On Thursday evening at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards, Spanish artist Rosalía secured the prestigious Album of the Year accolade for her 2025 release, *Lux*.
Live from Sin City, she inaugurated the 27th annual Latin Grammy Awards by performing an emotionally resonant medley of her Lux catalogues, "La Rumba Del Perdón," "La Perla," and "Dios Es Un Stalker," accompanied by ethereal dancers adorned with halos against a stage designed to evoke celestial clouds.
This served as a testament to the album's vast scope, embodying an unconventional yet profoundly sincere synthesis of her classical pedigree through sweeping orchestral arrangements that draw inspiration from the lives of female saints.
Her rendition of "La Perla" was also honored as Song of the Year; during her acceptance speech, she extended gratitude to Mexico and invited her collaborators on the track, the American urban sierreño trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia, to join her on stage.
Daddy Yankee, the inaugural Latin urbano artist to be crowned Person of the Year at the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards, delivered a powerhouse performance an hour into Thursday's ceremony, commanding the stage with the energy and scale of a stadium arena as he unleashed a rapid-fire medley of his most iconic hits.
A performance destined for the annals of history unfolded as he traversed a dynamic sequence of costume and stage transformations, with his native Puerto Rico perpetually held in the spotlight.
His setlist, a monumental catalog of his discography, featured renditions of "Ella Me Levantó," "Con Calma," "BOTZ," "Despacito," "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó," "Sonríele," "Rompe," "Pokito," and, inevitably, "Gasolina." This electrifying medley was further elevated by a star-studded lineup of collaborators, including Bizarrap, Bad Gyal, Feid, Jay Wheeler, French Montana, LL Cool J, and Diljit Dosanjh.
As the moment arrived for Daddy Yankee to be bestowed with his accolade, Janet Jackson presented it to him, articulating that she did so "with admiration and respect." Upon accepting the honor, he delivered a concluding statement: "Puerto Rico, recuerda.
… Puerto Rico no es pequeño.Pequeño el mapa." Translated into English, this reads: "Puerto Rico, remember.… Puerto Rico is not small.The map is small."
The ceremony was broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, reaching audiences via Univision, UniMás, Galavisión, and ViX, with the event emceed by actress, producer, and musician Roselyn Sánchez.
Star-studded performances and awards
The evening's inaugural accolade was bestowed upon Juanes for his album *Juanesteban* in the category of Best Pop/Rock Album, a presentation conducted by Howie D of the Backstreet Boys alongside Pablo Alboran.
The performances demonstrated exceptional caliber, as Karol G was accompanied by a full orchestra and twelve Mariachis for her *música mexicana* ballad, "Ese Hombre es Malo." Mon Laferte captivated the audience with her soulful rendition of "Femme Fatale," while Silvana Estrada's "Dime" harmonized cultural legacy and heritage through her masterful command of the Venezuelan cuatro, a four-stringed instrument structurally akin to a ukulele.
Kany García captivated the audience with her acoustic, flamenco-infused single, "La Niña Que Fui," while the Uruguayan-born Jorge Drexler delivered a rendition of "Las Palabras" that possessed the grandeur of a theatrical performance.
Furthermore, Argentine rapper Milo J took the stage to perform "Solifican12" and "Gil," accompanied by the renowned Latin American folk icon Gustavo Santaolalla.
Carín León captivated the audience with her performance of "Desde Que Te Tengo," a feat matched by Juanes and Vivir Quintana, whose rendition of "Humano" equally electrified the crowd.
Meanwhile, Elena Rose, accompanied by dancers brandishing swords, delivered a striking interpretation of "Alma."
The Brazilian superstar Anitta presented a medley featuring her hits from the "Equilibrium" album, including "Desgraça," "Choka Choka," and "Meia Noite." This eclectic performance blended diverse musical genres such as Brazilian funk, samba, bossa nova, semba, reggae, and electronic pop, delivered in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.
Shortly thereafter, she returned to the stage to accept the award for Best Contemporary Pop Album in Portuguese.
In her acceptance address, she brought attention to the Black cultural heritage of her native Brazil.
A deeply moving tribute was rendered to the late ranchera icon, Mexican singer-songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez, through a production by Edgar Barrera.
The performance featured a series of poignant renditions: The Warning delivered "Te Solté la Rienda," Reik interpreted "La Media Vuelta," while Sofía Reyes and Yami Safdie shared the spotlight with a duet of "Si Nos Dejan." Camila Fernández then concluded this segment with a powerful, resonant rendition of "El Rey." Immediately following this, she returned to the stage to deliver a full-throated performance of "Serpiente De Cascabel."
This marked the opening of a dual tribute, followed by an homage to Willie Colón, the social activist and Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music, who passed away in February of this year.
The performance featured his son, Miguel Colón, alongside Nathy Peluso, Luis Figueroa, and other artists.
The accolades were distributed with considerable swiftness; Karol G secured the prize for Best Urban Music Album for her work *Tropicoqueta*, while Xavi claimed the award for Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album for *Dosis*, marking his inaugural Latin Grammy triumph.
Shortly thereafter, Fonseca was honored with the trophy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album in recognition of his release, *Antes Que El Tiempo Se Vaya*.
Colombian vocalist Aria Vega emerged as the year's Best New Artist, delivering an acceptance address marked by visible emotion.
This award season, the Latin Recording Academy implemented a revised eligibility framework for the category, restricting nominees to those who had released fewer than three studio albums or 25 singles.
The majority of the evening's accolades were conferred during a pre-broadcast Premiere Ceremony, an occasion that highlighted Bobby Pulido's triumph as the recipient of the Latin Grammy for Best Tejano Album for his release, *Bobby Pulido & Friends: Una Tuya y Una Mía (Vol.
2/En Vivo)*.This artistic achievement followed merely days after Pulido made history in the United States midterm elections, where he secured a seat in the House of Representatives for the Democratic Party by successfully flipping a Texas district.
Having delivered my acceptance speech, he expressed his intention to withdraw from the musical realm, concluding his tenure with profound gratitude.
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