‘Roma’ star Yalitza Aparicio’s next big role? Hosting the Latin Grammys

A year after scoring a historic Oscar nomination for her breakout performance in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” Yalitza Aparicio is taking on another major awards show: the Latin Grammys.

The Mexican and Indigenous actress has been tapped to emcee Latin music’s biggest night after original co-host Roselyn Sánchez dropped out due to an injury. The Latin Recording Academy announced Wednesday that Aparicio would take over hosting duties alongside actress Ana Brenda Contreras and singer Carlos Rivera.

“Friends, with a heavy heart, I must inform you that I will no longer be participating in the Latin Grammys ceremony this year,” Sánchez wrote on Instagram last week in Spanish. “I suffered a fall, and my doctor put a boot on me. The doctor’s recommendation was to avoid standing for long periods of time or wearing heels. I’m going to miss you.”

No stranger to awards season, Aparicio made history last year as the first Indigenous Mexican performer to be nominated for lead actress after winning hearts as Cleo, a resilient housekeeper caring for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City while enduring great personal loss.

The trailblazing schoolteacher-turned-actress has been using her platform to advocate for domestic workers and Indigenous peoples after representing them on screen in Netflix’s “Roma.”

“Every step I take, I carry with me a community that doesn’t see themselves reflected in media. I work hard to ensure we are represented the right way,” she told Entertainment Weekly upon Wednesday’s Latin Grammys announcement.

“I am conscious of the fact that I am not alone in this world. We are an important part of society, and I carry every voice out there that feels silenced due to lack of representation in Hollywood. I know who I am, and nothing will deter me from lifting up others.”

The 21st Latin Grammy Awards will also feature performances by Rauw Alejandro, Anitta, J Balvin, Camilo, Lupita Infante, Juanes, Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández, Ricky Martin, Carla Morrison, José Luis Perales and Prince Royce.

Other previously announced performers include Anuel AA, Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Calibre 50, Pedro Capó, Julio Reyes Copello, Alex Cuba, Alejandro Fernández, Karol G, Kany García, Guaynaa, Los Tigres del Norte, Víctor Manuelle, Ricardo Montaner, Christian Nodal, Debi Nova, Fito Páez, Nathy Peluso, Raquel Sofía and Sebastián Yatra.

Leading this year’s nominations are Balvin, Bad Bunny and Ozuna, all of whom received nods for the coveted record of the year trophy. The Latin Grammys telecast will air Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Univision.

Aparicio, Rivera and Contreras will co-host the ceremony from Miami, and musical segments will be filmed from various locations around the world.

“We had been in discussions for some time about having me host, but it was the theme of the night that really caught my attention,” Aparicio told EW of her new gig. “I really believe in that message, especially now as we find ourselves in such critical times where so many people are feeling isolated.

“Music has the power to motivate and to lift our spirits. I select what I’ll listen to based on what my needs are at the time. If I need some energy, I crank up the Reggaeton. I’m the type of person that needs music in order to get my day going. If I don’t play Reggaeton in the morning, I’ll go back to sleep.”