Joy Huerta

Joy Huerta, born Tirzah Joy Huerta Uecke on June 20, 1986, in Mexico City, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, and Broadway composer. Her parents are Eduardo Huerta, a Mexican national, and Michelle Uecke, an American. At age 15, she began writing music alongside her father and brother Jesse, drawing inspiration from Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Carole King, and Pedro Infante, and using instruments from the church the family attended during her childhood.

Huerta is best known as the vocalist of Jesse & Joy, the duo she formed with her older brother Jesse Huerta. The siblings signed with Warner Music Latina on April 18, 2005, and released their debut single "Espacio Sideral" that same year. Their first album, Esta Es Mi Vida, was certified platinum by the Mexican Association of Phonogram and Videogram Producers (AMPROFON) and reached number 20 on the Mexican charts. The duo won the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year. Their second studio album, Electricidad, released in 2009, received a gold certification from AMPROFON.

The 2011 album ¿Con Quién Se Queda el Perro? brought the duo significant recognition at the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards, where they won Best Contemporary Pop Album for the record and both Song of the Year and Record of the Year for "¡Corre!" Additionally, Huerta and her brother, together with director Carlos López Estrada, received the Latin Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video for "Me Voy," a single from the same album. Their fifth studio release, Un Besito Más, earned the duo the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album and topped the Latin Albums chart. The album also won the Latin Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2016. The music video for the title track, which commemorates the siblings' father, raised awareness about deportations in the United States and received the awards for Best Short Narrative and Student Voices for Peace: Most Inspiring Story at the Peace on Earth Festival, as well as the Inclusion Award at the Wayward Festival. In mid-2016, Jesse & Joy released a dual-language self-titled album featuring English versions of songs from their previous four studio releases, including "¡Corre!" retitled "Run" and "Ecos de Amor" retitled "Echoes of Love." In April 2019, the duo collaborated with Colombian singer J Balvin on the single "Mañana Es Too Late," co-written with Poo Bear, which reached number one in Mexico.

Outside of Jesse & Joy, Huerta has pursued a range of solo endeavors. In September 2018, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept the Vision Award for social and humanitarian commitment at the 31st Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, broadcast on PBS. In June 2019, the Latin Recording Academy recognized her as one of its Leading Ladies of Entertainment at a gala held in Mexico City. She has served as an advisor on the reality program La Voz... México and has performed solo collaborations with artists including Mexican guitarist Sergio Vallin, the American duo Ha*Ash on the song "Qué más da," and Cuban-origin singer Jencarlos Canela on "Por algo será." In 2024, she voiced the character Honey Bee in the Dominican animated film Captain Avispa.

Huerta made her Broadway debut as a composer with Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, for which she served as co-composer alongside Benjamin Velez. The work earned her a 2025 Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre and a 2025 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Music.

Huerta has directed philanthropic efforts toward animal welfare through organizations including PETA and Animal Heroes, and participated in rescue efforts following the earthquake in Mexico City, working with the Red Cross. She has also partnered with UnidosUS and its Electrify Your Vote campaign, and performed shows in California, Texas, and Arizona in support of Rock the Vote and Voto Latino.

In April 2019, Huerta came out as a lesbian and introduced her wife, Diana Atri. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Noah, in May 2019, and a son named Nour in March 2021.