Billboard and Telemundo announced Thursday (Aug. 24) the list of finalists for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Leading the pack with 21 entries is 24-year-old Peso Pluma, who is up for artist of the year competing against Karol G, Bad Bunny, Grupo Frontera and Fuerza Regida.
Regional Mexican music has significant representation not only in that category but throughout the entire list, as the genre continues to soar in popularity across the world. Grupo Frontera, Peso and Fuerza Regida are three heavy-hitters in música mexicana and have been key players in the genre’s global expansion. Meanwhile, superstars Bad Bunny and Karol G are also up for artist of the year. The two have for the past three years continuously made history with their tours and their music. Bunny and Karol are the only two artists to have all Spanish-language albums top the all-genre Billboard 200 in the chart’s history.
Who will win in the artist of the year category? You’ll have to tune in to the live broadcast from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Thursday, Oct. 5. The awards ceremony will air on Telemundo and, simultaneously, on Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Finalists and eventual winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including audio and video streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and touring, tracked by Billboard and its data partner, Luminate. This year’s awards are based on the chart period of Aug. 13, 2022, through Aug. 12, 2023.
Below, meet the finalists for artist of the year at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.
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Bad Bunny
Number of entries: 15
Accomplishments: With his massive record-breaking album, Un Verano Sin Ti, and two back-to-back blockbuster tours, Bad Bunny is a 15-time finalist at this year’s awards. The Puerto Rican hitmaker is not only up for artist of the year but also tour of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year and Global 200 Latin song of the year. Thanks to his collab with Grupo Frontera, “Un X100to,” he’s up for Hot Latin Song of the year and song of the year, streaming. After becoming only the second Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200 (following his own No. 1 debut in 2020), Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the tally. Most recently, it was announced that the 2022 set is now the most-streamed album in Spotify’s history.
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Karol G
Number of entries: 13
Accomplishments: In the middle of her first-ever stadium U.S. tour, Karol G has been announced as a 13-time finalist for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Last year, she wrapped 2022 with a record-breaking arena tour. After grossing $69.9 million and selling 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America, her $trip Love Tour became the highest-grossing U.S. tour by a female Latin act in history. Furthermore, earlier this year, with Mañana Será Bonito, she became the first female artist to score an all-Spanish-language No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. Her collaboration with Shakira, “TQG” is up for five awards including Hot Latin Song of the year and Latin Airplay Song of the year. She’s also up for tour of the year and Top Latin Album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito.
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Fuerza Regida
Number of entries: 12
Accomplishments: The Mexican-American group earned its first entry on the Hot 100 in January with “Bebe Dame” alongside Grupo Frontera that peaked at No. 25. Since then, Fuerza Regida has placed at least four other tracks on the all-genre chart including “Ch y La Pizza” with Natanael Cano, “Igualito a Mi Apá” with Peso Pluma, “Sabor Fresa” and “TQM.” The five-piece band is also up for Hot Latin Song of the year with “Bebe Dame,” top Latin Album of the year for Pa Que Hablen and top Latin Albums artist of the year, duo or group.
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Grupo Frontera
Number of entries: 15
Accomplishments: Grupo Frontera is competing for 15 awards, including artist of the year and artist of the year, new. After breaking out last year with their “No Se Va” cover, Grupo Frontera has been on a winning streak scoring major collaborations, including one with Bad Bunny. Their collab “Un X100to” — which they debuted at Coachella earlier this year — earned the Texas-based group four entries, including regional Mexican song of the year. Five of their entries are for “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida, including Hot Latin Song of the year and Sales Song of the year. Grupo Frontera is also up for Global 200 Latin artist of the year.
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Peso Pluma
Number of entries: 21
Accomplishments: Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma has had a remarkable year with over 700 million on-demand official streams in the United States, according to Luminate, and 21 entries on the Billboard Hot 100. In June, he became the first artist to ever lead both the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. lists simultaneously with different songs. His new album, Génesis, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (dated July 1) — the highest rank ever for a música mexicana album on the chart. Peso Pluma is also up for Global 200 Latin artist of the year, songwriter of the year and regional Mexican album of the year with Génesis.
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