This North Campus Student Is One Of The Youngest Grammy Nominees Ever
Last month, as Joey Calveiro waited for the 2026 Grammy Award nominations to be announced, anxiety filled his living room in Miami Beach as his family huddled around the TV.
But the 18-year-old wasn’t rooting for his favorite artists—he was hoping to hear a nomination for his record, A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole. The saxophonist was part of an ensemble cast of seven jazz musicians who produced the record.
“The first name, nothing. Second name, nothing. Third name, nothing. I thought ‘Oh my god, there’s only two more. What’s gonna happen?’” Calveiro recalled. “Then, they announced the name of the album, and we all jumped up screaming.”
On Nov. 7, Calveiro, a freshman at North Campus, became one of the youngest Grammy nominees ever when his project was selected as a finalist in the Best Latin Jazz Album category. He is the youngest nominee in that category since its creation in 1995.
“I’m really proud as a musician, but I’m also really emotional as a father,” said Joey’s dad, Jossel Calveiro. “The music industry is so complex and so uncertain that to have a Grammy nomination is something that is incredible.”
After graduating from Miami Arts Charter School in May, Calveiro applied for the Presidential Scholars program at Miami Dade College.
He is currently pursuing an associate’s degree at North Campus in business administration and hopes to work in the psychology field and practice law in the future.
But his passion for music still burns bright. Calveiro inherited a vigor for the arts from his father—a Grammy-winning producer and music engineer—and his grandfather, Fernando “Teo” Calveiro, a Cuban guitarist and musician.
“Ever since he was little he was really inclined to music,” Jossel said. “One day [he] comes and sits on the piano and starts playing little notes and creating melodies and I, as a musician, knew that there [was] talent there.”
Calveiro was gradually exposed to music. By middle school, he learned to play the saxophone.
“At the beginning, it was like a disaster,” Calveiro’s father said.
Undeterred, the prodigy spent countless hours honing his craft before he found his melody.
In 2024, Calveiro released his debut album Among the Stars. It features renowned Cuban jazz artists such as Chucho Valdés, Arturo Sandoval, Yainer Horta and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
The nine-song record secured him a spotlight in Rolling Stone Magazine when he was 16.
After releasing Among the Stars, Calveiro and his father received the proposal from Horta to work on a concept album that had been on his mind since 2009.
That idea developed into the now Grammy-nominated album, which is a homage to legendary Cuban singer Benny Moré and American icon Nat King Cole. It mixes their sounds, which co-existed during the 1950s, but never crossed paths.
During his senior year at MAC, Calveiro became part of the album’s ensemble. It includes Rubalcaba on piano, Horta with the saxophone, Armando Gola on acoustic bass, drummer Hilario Bell, percussionist Richard Bravo and guitarist Teo Calveiro.
For six months, the group recorded and produced the album. It was released on Aug. 24 in honor of Moré’s birthday.
“[Joey] was not your typical teenager, based on the fact that he was in love with playing the saxophone,” said Angel Zamora, who was the album’s project manager. “He [was] there to bring the passion of what he’s doing and that is what brought incredible value to doing this album with him.”
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards winners will be announced on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles, California.
A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole is available on all streaming platforms.
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