Leslie Grace
Grace in 2021
Born
Leslie Grace Martínez

(1995-01-07) January 7, 1995 (age 29)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Actress
  • Model
Years active2009–present
Musical career
OriginDavie, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Labels

Leslie Grace Martínez (born January 7, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.[2] For her work as a singer, she has received three Latin Grammy Award nominations. She starred as Nina Rosario in Jon M. Chu's film adaptation In the Heights (2021).

Early life and education

Leslie Grace Martínez was born to Dominican parents on January 7, 1995, in The Bronx, a borough of New York City. Her mother runs a hair salon in South Florida. She was raised in Davie, Florida and attended Indian Ridge Middle School and Western High School, where she participated in musicals, talent shows, and choral performances.[3] Singing and dancing from a young age, Grace entertained them along with her five older siblings since she was two. She speaks English and Spanish.[4]

Career

Music career

She recorded and released an independent Christian music album in partnership with CD Baby while in middle school. Her mainstream debut came with "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", a bilingual cover of the 1961 Shirelles hit. Her bachata-tinged rendition peaked at number one on both the Billboard Tropical Songs chart and Billboard Latin Airplay charts, making her the youngest female artist to do so.[5] Her self-titled second studio album, Leslie Grace (2013), reached number four on the Billboard Latin Albums chart, and number three on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart.[6]

Among her nominations are "Best Contemporary Tropical Album" at the 14th Annual Latin Grammy Awards (in which she sang along with the Zarkana cast of Cirque du Soleil), "Female Tropical Artist of the Year"[7] and "Tropical Album of the Year" at the 26th Premio Lo Nuestro.[8] In 2014 she also obtained nominations in the Billboard Awards in the categories of "New Artist of the Year" and "Hot Latin Songs, Artist of the Year, Female".[9]

Among her tours abroad is her presentation on the Caribbean island of Curaçao at the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the tour of the United States with the musical director Rayner Marrero and several bachata musicians in 2013. She also performed on Sábado Gigante with Don Francisco, and at the Chile Telethon and at the closing of the same at the National Stadium of Chile, where she sang in front of approximately 60,000 people.[10]

In mid-2016 she participated as captain of the Univision reality show Va por ti with Luis Coronel, Chiquis Rivera and the host Galilea Montijo.[11] After releasing the single "Aire" with Maluma, they made a tour of 14 concerts through Mexico. In the same year she released the single "Nada de amor".

In January 2017 she collaborated with the duo Play-N-Skillz, Wisin and Frankie J in the reggaeton-style cover of Selena's song, "Si una vez". And in February of the same year she was nominated for the Premios Lo Nuestro in the category "Female Artist of the Year – Pop / Rock".[12]

On April 12, 2018, her collaboration with Super Junior's "Lo Siento" was released on S.M. Entertainment's YouTube channel.[13]

Film career

On April 11, 2019, it was announced that Grace would be starring as Nina Rosario in the 2021 film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights.[14] The film originally set for a 2020 release date was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released the following summer in movie theatres and HBO Max simultaneously. The film received near universal acclaim with many citing it as one of the best films of the year. Grace received praise from critics including David Ehrlich from IndieWire who wrote that she "shined" in the role. K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone wrote, "Its highest accomplishment is that it succeeds as the star vehicle Hollywood seemed to demand."[15] On July 21, 2021, Grace was cast as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in HBO Max's Batgirl.[16] In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled plans to release the film, which was nearing completion.[17]

Filmography

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Latin
[19] 		US
Latin
Airplay
[20] 		US
Latin
Pop
[21] 		US
Trop.
[22] 		ARG
[23] 		CHI
[24] 		ECU
[25] 		ES
[26] 		SPA
[27] 		VEN
[28]
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" 2012 3 1 3 1 — — — — — — Leslie Grace
"Day 1" 21 23 12 1 — — — — — —
"Be My Baby" 2013 8 2 6 6 — — — — — —
"Odio No Odiarte" 2014 — — — 9 — — — — — —
"Nadie Como Tú" — — — 11 — — — — — — Non-album singles
"Cómo Duele el Silencio" 2015 — — 29 1 — — — — — — Lloviendo Estrellas
"Aire"
(featuring Maluma) 		2016 — — 25 10 — — — — — — Non-album singles
"Nada de Amor" — — — — — — — — — —
"Díganle"
(with Becky G or CNCO) 		2017 36 — 30 — 34 — 53 — — 39
"Dulce"
(with Wisin) 		— — — — — — — — — —
"Duro y Suave"
(with Noriel) 		2018 49 36 28 — 31 2 8 12 7 —
"Fuego"
(with MYA) 		— — — — 90 — — — — — Hoy
"De Lunes a Jueves"
(with Farina) 		— — — — — — — — — — Non-album single
"Still New York"
(with MAX featuring Joey Badass) 		— — — — — — — — — —
"Sola"
(featuring Justin Quiles and Play-N-Skillz) 		2019 — — — — — — — — — —
"Qué Será"
(with Abraham Mateo) 		— — — — — — — — — —
"Bachatica" 2021 — — — 10 — — — — — —
"Un Buen Día" 2022 — — — — — — — — — —
"Como La Primera Vez"
(with Boza) 		— — — — — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Latin
[19] 		US
Latin
Airplay
[20] 		US
Latin
Pop
[21] 		ARG
[23] 		COL
[33] 		SPA
[27]
"Si Una Vez (If I Once)"
(Play-N-Skillz featuring Frankie J, Wisin and Leslie Grace) 		2016 22 34 15 — — — Non-album single
"Mi Mala (Remix)"
(Mau y Ricky and Karol G featuring Lali, Becky G and Leslie Grace) 		2018 38 33 21 10 68 57 Para Aventuras y Curiosidades
"Lo Siento"
(Super Junior featuring Leslie Grace and Play-N-Skillz) 		— — — — — — Replay
"Conga" (Remix)

