Brazilian pop singer Liniker’s voice is reaching the world, but her community is still fighting to survive

Liniker Barros performs live during the second day of Primavera Sound Porto 2025 at Parque da Cidade. Diogo Baptista/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

The moment Brazilian pop sensation Liniker walked into Amoeba Music in Hollywood, the crowd roared. Fans lifted their phones, snapping pictures with one hand and clutching her Latin Grammy-winning record on the other, many still buzzing from watching her performance at the awards show days earlier.

The Latin Grammys were one of the biggest nights of the singer and songwriter’s career — for the second time. In 2022, Liniker was the first-ever out transgender artist to win a Latin Grammy. In 2025, she entered the ceremony with seven nominations, the most ever for a Brazilian artist, and walked away with three major wins in categories