With three gold gramophones each, Lafourcade, Carlos Vives and Rosalía were the most awarded on a night that promised to be dominated by reggaeton but ended up handing out prizes to more traditional artists.
Colombian reggaeton player J Balvin, who seemed destined to make history after breaking the record for the artist with the most nominations (13) in the history of the Latin Grammys, went home with just one award.
J Balvin dedicated his golden gramophone –Best Urban Music Album for «Colors» – to «all the countries that are suffering from the hurricane», referring to the Central American nations hit by Eta and Iota.
“The world needs color right now,” he added.
Absent winner
Natalia Lafourcade was virtually absent to receive her Album of the Year award, the most important from the Latin Recording Academy, for her compilation of Mexican classics “Un canto por México.”
However, Puerto Rican René «Residente» Pérez, winner of Song of the Year for the autobiographical «René» , did attend by videoconference from San Juan.
“Art was not made to make history, to set records,” he said, asking artists to remember that their job is to feel “uncomfortable.”
The Recording of the Year –one of the most coveted awards of the night– went to the Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz for «Contigo».
Emotional ceremony
The 21st edition of the Latin Grammys, normally held in Las Vegas, was identified with the motto “Music humanizes us.”
Cuban-American Pitbull, who was playing tenant in Miami, sang the anthem “I Believe That We Will Win” alongside a band of doctors, nurses, firefighters, and paramedics in a powerful show honoring the efforts of first-rate workers. line.
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“I can’t imagine a world without music, but without them, there really isn’t a world,” Pitbull said, thanking them for their work.
Remote actions
The Best New Artist was Colombian Mike Bahía , known for “Being with you” and “Looking for you . “
Bahía received the award thanking his “partner” and added: “I think the smartest thing I’ve done in my life is to go crazy for a woman and I hope everyone finds their own.”
The televised gala in Miami, with no audience or red carpet, was presented by Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio, nominated for an Oscar for her leading role in the multi-award-winning “Roma” , along with hosts Carlos Rivera, Ana Brenda Contreras and Víctor Manuelle.
It started with a powerful rendition of “The singer” , by salsa legend Héctor Lavoe , by Ricardo Montaner , Ivy Queen and Rauw Alejandro .
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But the ceremony was marked by absences.
Alejandro Fernández, Caliber 50 and Christian Nodal performed from their Mexican land, where they sang mariachis crowned by a fireworks display.
José Luis Perales also participated remotely , who sang a potpourri from the terrace of a building in Madrid with his classics “And how is he” and “I love you”; while Anitta did it from Rio de Janeiro, Fito Páez and Nathy Peluso from Buenos Aires and Bad Bunny from San Juan.
Releasing categories
Most of the 53 awards were delivered throughout the afternoon, in a live broadcast on Facebook , and recognized the work of Los Tigres del Norte , Fito Páez and Carlos Vives , among others.
After years of protests from urban artists due to the absence of reggaeton at the annual gala organized by the Latin Recording Academy, this 21st edition incorporated three new items to reward reggaeton, hip hop and pop rock.
The first of them, Best Reggaeton Interpretation, was for the Puerto Rican Bad Bunny for his “Yo perreo sola” .
Residente also premiered category by winning Best Rap / Hip-Hop Song for his powerful “Before the world ends” , about love in pandemic, while Argentine Fito Páez won the award for Best Pop / Rock Song for “The song of the beasts » .
The electric duo of Rosalía and Ozuna , «Yo x ti, tú x mi» , won Best Urban Fusion / Interpretation and Best Urban Song. In total, the Spanish singer-songwriter accumulated three golden gramophones.
“I’m so looking forward to bringing new music,” she wrote on Twitter, accompanying a video of herself celebrating upon receiving the news.
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