The Latin Recording Academy to honor Eva Ayllón, Joan Baez, José Cid, Lupita D’alessio, Hugo Fattoruso, Pimpinela, Omara Portuondo, and José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" with The Lifetime Achievement Award

Mario Kaminsky to Receive the Trustees Award

MIAMI (Aug. 22, 2019) – The Latin Recording Academy^® announced today that Eva Ayllón, Joan Baez, José Cid, Lupita D’Alessio, Hugo Fattoruso, Pimpinela, Omara Portuondo, and José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma," will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Mario Kaminsky will receive the Trustees Award. The honorees will be celebrated during a private luncheon ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas on Nov. 13, 2019, as part of the milestone 20th anniversary Latin GRAMMY^® week. Singer, composer and Latin GRAMMY winner Johnny Ventura, and renowned Mexican journalist Paola Rojas will be the hosts of the event.

"I’m delighted to recognize a remarkable and well-rounded group of individuals with this year’s Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., Latin Recording Academy President/CEO. "Each of these legends continues leaving their mark in the Latin music world through their talent, grace, and passion for creating sounds that have vibrated throughout our communities while helping to build our music for decades. We are looking forward to spotlighting their accomplishments during our landmark 20th anniversary Latin GRAMMY week."

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music. The Trustees Award is bestowed to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to music during their careers. The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees is the body that votes on both distinctions.

Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:

Eva Ayllón (Peru)

Eva Ayllón is one of the most celebrated voices in the Afro-Peruvian tradition. Her career started as a member of the popular group Los Kipus, with whom she recorded a catalog of Peruvian folk gems marked by nostalgic melodies and lilting guitar harmonies, followed by a debut solo album, Esta Noche, six years later. Ayllón performed a series of unforgettable concerts at Lima's Teatro Municipal throughout the '90s. Her fame spread beyond South America, with frequent European tours, performances at Carnegie Hall, and a live DVD recorded in Los Angeles. Besides joining the Peruvian version of "The Voice" as a coach, Ayllón continues to tour while expanding her recorded repertoire with a wide array of Latin styles.

Joan Baez (U.S.)

Folk super star singer-songwriter Joan Baez bravely embraced her Latin roots in times where being Latino in the U.S. would backfire in most cases. By recording luminous versions of classic Latin anthems in the '60s, she helped pioneer the American roots revival, paving the way for like-minded artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. In 1974, she released her Latin magnum opus, Gracias A La Vida, that framed her never ending context of fighting for the socially abandoned, civic causes and cultural values. With definitive renditions of "Guantanamera," Víctor Jara's "Te Recuerdo Amanda," and even the self-penned "Las Madres Cansadas" Baez has continued exploring an eclectic array of genres and styles across more than 30 albums.

José Cid (Portugal)

José Cid has effortlessly adapted the influence of Anglo popular music into an original style of Portuguese pop-rock. In 1956, the emergence of his cover band Os Babies marked a before-and-after moment for pop-rock in Portugal. His next group, Quarteto 1111, created the foundations of Portuguese rock, with a strong psychedelic tinge and groundbreaking releases such as the massive 1967 hit "A Lenda De El-Rei D. Sebastião." Continuing as a solo artist, in 1978 he released 10000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte, widely considered a progressive rock masterpiece. As he reached a new stage of musical maturity in the '80s, Cid turned his songbook to the roots of Portugal on the haunting Fado De Sempre. With dozens of hits under his belt, he remains a major concert draw in Portugal, releasing new music and live concert albums.

Lupita D’Alessio (Mexico)

Lupita D’Alessio, also known as "La Leona Dormida" (the Sleeping Lioness) began her career in the early '70s and continues to this day. She has moved effortlessly between slick pop hooks and epic ranchera sessions and has been a key singer in Mexican popular music for the past five decades. In 1971, she released her superb debut, Mi Corazón Es Un Gitano. Boasting ornate arrangements, the album included hit singles such as "Con Amor" and the title track, a cover of an Italian hit. By the mid-'70s, D’Alessio found additional success in the children's music genre and in the '80s she appeared on Mexican soap operas and had a string of radio hits. Since then, she has continued releasing albums and she re-emerged as a key performer after 2010 and in 2017 launched the autobiographical TV series "Hoy Voy A Cambiar."