(Meek Mill featuring Leslie Grace and Boi-1da)

2021 — — — — — — Bacardi promotional single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

Lo Nuestro Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2013 Leslie Grace Tropical Female Artist Nominated
2014 Leslie Grace Tropical Album Nominated
2014 Leslie Grace Tropical Female Artist Nominated
2015 Leslie Grace Tropical Female Artist Nominated
2016 Leslie Grace Tropical Female Artist Won

Billboard Latin Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2013 Leslie Grace Songs Artist of the Year Nominated
2014 Leslie Grace Artist of the Year Debut Nominated
2014 Leslie Grace Female Artist of the Year Nominated

Latin Grammys

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2013 Leslie Grace Best Contemporary Tropical Album Nominated
2015 Lloviendo Estrellas Best Contemporary Tropical Album Nominated
2015 "Como Duele el Silencio" Best Tropical Song Nominated

Nickelodeon Mexico Kids' Choice Awards

Bout Year Recipient Award Result Ref.
9th 2018 "Lo Siento" – Super Junior feat. (Leslie Grace & Play-N-Skillz) Best Collaboration Won [39]

References

  1. ^ label, j (18 September 2013). "Leslie Grace estrena el video de su canción "Be My Baby"". peopleenespanol.com. People en Español. Retrieved 30 August 2022. There are ballads, bachatas, R&B, some dance songs. It is a very complete album", she says.
  2. ^ "CD Baby – Leslie Grace". CDBaby.com. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. ^ "A Grammy for Leslie Grace?". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  4. ^ "A Leslie Grace le encanta la vida en Spanglish". Univision Latin Grammy. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  5. ^ Ramirez, Rauly (16 October 2012). "Leslie Grace Youngest Woman To Top Latin Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Leslie Grace – Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  7. ^ "14th Annual Latin GRAMMY Nominations Announced". GRAMMY.com. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Premio Lo Nuestro 2014: Lista completa de ganadores". People en Español. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  9. ^ Valdez, Maria G. (5 February 2014). "Billboard Latin Music Awards 2014 Nominees: Romeo Santos Leads Nominations With 17, Followed By Prince Royce, Marc Anthony [FULL LIST]". Latin Times. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Programacion 2012". Luz-Verde "UNA MAQUINA DE EXITOS". Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Univision's Smash Hit Singing Competition "Va Por Ti" Returns for a Second Season Featuring Celebrity Judges Alejandra Guzmán, Edén Muñoz and Armando Ramos, and Captains Chiquis Rivera, Leslie Grace and Luis Coronel". Univision. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  12. ^ Univision. "Lista completa de nominados a Premio Lo Nuestro 2017". Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  13. ^ Zavala, Cristina (17 October 2018). "LESLIE GRACE: "GRABAR CON SUPER JUNIOR FUE UNA EXPERIENCIA MUY LOCA"". Los 40. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  14. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (11 April 2019). "Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jon M. Chu Find Their Nina & Vanessa For 'In The Heights' Movie". Deadline. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  15. ^ "In the Heights Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  16. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto; Verhoeven, Beatrice (21 July 2021). "Leslie Grace to Star as Batgirl in HBO Max Movie". TheWrap. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  17. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (2 August 2022). "'Batgirl' Won't Fly: Warner Bros. Discovery Has No Plans to Release Nearly Finished $90 Million Film". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Leslie Grace - Pasión". Apple Music.
  19. ^ a b Peak positions in the Hot Latin Songs:
  20. ^ a b Peak positions on in the Latin Airplay chart:
  21. ^ a b Peak positions on the Latin Pop Songs chart:
  22. ^ "Leslie Grace Chart History (Tropical Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  23. ^ a b Peak positions in Argentina: Pre-Argentina Hot 100 era:
  24. ^ "Top 20 Chile – Del 30 de Julio al 5 de Agosto, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  25. ^ Peak positions in Ecuador:
  26. ^ "Top 20 El Salvador – Del 28 de Mayo al 3 de Junio, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  27. ^ a b Peak positions in Spain:
  28. ^ "Top 100 Venezuela – Semana 36 del 2018 – Del 24/08/2018 al 30/08/2018" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  29. ^ a b c "Gold & Platinum: Leslie Grace". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Certificados Musicales Amprofon (July 2020)" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  31. ^ "Certificados Musicales Amprofon (Febrero 2019)" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  32. ^ "Leslie Grace & Noriel – Duro y Suave". elportaldemusica.es (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Colombia – Semana 13 del 2018 – Del 23/03/2018 al 30/03/2018" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  34. ^ Solís, Erik (23 March 2019). "Mau y Ricky llevaron la fiesta hasta el Pepsi Center". Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Mau y Ricky on Instagram". Instagram. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  36. ^ "Mau y Ricky on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  37. ^ "Mau y Ricky | Encuentros digitales". El Mundo (in Spanish). 8 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  38. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Mau y Ricky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  39. ^ "Tú los votaste, ¡estos fueron los ganadores de los KCA México 2018!". Trendy By Nick (in European Spanish). 18 August 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.

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