It was once an disenchanted simplest within the sense that going into the rite, it seemed as though Puerto Rican famous person Unhealthy Bunny — the maximum nominated artist at this yr’s tournament — was once poised for a sweep. The Latin entice visionary — whose chart-topping album “Un Verano Sin Ti” is essentially the most streamed album of the yr — wasn’t on the awards display, as he’s slated to accomplish in Medellín, Colombia, on Friday. In the end, the 28-year-old rapper, whose actual identify is Benito Martínez Ocasio, gained 5 awards within the display’s rap and hip-hop classes.
It was once Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler who took essentially the most trophies on the awards display, sharing two of essentially the most coveted prizes — file and music of the yr — with Spanish rapper C. Tangana. Drexler’s trophy haul additionally incorporated easiest pop music (for “Los angeles Guerrilla De Los angeles Concordia”) in a tie with Sebastián Yatra’s “Tacones Rojos,” easiest selection music, easiest singer-songwriter album and easiest Portuguese-language music.
Performers on the rite, which was once broadcast on Univision from Las Vegas’s Michelob Extremely Enviornment, incorporated Yatra, Rosalía, Ángela Aguilar, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, and Romeo Santos. The telecast was once hosted via Mexican singer Thalía, Brazilian pop famous person Anitta, Puerto Rican crooner Luis Fonsi and Italian musician Laura Pausini.
The actual spotlight of the rite was once the instant 95-year-old Angela Alvarez gained easiest new artist, in a tie with Mexican singer Silvana Estrada. Examine her speech and different memorable moments; an inventory of the principle class winners is beneath.
The star-studded display opener
Fonsi, Pausini and Thalía, joined via Mexican duo Sin Bandera, led a tribute to the Latin Recording Academy’s “Particular person of the 12 months” Marco Antonio Solís of Los Bukis repute. The tribute additionally featured Gente de Zona, the Cuban duo who gave the impression at the 2021 rite’s music of the yr — the protest anthem “Patria y Vida.” They had been joined via Cuban singer Aymée Nuviola and Goyo, of the Colombian hip-hop trio Chocquibtown.
Rauw Alejandro’s space-forward medley
The Puerto Rican singer gave one of the crucial easiest performances of the evening sampling from his newest album, “Saturno,” whilst taking a look like a futuristic Sherlock Holmes in an oversize steel trench coat and commentary sun shades.
A 95-year-old grandmother’s tie for easiest new artist.
Cuban local Angela Alvarez, 95, tied for easiest new artist along Mexican singer Silvana Estrada, 25, triumphing in a dynamic class whose youngest contender Yahritza Martinez of Yahritza y su Esencia is nonetheless in her teenagers. Alvarez gave one of the crucial evening’s easiest speeches, thanking the Recording Academy “and all those who have helped me arrive at this second.” It’s a bunch that comes with Cuban American actor Andy Garcia, who produced and narrated a documentary about Alvarez’s lifestyles, and her grandson, composer Carlos José Alvarez, who started recording the songs Alvarez had in the past simplest carried out for circle of relatives.
“I wish to devote this award to God and to my loved nation, Cuba, which I will be able to by no means be capable of omit,” Alvarez stated in her poignant acceptance speech. “To people who have now not fulfilled their dream, despite the fact that lifestyles is tricky, there may be at all times some way out and with religion and love you’ll succeed in it.”
Rauw and Rosalia as energy couple
Fanatics of the Barcelona local had been handled to definitive evidence her courting with fellow Latin pop famous person Rauw Alejandro — the second-most nominated artist this yr, with 8 nods — goes robust. If their playful grinding all through Rosalia’s efficiency of “Despechá” didn’t verify it, her acceptance speech shout-out to “the affection of my lifestyles” undoubtedly did.
4 other folks sharing internet hosting tasks may imply too many chefs within the kitchen, however the Latin Grammys choose a couple of hosts, and it hardly turns out too crowded. This yr’s group struck a stability with the low-key Fonsi and Pausini reverse Anitta and Thalía, who introduced upcoming acts with the keenness of Oprah Winfrey giving everybody a brand new automotive.
Sebastián Yatra and John Legend carry out “Tacones Rojos” (“Pink Heels”)
The cabaret-inspired efficiency via Yatra, additionally nominated for 8 awards at Thursday’s rite, was once as fascinating because the Colombian singer and his EGOT collaborator at the “Tacones Rojos” remix.
Christina Aguilera carried out with Christian Nodal
The pop famous person gained easiest conventional vocal album for “Aguilera,” which marked her hotly expected go back to Latin track (a long time after she launched her first Spanish-language album, “Mi Reflejo”). Aguilera teamed up for a powerhouse mariachi duet with Mexican singer Christian Nodal, who later took house easiest ranchero/mariachi album for “EP #1 Forajido.”
Anitta’s nod to “Vai Malandra”
The Brazilian singer took a short lived wreck from her co-hosting tasks to accomplish a medley that included “Vai Malandra,” the 2017 hit that put the file of the yr nominee at the world map.
The “city” classes
Unhealthy Bunny wasn’t close out of the principle classes, precisely. Rosalía (who collaborated with the rapper at the 2020 hit “Los angeles Noche de Anoche”) was once an impressive contender within the album of the yr class, which additionally incorporated Bomba Estéreo’s “Deja,” Marc Anthony’s “Pa’lla Voy” and Yatra’s “Dharma.” And even though Drexler, some other album of the yr nominee, gave the impression shocked to win each file and music of the yr, the ones prestigious classes can have long gone to a spread of artists together with Rosalía, Alejandro and Aguilera.
However there’s a positive dissonance in Unhealthy Bunny — whose album is the yr’s largest via a number of measures — now not successful in any of the rite’s primary classes. This yr’s effects are consultant of an ongoing downside that precipitated a number of reggaeton artists, together with Daddy Yankee, to boycott the rite in protest of its remedy of chart-topping reggaeton artists, who’ve incessantly been relegated to style classes. The Latin Recording Academy added new hip-hop classes in recent times, however what does it imply if genre-transcending artists akin to Unhealthy Bunny are ceaselessly sidelined from the principle classes?
That stated, the Latin Grammys had been light-years forward of the so-dubbed “gringo Grammys” in relation to Latin artists throughout genres (see: Anitta, who’s up for easiest new artist at a rite she’ll attend months after co-hosting and acting on the Latin Grammys). By the way, the opposite Grammys rite — which has its personal fraught historical past with hip-hop artists and nonetheless has an extended method to pass when it comes to spotting musical skill on an international scale — introduced Unhealthy Bunny as one of the crucial nominees for album of the yr on the rite, which shall be hung on Feb. 5.
“Tocarte,” Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana
Angela Alvarez; Silvana Estrada
“Tocarte,” Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana
“Tacones Rojos,” Sebastián Yatra; Jorge Drexler “Los angeles Guerrilla De Los angeles Concordia”
Easiest reggaeton efficiency
“Lo Siento BB:/,” Unhealthy Bunny, Tainy, Julieta Venegas
Easiest city fusion efficiency
“Titi Me Preguntó,” Unhealthy Bunny
“Un Verano Sin Ti,” Unhealthy Bunny
“De Museo,” Unhealthy Bunny
“Pa’lla Voy,” Marc Anthony
See the total checklist of winners right here.