Hugo Fattoruso (Uruguay)

Iconic Uruguayan keyboardist, singer, and composer Hugo Fattoruso is known for blending rock and roll, electric jazz, and bossa nova with traditional styles and creating his own contemporary sound, which led to a number of key records that span the past six decades of Latin music. Fattoruso began playing the piano professionally at age 12 with his father and brother Osvaldo—a lifelong collaborator—as part of Trío Fattoruso. In the mid-'60s he founded Los Shakers, which became one of the first bands to define the rock en español genre. The band's 1968 album, La Conferencia Secreta Del Toto's Bar, was a definitive masterpiece of the genre, and the next year Fattoruso and his brother released La Bossa Nova De Hugo Y Osvaldo. Fattoruso spent most of the '70s in the United States playing with the trio Opa before moving to Brazil in the '80s, where he worked with a gallery of musical giants, from Milton Nascimento and Chico Buarque to Djavan and Maria Bethânia. In recent years, Fattoruso has performed in a variety of formats and settings, continuing to explore the fusion of jazz and South American folk. His discography includes dozens of albums, rich in innovation and experimentation.

Pimpinela (Argentina)

Argentinian brother-sister duo Pimpinela's novel approach of mixing music with theatrical drama changed the face of Latin pop, generating sales of more than 30 million records. The emotional honesty and rich melodic content of their work struck a chord with the public beginning with their 1984 hit "Olvídame Y Pega La Vuelta." In the '80s they released albums in English, Italian, and Portuguese, and performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, and collaborated with Spanish crooner Dyango. In the '90s they embarked on a change of style, favoring a more relaxed approach and experimenting with traditional Latin formats. Always eager to try new projects, in 2003 they released an album of Italian pop covers titled Al Modo Nuestro, staged the musical comedy Pimpinela, La Familia in 2010, and even published an autobiography in 2017.

Omara Portuondo (Cuba)

Few vocalists have enjoyed a career as dazzling and mercurial as veteran Cuban singer Omara Portuondo. Born in Havana in 1930, Portuondo began her career as a dancer before joining the all-female Orquesta Anacaona in the early '50s. In 1952, she and her sister Haydeé, along with Elena Burke and Moraima Secada, helped form the vocal quartet Cuarteto D’Aida, acclaimed for its refreshing combination of jazz harmonies and traditional Cuban styles. Portuondo remained with Cuarteto for 15 years, performing in Cuba and touring the United States while finding the time to record a stunning debut album, Magia Negra, in 1959. Later, Portuondo remained active as a member of classic charanga Orquesta Aragón, touring in Europe, Africa, and recording a series of solo performances. In 1999, her performance of "Silencio" with Compay Segundo for the Buena Vista Social Club film soundtrack was a highlight of the million-selling album. In 2000, the Social Club presented an exquisite album featuring Portuondo, and in 2009 she received a Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for Gracias. At 89, she remains active in the recording studio and on concert stages around the globe.

José Luis Rodríguez (Venezuela)

José Luis Rodríguez, also known worldwide as "El Puma," transcended the boundaries of classic Venezuelan baladas and Latin pop, becoming a cultural treasure for people all over Latin America and in many countries around the world. He began his career singing as a kid with the pop group Los Zeppy, but in 1963, bandleader Luis María "Billo" Frómeta spotted him on a television show and invited him to join Billo's Caracas Boys (Venezuela's great Afro-Caribbean orchestra). Rodríguez spent four years singing boleros, merengues, and other tropical formats, honing the smoldering vocal style that he would later transpose to the balada genre. In 1968, he simultaneously released the album Lo Romántico De José Luis while acting in soap operas. In 1972, he expanded his style with a broader pop repertoire and gained his artistic moniker when portraying the character El Puma in the soap opera "Una Muchacha Llamada Milagros."  International success arrived in the late '70s, with recordings in Spain and the release of major hits such as "Voy A Perder La Cabeza Por Tu Amor," "Pavo Real," and "Dueño De Nada." In 2017, he survived a double-lung transplant and returned to action in 2019 with the appropriately titled Agradecido (Grateful) tour.

