS Sept. 1 and Hosted by George Lopez

The 5th Annual Latin GRAMMY(R) Awards nominations were announced today at a celebrity-filled press conference attended by international media at The Mayan in Los Angeles. In a year that showcased exceptional depth among all facets of music making, the nominations feature many talented newcomers who soon will be sharing the spotlight with established artists. The 5th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, set for Sept. 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, will be broadcast live by the CBS Television Network from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT and hosted by George Lopez.

Producer Tom Capone leads the nominations with five; Alvaro Alencar, Maria Rita, Alejandro Sanz and Bebo Valdes earn four apiece; Cafe Tacuba, Diego El Cigala, Mick Guzauski, Kevin Johansen, Javier Limon, Pepe Loeches, Robi Draco Rosa, Rafa Sardina and Julieta Venegas earn three nods each. Akwid, Albita, Obie Bermudez, Roberto Carlos, Beto Cuevas, Marco da Costa, Emmanuel Del Real, Vicente Fernandez, Alejandra Guzman, Rita Lee, Victor Manuelle, Lulo Perez, Gustavo Santaolalla, Eric Schilling, Skank, Marco Antonio Solis, Coti Sorokin, Fernando Trueba and Coalo Zamorano each earn two. And a contingent of diverse music makers -- including Pepe Aguilar, Ramon Ayala, Cafe Quijano, Desmond Child, Pablo Croce, Alejandro Fernandez, Dave Fridmann, Kinky, Sebastian Krys, Bob Ludwig, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Ednita Nazario, Ozomatli, Paulina Rubio, Roselyn Sanchez, Soraya, Picky Talarico, Tatiana, Los Tigres Del Norte and Jaci Velasquez, among many others -- each earned nominations.

"Our milestone fifth year is one where the spotlight shines on everyone who makes Latin music, not just the established performers," said Gabriel Abaroa, Latin Recording Academy(R) President. "Up-and-coming artists and the creative professionals who usually remain behind the scenes are getting their due. With our mission of celebrating all kinds of Latin recorded music, it's thrilling to see so many albums, songs, genres and music makers getting the applause from their peers. It will be our goal to bring all of these great nominations to scorching life on September 1."

The five nominations earned by producer Tom Capone include Producer Of The Year; two for Record Of The Year (Maria Rita's "A Festa," and Skank's "Dois Rios"); and Album Of The Year and Best Engineered Album for Maria Rita's eponymous album. Earning four nods each: Maria Rita for Album Of The Year and MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album for "Maria Rita," Best New Artist, and Record Of The Year for "A Festa"; multi-Latin GRAMMY-winning artist Alejandro Sanz for Album Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Album for "No Es Lo Mismo," Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year for the album's title track; engineer Alvaro Alencar for Album Of The Year and Best Engineered Album for Maria Rita's "Maria Rita," as well as two Record Of The Year nods for Maria Rita's "A Festa" and Skank's "Dois Rios"; Bebo Valdes for Record Of The Year ("Lagrimas Negras"), Album Of The Year and Traditional Tropical Album for "Lagrimas Negras" (all with Diego El Cigala), and Best Latin Jazz Album for "We Could Make Such Beautiful Music" (with Federico Britos).

Two new categories have been added for the 5th Annual Latin GRAMMYs: noms for Best Singer-Songwriter Album go to "Inocente De Ti" (Juan Gabriel), "El Vivo De Leon" (Leon Gieco), "Buen Viaje" (Alejandro Lerner), "Que Amarren A Cupido" (Joan Sebastian), "Serrat Sinfonico" (Joan Manuel Serrat) and "Soraya" (Soraya); nods for Best Christian Album (Portuguese Language) go to "Fruto De Amor" (Aline Barros), "Discipulos Teus" (Igreja Batista & Nova Jerusalem), "Livre Para Amar" (Fernanda Lara & Giordani Vidal), "Maria Mae Do Filho De Deus" ("Trilhad Sonora Original Do Filme") (Padre Marcelo Rossi) and "Acustico Gospel" (Thales).

The 5th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sept. 1 in Los Angeles at the legendary Shrine Auditorium. The show will be broadcast by the CBS Television Network from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT, supported on radio via Univision Radio (the official Spanish-language radio network of the Latin GRAMMY Awards) and highlighted on the Internet at www.latingrammy.terra.com (the official online partner of the Latin GRAMMY Awards). For more information, a complete list of nominees and media credentialing instructions, please visit www.grammy.com.

The 5th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards are produced by Cossette Productions. Pierre and John Cossette are executive producers; Ken Ehrlich is producer; Walter Miller is producer/director; and Tisha Fein is coordinating producer.

The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, the Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about the Latin Recording Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.