The Premio Lo Nuestro Award nominees are out and Juanes racked up 5 nominations for La Vida Es .. Un Ratico; matching Juanes' 5 nods was perennial favorite Gilberto Santa Rosa. With 4 nominations each are bachata's Aventura, reggaeton favorites Wisin y Yandel, Mexico's primo rock band Mana, Puerto Rican salsa band NG2 and Mexican icons El Chapo de Sinaloa and La Arrolladora Banda el Limon.

To be honest, my first reaction to the nominations was: deja vu! I actually checked to see if I was realy looking at 2009 vs. 2008 list. But indeed, these albums were within the Oct. - Sept. 30th qualification period (La Vida was released Oct. 2007, Santa Rosa's Contraste a month later).

The Premio Lo Nuestro a la Musica Latina Awards are determined by online voting; you can log in at the Univision Website (keyword: Premio) to send some love to your favorite artists. The voting period if from Jan. 14 - Feb. 5th.

The Premio Lo Nuestro Awards Show will be broadcast live on Univision March 26, 2009 at 8 pm from the BankUnited Center at the Universiy of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.

Here is the very first batch of new releases for the new year and they look pretty interesting - and certainly diverse.

The new albums come from artists that call Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain or Los Angeles their home.

*Album cover courtesy Cumbancha

Here we are 2 weeks into 2009 and, if the new albums ready for review are any indication, it's going to be a stellar year for Latin music.

Kicking it all off is a new one from New York's La Excelencia. We first got a spicy taste of their salsa dura in 2006 with Salsa Con Conciencia; now they're back with Mi Tumbao Social and salsa that is bigger and bolder than ever. Mi Tumbao Social is the perfect way to heat up a winter evening and chase away those post-holiday doldrums.

The album is due for release January, 2009.

* Album cover courtesy Handle With Care

The inauguration of a new president is an event that inspires public gatherings and special inaugural balls . The swearing-in ceremony always occurs on January 20th at noon, but celebrations surrounding the inauguration start earlier. For Latinos, who turned out to vote in record numbers last year, there are a number of celebrations planned, but the big one is the star-studded Latino Inaugural Gala, scheduled for Jan. 18th.

Latin music stars slated to perform are Marc Anthony, Paulina Rubio, Alejandro Sanz, Lila Downs, Yerba Buena, Elida Reyna and more. This is shaping up to be one stellar extravaganza with proceeds going to to support the vision of creating a National Museum of the American Latino. Tickets to the Gala are still available.

What a great way to celebrate a new president and a new era!

When: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2009
Where: Union Station, Washington D.C.
Information: Latino Inaugural 2009 Website

* Photo courtesy Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images