Trustees Award Honoree:

Mario Kaminsky (Argentina)

The enjoyment, promotion, and preservation of music has been at the core of Mario Kaminsky's professional life for over 60 years. The Argentine executive who was a native of Chile has been involved in every possible aspect of the business, including the intersection of music, film, and television. Kaminsky founded Microfón Argentina, a record label in 1959. It was through the management of this label that Kaminsky's strength as an eclectic tastemaker shone through, effectively changing the landscape of Latin music by recording pioneering artists such as singer/guitarist Atahualpa Yupanqui, folk groups Los Chalchaleros and Los Fronterizos, and iconic rock stars Charly García and Luis Alberto Spinetta. After tremendous efforts and not less success, Microfón and Mario became considered the home and father of rock en español. The Microfón catalog was sold to Sony in 1995, as Kaminsky continued to explore new creative avenues. From 1997 to 2000, he was president of the Argentine branch of Fonovisa Records. He has also played a prominent role in radio, television, music publishing, and film production.

Latin GRAMMY Week will culminate with the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards^®, which will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 14, from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central) on Univision.

For more information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin Recording Academy website at: LatinGRAMMY.com (#LatinGRAMMY).

Facebook: LatinGRAMMYs | Twitter: @LatinGRAMMYs | Instagram: @LatinGRAMMYs

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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:

The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community either directly or through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^®. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The Lippin Group on behalf of The Latin Recording Academy:

Elina Adut: EAdut@lippingroup.com

323.965.1990

The Latin Recording Academy:

Soledad Estrella: Soledad.estrella@ grammy.com

305.576.0036

This year’s honorees are Alaska, Omar Alfanno, Francisco Céspedes, Lila Downs, Daniela Mercury and Chichí Peralta

Click here for additional images

MIAMI (JUNE 30, 2026) — The Latin Recording Academy® announced today that Alaska, Francisco Céspedes, Lila Downs, Daniela Mercury and Chichí Peralta will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Omar Alfanno will be awarded the Trustees Award, as part of this year’s Special Awards ceremony.

“It is a great privilege to honor these living legends—an exceptional group whose influence transcends generations and genres—who continue to enrich and redefine our musical heritage,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “We are delighted to celebrate their extraordinary careers, along with the recipient of the Latin Music Educator Award, during the 27th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Week.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities. The Trustees Award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to Latin music over their careers, in ways other than performance. Both distinctions are voted on by The Latin Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees. The honorees will be celebrated on November 9 during Latin GRAMMY Week in Las Vegas.

For the second consecutive year, the Latin Music Educator Award winner will be honored at the ceremony. This award, presented in partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, honors an exceptional educator in the global music community who has made a significant impact by integrating Latin music into their curriculum. As part of the award, the recipient’s school music program will receive a musical instrument donation valued at up to $10,000 to support music education. Submissions for this award are open until August 3, 2026. To apply and view guidelines, click here.

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:

Alaska

The bewitching strain of electronic pop anchored on majestic melodies and provocative lyrics found in Alaska one of its most iconic trendsetters. As part of the bands Alaska y Dinarama and Fangoria, the singer was always ahead of her time. Born in Mexico City in 1963, Olvido Gara Jova moved to Spain at a young age and began her musical career with Kaka de Luxe, one of the first bands of the Spanish punk movement. In 1979, she founded Alaska y los Pegamoides, which four years later evolved into Alaska y Dinarama. Hits such as “Ni Tú Ni Nadie” (1984) and “A Quién Le Importa” (1986) made history with their extraordinary melodic sophistication – an element that would also appear in the sumptuous synth-pop of Fangoria. Alaska remains active in recording studios and concert halls across Spain and Latin America.

