The Latin Grammy Awards are awarded in a series of categories, each of which isolate a specific contribution to Latin music. The standard awards list nominees in each category from which a winner is selected. These categories have been added and removed over time.

Special awards

There are special awards which are awarded without nominations, typically for achievements of longer than the past year, which the standard awards apply to:

• Person of the Year is a Special Merit Award presented to an individual who has had a significant effect on Latin music and has taken part in extensive philanthropy.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: is a Special Merit Award presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers.
• Trustees Awards: is a Special Merit Award presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording during their careers.
• Hall of Fame Award honors recordings that are at least twenty-five years old that have made significant contributions

General Field

The General Field consists of four standard awards representing the best over-all achievements in performance, production, and songwriting in Spanish and Portuguese languages:

• Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the production team of a single song.
• Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the production team of a full album.
• Song of the Year is awarded to the writer(s)/composer(s) of a single song.
• Best New Artist is awarded to an artist without reference to a song or album.

Genre-specific fields

Pop

• Best Pop Vocal Album
• Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
• Best Pop Song

Electronic

• Best Latin Electronic Music Performance

Urban

• Best Urban Fusion/Performance
• Best Reggaeton Performance
• Best Urban Music Album
• Best Rap/Hip Hop Song
• Best Urban Song

Rock

• Best Rock Album
• Best Rock Song
• Best Pop/Rock Album
• Best Pop/Rock Song

Alternative

• Best Alternative Music Album
• Best Alternative Song

Tropical

• Best Salsa Album
• Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album
• Best Merengue/Bachata Album
• Best Contemporary Tropical/Tropical Fusion Album
• Best Traditional Tropical Album
• Best Tropical Song

Singer-Songwriter

• Best Singer-Songwriter Album
• Best Singer-Songwriter Song

Regional Mexican

• Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
• Best Banda Album
• Best Tejano Album
• Best Norteño Album
• Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album
• Best Regional Mexican Song

Instrumental

• Best Instrumental Album

Traditional

• Best Folk Album
• Best Tango Album
• Best Flamenco Album

Jazz

• Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album

Christian

• Best Christian Album (Spanish Language)
• Best Christian Album (Portuguese Language)

Portuguese Language

• Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album
• Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album
• Best Portuguese Language Urban Performance
• Best Samba/Pagode Album
• Best MPB Album
• Best Sertaneja Music Album
• Best Portuguese Language Roots Album
• Best Portuguese Language Song

Note: The field was originally called "Brazilian" before it was changed to "Portuguese Language" in 2016.

Children's

• Best Latin Children’s Album

Classical

• Best Classical Album
• Best Classical Contemporary Composition

Arrangement

• Best Arrangement

Recording Package

• Best Recording Package

Songwriter

• Songwriter of the Year

Production

• Best Engineered Album
• Producer of the Year

Music video

• Best Short Form Music Video
• Best Long Form Music Video

No longer awarded

Popedit

• Best Female Pop Vocal Album
• Best Male Pop Vocal Album
• Best Pop Album by a Duo or Group with Vocals
• Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album

Rockedit

• Best Rock Solo Vocal Album
• Best Rock Vocal Album, Duo or Group

Tropicaledit

• Best Tropical Fusion Album

Regional Mexicanedit

• Best Grupero Album

Portuguese Languageedit

• Best Romantic Music Album

Referencesedit

• The Latin GRAMMY Award Categories
• The Latin GRAMMY Award Category Guidelines
• The Latin GRAMMY Special Awards