History was made at the 2022 Latin Grammys when Brazilian singer Liniker became the first trans artist to win an award. “Hello, I am Liniker, a Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress, [and] today something historic is happening in the history of my country,” she said onstage while accepting the award for best MPB (música popular brasileira) album. “It is the first time that a transgender artist has won a Grammy.” Liniker cried as the audience gave her an enthusiastic standing ovation.
“Something historic is happening.”
Later in the night, Liniker shared more of her feelings with fans on social media. “What a giant, important and significant space the record of my dreams reached,” Liniker wrote on Nov. 17 via Instagram. “This award is the result of a lot of dedication, work and a wonderful team that built all of this with me. Best Música Popular Brasileira album. I’m immensely happy!”
Liniker’s winning “Indigo Borboleta Anil” is her first-ever solo album, and it bears samba, soul, and reggae influences. The 27-year-old started making music long before her Grammy-winning album, however, leading a band called Liniker e os Caramelows. Since then, her music has evolved from a mere passion into an act of empowerment, especially in her home country of Brazil, where the trans community faces a great deal of discrimination and bigotry under the current administration of President Jair Bolsonaro.
According to Univision, the United Nations elected Liniker as an Ambassador for Equality back in 2019 for her LGBTQ+ advocacy, and she continues to speak out about the importance of trans representation. “We live in a very difficult country,” Liniker said in an interview with Gayles.TV in October 2019. “We began to recognize ourselves and want to leave because we did not have representation.”