Francisco Céspedes

To discover the musical worldview of Francisco Céspedes entails venturing into a nocturnal soundscape where the elegance of jazz walks hand in hand with the warmth of bolero. Born in Cuba and established in Mexico, Francisco Fabián Céspedes Rodríguez transcends his Latin roots with a cosmopolitan sound that found devoted followers all over the world. He abandoned his initial vocation as a doctor to devote himself to music, and moved to Mexico City in 1992, where he wrote songs for artists like Luis Miguel, and collaborated with Alejandro Sanz and Plácido Domingo. In 1997, his debut album, Vida Loca, established him as an icon of romantic balladry with the melancholy mood of the title track. Since then, he has been nominated for a Latin GRAMMY® several times, and released many albums, including one with Armando Manzanero. He tours regularly in Europe and Latin America, and released an album earlier this year on which he collaborated with the late Pablo Milanés.

Lila Downs

One of the most transcendent ambassadors of Mexican culture, Lila Downs has spent the past thirty years exploring the fertile creative bridge that unites her identity and roots. The daughter of a Mixteca mother and an American father, Ana Lila Downs Sánchez was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, in 1968. From her very first album, Ofrenda, she showcased a restless creative personality and visionary talent for experimentation and daring musical fusions. In Downs’ creative universe, her stunning vocal range moves comfortably among the velvety textures of jazz, healing cumbia grooves, and the emotional exuberance of bolero. The winner of six Latin GRAMMYs® and a GRAMMY®, Downs released Cambias Mi Mundo in 2026, an album that finds her at a transformative creative peak.

Daniela Mercury

Daniela Mercury began her career revolutionizing the Brazilian music scene. During her inaugural performance in São Paulo in 1992, she literally shook the foundation of the building, forcing the event to be momentarily interrupted. A pioneer of the new Brazilian genre of axé, the singer and dancer from Salvador, Bahia, brought her powerful voice and precise movements to stages all over the world. Her song “O Canto Da Cidade” became a Brazilian music anthem that has endured for over three decades. With more than 20 million records sold and 26 albums – including the masterpiece Feijão Com Arroz (1998) – her innovative fusion of styles is informed by an expansive mosaic of rhythms and colors. Throughout her career she has continued to expand the limits of her sound while offering memorable concerts, including the live album Balé Mulato, which garnered a Latin GRAMMY in 2007.

Chichí Peralta

Chichí Peralta — musician, singer/songwriter, composer, arranger and producer — is one of the most influential figures in contemporary music from the Dominican Republic. Born in Santo Domingo, he discovered percussion at the age of four, beginning a career that has spanned over four decades, marked by innovation and artist versatility. The founder of Chichí Peralta & Son Familia, he developed a unique sound that blends tradition, modernity and Caribbean identity, enriching Latin American music and showcasing Dominican culture on international stages across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The winner of a Latin GRAMMY in 2001, Peralta has recorded two of his productions with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road and amassed a discography that reflects his ongoing artistic quest, while contributing to shaping future generations of musicians.

2026 Trustees Award Honoree:

Omar Alfanno

The composer of timeless classics of Latin music such as “El Gran Varón,” “A Puro Dolor,” “Y Hubo Alguien” and “Amores Como El Nuestro,” Omar Alfanno transformed deeply human narratives into songs that are an essential part of the Latin American songbook. Born in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama, in 1957, his songs have been recorded by more than 500 artists, including Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jerry Rivera, Marc Anthony and Shakira. His work contributed to defining the sound of contemporary tropical music, while his narratives and melodic sensibility have served as a reference point for many composers over the past five decades. A member of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and winner of a Latin GRAMMY, Alfanno continues to hone his craft, guiding new talent and promoting musical education among young people with limited financial means in Panama through the Fundación Omar Alfanno.

Alex Hadad will serve as executive producer of the event, working under the direction of The Latin Recording Academy’s production team led by Ayleen Figueras.

