Larissa de Macedo Machado, better known by her stage name Anitta, was born on March 30, 1993, in the Honório Gurgel neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The area is known for its challenging living conditions and ranks among the city’s lowest in Human Development Index ratings.
Raised in a favela by her mother, Míriam Macedo, following her parents’ divorce when she was two years old, Anitta grew up in a modest household grounded in resilience and strong family bonds.
Of Afro-Brazilian descent, she has often spoken openly about her humble beginnings and the financial struggles of her childhood.
Despite these challenges, she was introduced to music early through her local church choir, which she joined at the age of eight.
Her birth name reflects her Portuguese heritage, while her stage name was inspired by the bold character Anita from the 2001 Brazilian TV series Presença de Anita.
Siblings
Anitta’s full brother, Renan Machado, has been a constant presence since childhood.
Now in his late 30s, Renan works closely with Anitta as a music producer and co-manager. He has been instrumental in helping guide her sound and business strategy behind the scenes.
Anitta also has a half-brother, Felipe, from her father Mauro Machado’s previous marriage. She has described reconnecting with Felipe as a rediscovered bond that brought unexpected joy to her life.
Mauro Machado has eight children from his earlier union, making Anitta the youngest of nine half-siblings in total.
She has spoken of this large blended family as both challenging and enriching during her upbringing.
Career
Anitta’s career is marked by self-determination and calculated evolution from local fame to global success. Her musical foundation began early, singing in the Santa Luzia Parish choir at the age of eight.
By 11, she had enrolled in English lessons and dance classes to expand her artistic skills. As a teenager, she uploaded homemade singing videos to YouTube, often using a deodorant bottle as a microphone.
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These videos caught the attention of industry insiders.
At 17, she won the Revelation of Music award and signed with Furacão 2000 records. It was at this point that she officially adopted the stage name Anitta.
Her self-titled debut album, released in 2013, became a massive success in Brazil. Songs like Show das Poderosas and Meiga e Abusada helped the album achieve double platinum status.
Her follow-up albums Ritmo Perfeito in 2014 and Bang! in 2015 expanded her dominance in the Brazilian market. The track Zen earned her first Latin Grammy nomination.
In 2017, Anitta began focusing on international expansion by signing with major global labels. Her 2019 trilingual visual album Kisses featured collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer, and Becky G.
The album earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Urban Music Album. Her 2022 album Versions of Me marked a major breakthrough, led by the hit Envolver.
The song became the first by a solo Latin female artist to top Spotify’s Global Daily Chart and Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart.
Collaborations with artists such as Madonna and J Balvin further expanded her global reach. Her Netflix documentary Vai Anitta offered a behind-the-scenes look at her career and work ethic.
In 2024, Funk Generation reaffirmed her Brazilian roots while maintaining global appeal. The project featured tracks such as Funk Rave and Mil Veces, blending samba, funk carioca, and pop.
Accolades
Anitta has received two Grammy nominations. In 2023, she was nominated for Best New Artist.
In 2025, she earned a nomination for Best Latin Pop Album for Funk Generation. She has accumulated 10 Latin Grammy nominations across multiple categories.
These include Record of the Year for Mil Veces and Best Portuguese Language Urban Performance for Joga Pra Lua. Anitta has won eight MTV Europe Music Awards.
She has also received three MTV Video Music Awards. She made history with consecutive wins for Best Latin at the VMAs.
Her achievements include four Latin American Music Awards. She holds two Guinness World Records tied to the success of Envolver.
In Brazil, she has won 23 Multishow Brazilian Music Awards. She has also collected eight Meus Prêmios Nick awards and nine MTV Millennial Awards Brazil.
In 2022, she became the first Brazilian artist to win the American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist.
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