Who is Sara Schell, the Newcomer Nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2026 Latin Grammys?

At 23, Venezuelan songwriter Sara Schell is the only newcomer nominated for songwriter of the year at the 2026 Latin Grammys. She is also nominated for best pop song as a co-writer of Kany García’s “A La Niña Que Fui”, marking a major step in a career that began with online collaborations during the pandemic.

Schell trained in music from childhood, playing cello and studying piano and singing at a conservatory in Barquisimeto. After moving to Mexico in 2020, she posted covers on Instagram and began writing songs with other writers over Zoom; her first major break came in 2024, after sessions in Miami led to contact with Interscope’s Nir Seroussi. Her credits include songs for Fonseca, Rawayana, J Balvin and Jay Wheeler, as well as chart hits by KATSEYE, Becky G and Nicki Nicole.