For the latest news, visit the official Latin Recording Academy site at LatinGRAMMY.com. Follow us on Facebook (LatinGRAMMYs), X (@LatinGRAMMYs) or Instagram (@LatinGRAMMYs), and join the conversation using our official hashtag #LatinGRAMMY on all popular social media platforms.

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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:

The Latin Recording Academy® is an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, The Biggest Night in Latin Music®, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for the music community through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Iveliesse Malavé

ive@grammy.com

Four talented music institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists and researchers will receive a total of $20,000 for research and preservation of Latin music

Deadline to apply is August 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

MIAMI (JUNE 18, 2026) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced that applications are now open for its 2026 Latin Music Research and Preservation Grant Program. This program provides grants to support music institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists and researchers worldwide who are committed to preserving and advancing the legacy of Latin music through research and archival initiatives.

This year, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation will award a total of four grants as follows:

• Two (2) Research Grants for a maximum amount of $5,000 each, funding one project focused on historical research, folklore and anthropology of a Latin music genre.

• Two (2) Preservation Grants for a maximum of $5,000 each, supporting one project aiming to archive and preserve Latin music heritage.

“The research and preservation of Latin music is essential to honoring its cultural impact and these grants ensure future generations remain connected to the stories, traditions and communities that shaped it,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.

Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than $285,000 in grants to support projects, one of which received both a Latin GRAMMY® and GRAMMY®.

To apply, view guidelines, and learn about past project winners please click here (the materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese). The deadline to apply is Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. If you have any additional questions, please email LGCF@grammy.com and/or visit http://www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org/en.

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ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. For over a decade, the Foundation has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $15 million with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.alberto@grammy.com

The program expands access to music education through a donation of instruments to two local schools

Click here to download photos

Credit: Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA (MAY 15, 2026) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, in partnership with Latin GRAMMY® winner and GRAMMY® nominee Silvestre Dangond, hosted a Latin GRAMMY In The Schools™ program in Bogotá, on Thursday, May 14. The program included a donation of musical instruments to two local schools—Colegio Enrique Olaya Herrera and Fundación Sendero de Acordeones de Riohacha—and students participated in a meet and greet and conversation with Dangond and accordion player, José Juan Camilo.

Dangond continues to support the growth and development of vallenato and previously sponsored two Latin Music Research and Preservation Grants for the Foundation dedicated to funding the folkloric music genre from Colombia.

“I am so proud to be able to support emerging young talent, especially in a country like Colombia, where music is a fundamental part of our identity,” said Dangond. “I see myself reflected in these students—in their dreams, in their passion—and I hope this experience reminds them that, with dedication and a love for music, anything is possible.”

“We thank Silvestre Dangond for his partnership and continued support of our shared mission to nurture future Latin music creators,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “His generosity today created what we hope is an experience that these students will never forget and further ensures the legacy of Latin music.”

Latin GRAMMY In The Schools is an educational program that inspires students ages five-to-18 through music education and mentorship. The program informs and connects music students with professionals in the Latin music industry, supporting educational music departments that face financial limitations. The Foundation invites renowned musicians, performing artists, and sound engineers to share their personal stories and experiences with students, highlighting the effort it takes to overcome career obstacles. The goal is for students to learn to optimize the educational opportunities presented to them, giving them an advantage and strong academic preparation to be able to compete in the music industry.

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ABOUT SILVESTRE DANGOND:

Silvestre Dangond is a world-renowned artist from Colombia, who is especially known for globalizing the vallenato genre. In his nearly 25 years in the industry, Dangond has won multiple Latin GRAMMYs®, including Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album in 2025 for his latest LP El Último Baile, which also earned him a GRAMMY® nomination. Dangond is preparing for his fourth Estadio El Campín show in less than two years in Bogotá, where he will present “El Baile de Todos Tour,” an international production poised to mark another major milestone in his musical journey. With confirmed dates in key markets such as Argentina, Peru, Chile, Spain, and other cities across Europe, Dangond is bringing vallenato to increasingly wider audiences and solidifying himself as one of the leading figures in contemporary Latin music. He has collaborated with artists including Nicky Jam, Natti Natasha, Carín León, Emilia, Sebastián Yatra, Fonseca and Carlos Vives, and he often works with initiatives in support of the next generation of vallenato artists.

ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. For over a decade, the Foundation has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $15 million with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors.For additional information or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.alberto@grammy.com

The artist will be honored at a special gala on November 11 in Las Vegas, during Latin GRAMMY® Week

Photo credit: Isaac Reyes

Click here to access the image in high resolution

MIAMI (APRIL 7, 2026)— The Latin Recording Academy® announced that multi–Latin GRAMMY® winner and multi-GRAMMY® nominee, Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, known as Daddy Yankee, will be the 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™.

Daddy Yankee, a pioneer and driving force behind the globalization of reggaeton music, will be honored for his nearly three-decade career as a singer, songwriter and performer within the urban genre, as well as for his humanitarian efforts. His career represents an example of perseverance, resilience and creativity.

“Daddy Yankee has been a defining force in the global rise of Latin music,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “His leadership, discipline and vision opened the doors for a genre and inspired an entire generation of creators, and he remains as relevant today as ever. We are proud to honor him as our 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.”

“This recognition from The Latin Recording Academy is a dream come true. It means a lot because it represents more than just a successful career; it’s recognition of years of discipline, struggle, faith and commitment to our culture,” said Daddy Yankee. “Receiving something like this is to honor Puerto Rico, to honor all Latinos, and specifically to that entire generation that believed in our music when no one else understood it.”

From his humble beginnings in the barrios of Las Lomas and Villa Kennedy in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Daddy Yankee channeled a complex social reality—marked by violence, censorship, and exclusion—into a musical language of his own. In a context where reggaeton music was stigmatized by society, he not only defended artistry but also played a decisive role in its cultural legitimization.

The historic turning point came in 2004 with Barrio Fino, an album that redefined Latin music in the 21st century, selling over eight million copies and spending 24 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. With the global phenomenon of “Gasolina,” Daddy Yankee opened the international doors to reggaeton and popularized it among new generations. He became the first reggaeton performing artist to embark on an international tour, visiting more than 29 countries and bringing urban music to stages worldwide. Among his international hits are “Limbo,” “Con Calma,” and “Dura,” which reached number one in multiple countries.

His impact on the charts is both historic and sustained. “Despacito,” written in collaboration with Erika Ender and Luis Fonsi, marked a turning point in the music industry: 16 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, 56 weeks atop Hot Latin Songs, and more than 8.9 billion streams, establishing itself as one of the greatest musical phenomena of all time.

In 2022, Daddy Yankee announced his retirement from professional music, stating that Legendaddy would be the last album of his career, and subsequently, “La Última Vuelta World Tour” became one of the highest-grossing Latin tours in history. In his most recent phase, Daddy Yankee has developed a new creative direction focused on purpose-driven music, incorporating spiritual reflection, ethical values and personal transformation. His latest album, Lamento En Baile, includes the song “Sonríele,” which reached number one on Billboard Latin Airplay.

Daddy Yankee’s social impact is equally powerful. He is an agent of change in Puerto Rico, offering meaningful and timely social and educational programs through his foundation, and demonstrating a genuine and consistent commitment to the most vulnerable communities. In recent years, his strategic investment in sports—from the baseball team Cangrejeros de Santurce to the NBA Basketball School in Puerto Rico—confirms a legacy-driven vision focused on developing future generations of athletes.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors musicians and their artistic achievements in the Latin music industry, as well as their humanitarian efforts. Daddy Yankee will be celebrated at a private gala on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in Las Vegas, as part of Latin GRAMMY® Week. The tribute concert will feature renditions of his renowned repertoire performed by an array of international artists and close friends. To purchase tickets, please contact: lgticketing@grammy.com.

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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:

The Latin Recording Academy® is an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, The Biggest Night in Latin Music®, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for the music community through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Iveliesse Malavé

ive@grammy.com

305.576.0036

For Artist Inquiries:

Nevárez Communications

mayna@nevarezpr.com