1994 – Emilio Estefan
Music mogul Emilio Estefan became the first person to ever be awarded the Billboard Latin Lifetime Achievement Award.
All the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award Winners Since 1994
Written by djfrosty on October 9, 2023
Powerhouse producer and musician Emilio Estefan was the very first person to ever receive the Billboard Latin Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. For a short period of time (1995-1998), the award’s name was changed to El Premio Billboard and was awarded to Tito Puente, José Feliciano, Herb Alpert and Ralph Mercado. In 1999, it returned as the Lifetime Achievement Award and was given to norteño artist Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez.
Since, the tradition has remained, and over the years, renowned and chart-topping Latin artists such Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Solís, Miguel Bosé, Emmanuel, José José, Santana, Juan Luis Guerra, among many others, have gone on to receive the prestigious accolade.
The Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award is an honor that is presented by Billboard to an artist or a group who’s had an “enduring and exceptional career, encompassing artistic and personal contributions that have had a major impact on Latin music worldwide.”
Last year, the honoree was Spanish icon Raphael who accepted the special honor at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards. He was recognized for his “exceptional professional career and his artistic and personal contributions” that have influenced the development of Latin music around the world. With a musical career that spans more than 60 years, Raphael — known for anthemic songs such as “Yo Soy Aquel,” “En Carne Viva” and “Mi Gran Noche” — has garnered worldwide recognition as a pioneer of Spanish-language romantic ballads.
Mexican cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Oct. 5. The band — known for songs such as “El Listón de Tu Pelo,” “Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar” and “Mi Niña Mujer” — among many other cumbia anthems, was recognized for their enduring, exceptional career that has expanded the reach of Latin music worldwide.
All of the previous honorees have made a significant contribution to Latin music. In honor of the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards show and Los Ángeles Azules’ special award, here are all the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award recipients from over the years.
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1995 – Tito Puente
Nicknamed “El Rey de los Timbales,” the Puerto Rican artist Tito Puente received the newly renamed award, which then became known as El Premio Billboard.
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1996 – José Feliciano
The legendary José Feliciano, known globally for his bilingual holiday anthem “Feliz Navidad,” has placed 16 songs on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart — eight of which went to No. 1.
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1997 – Herb Alpert
The American trumpeter led the Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. He also co-founded A&M Records.
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1998 – Ralph Mercado
Music impresario Ralph Mercado founded indie salsa label RMM, and was a promoter of tropical music (merengue, salsa).
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1999 – Leonardo ‘Flaco’ Jiménez
The special award returned this year as the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was awarded to norteño artist and accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez.
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2000 – Jorge Pinos
Jorge Pinos was an agent at William Morris Agency for nearly 23 years. After his exit, he went on to launch his own entertainment company, JEP Entertainment Group.
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2001 – Los Lobos
East Los Angeles rock band Los Lobos topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 with their smash cover of Ritchie Valens’ late-’50s classic “La Bamba,” from the Valens biopic of the same name.
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2002 – El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
Founded in 1962, Puerto Rican orchestra El Gran Combo recently placed their 20th top 10 on Billboard‘s Tropical Albums chart with De Trulla Con el Combo.
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2005 – Marco Antonio Solís
Five years after being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, Mexican singer-songwriter Marco Antonio Solís was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
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2007 – Miguel Bosé
One of the most enduring icons in Spanish-language music, Bosé received the award in honor of his 30th anniversary in the music business.
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2008 – Conjunto Primavera
Primavera’s Lifetime Achievement nod coincided with the group’s 30th anniversary celebration, which included a sold-out show at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater (now the Microsoft Theater) — making the group the first regional Mexican act to ever perform in that venue.
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2009 – Carlos Santana
The legendary guitarist has placed over 20 songs on the Hot 100, including two No. 1s: “Smooth” (featuring Rob Thomas) in 1999 and “Maria Maria” (featuring The Product G&B) in 2000.
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2010 – Los Temerarios
Los Temerarios were honored with the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award in celebration of their 30-year career, which straddles regional Mexican and pop music.
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2011 – Emmanuel
Emmanuel, nicknamed “La voz del Heraldo” or “The voice of the Herald,” became an internationally renowned artist with a career that was honored with the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award.
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2012 – Intocable
After winning the Lifetime Achievement Award, Intocable also took the stage to perform a medley of their biggest hits, such as “Eres Mi Droga,” “Aire,” “Contra Viento y Marea,” “Dame un Besito” and “Prometi.”
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2013 – José José
José José was a Mexican crooner whose velvety voice and regal demeanor earned him the moniker The Prince of Song. He died in 2019 at 71 years old.
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2014 – Andrea Bocelli
Prolific singer-songwriter and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is one of the most popular classical solo recording artists, and also one of the best-selling singers in music history .
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2015 – Roberto Carlos
The journey of Roberto Carlos began in the 1960s, when he initiated a major music revolution in Brazil — reaching success over a period that also coincided with the global youth movement started by The Beatles.
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2017 – Ricardo Arjona
The Guatemalan singer-songwriter was awarded with the special accolade to honor his outstanding career that spans over 30 years.
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2018 – Maná
More than 30 years after forming, Maná’s career achievements and philanthropic contributions were honored at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards where the band received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
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2019 – Juan Luis Guerra
The Dominican musician, composer, singer and arranger brought the sounds of bachata and merengue to the world, and is now one of the most recognizable names in Latin music.
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2020 – Armando Manzanero
The renowned Mexican singer, songwriter and producer was recognized for his exceptional career that spanned over six decades and took Latin music to the next level internationally. He died two months after receiving the special award in December 2020.
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2021 – Paquita la del Barrio
Known for her female-empowerment anthems such as “Rata de dos Patas,” “Me Saludas a la Tuya” and “Tres Veces Te Engañé” — which denounce macho culture and attitude — Paquita la del Barrio boasts more than 50 years in the industry.
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2022 – Raphael
Spanish artist Raphael was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards. He was recognized for his “exceptional professional career and his artistic and personal contributions” that have influenced the development of Latin music around the world.
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2023 – Los Ángeles Azules
Mexican cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The band — known for songs such as “El Listón de Tu Pelo,” “Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar” and “Mi Niña Mujer” — was recognized for their enduring, exceptional career that has expanded the reach of Latin music worldwide.