Billboard Latin Women In Music
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Gloria Estefan and Ángela Aguilar will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Thursday (May 16). The program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9 p.m. ET. The special will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
This celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see the Cuban-American superstar receive the Legend title and the regional Mexican music star the Musical Dynasty honor.
Estefan, the “Conga” and “Mi Tierra” hitmaker, is renowned globally as a multi-talented singer and composer, celebrated for seamlessly blending her Cuban roots with mainstream music and paving the way for Latin musicians in the global arena. Billboard has hailed her as the most successful Latin “crossover” artist ever, underscoring her transformative impact on music and culture. She has sold more than 100 million records. Her many honors include three Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019, the latter award in tandem with her husband, Emilio Estefan.
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The Legend recognition is given to outstanding artists who have left a “unique and immeasurable legacy and have significantly impacted the industry throughout their careers with their musical work.”
Meanwhile, Aguilar’s Musica Dynasty title is given to artists who “keep a familial artistic legacy alive and honor the musical dynasty to which they belong.” The Mexican singer is part of the esteemed Aguilar family, and, at 20 years old, she has carved out her own successful career with her talent while preserving the traditions of her family heritage.
With various hits under her belt, such as “Dime Como Quieres” with Christian Nodal at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs and three No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the Grammy-nominated Mexican singer is a force to be reckoned with. She was also featured in Billboard’s 21 under 21 in 2022 and 2023.
Other Latin Women in Music recipients include Kany García, who will be given the Spirit of Change Award, and Ana Bárbara with the Lifetime Achievement Award. They were in the first round of recipients announced by Telemundo and Billboard on May 8.
In the coming weeks, additional honorees will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.
Ana Bárbara and Kany García will be among the artists honored at the second edition of Latin Women in Music, Billboard and Telemundo announced today (May 8). The program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9.
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Hosted by Jacqueline Bracamontes, the two-hour music special will celebrate Latina artists who “proactively work for positive change, inclusion, and gender parity in the music industry,” according to the press release. It will also stream on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
According to the initial list of honorees, the Queen of Grupera Ana Barbara will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her three decades of unparalleled influence in regional Mexican music and Latin pop.
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Throughout her career, which dates back to the mid-1990s, the San Luis Potosí native has not only conquered hearts, but has also shaped the regional style, earning a special place in the history of Latin music. “Ana Bárbara’s success has represented a powerful statement of female empowerment, struggle and resilience,” the statement said. “She managed to break down barriers, concepts and opened the way for other women in the industry, becoming an artistic inspiration, and a symbol of admiration and respect in the regional Mexican genre.”
Meanwhile, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García will receive this year’s Spirit of Change Award, which recognizes an artist who “drives positive change within music, society and beyond entertainment.” García — who just released her latest album, GARCIA — has used her talents and platforms to advocate for meaningful social causes, including support for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality and social justice.
At last year’s Latin Women in Music event, honors were granted to those who’ve made significant contributions to Latin music and its industry. The recipients included included Shakira as Woman of the Year, Ana Gabriel as Living Legend, Thalia as Global Powerhouse, Maria Becerra as Visionary, Emilia as Rising Star, Evaluna as Tradition and Future and Goyo as Agent of Change.
In the coming weeks, Billboard and Telemundo will announce additional Latin Women in Music honorees in 2024.
Billboard and Telemundo have revealed that the exclusive airing of the Billboard Latin Women in Music special is scheduled to return for its second edition on June 9 at 9 p.m. ET via Telemundo. The two-hour music special, which celebrates “Latin female artists proactively working for positive change, inclusion, and gender parity in the music […]
Flaunting a ’60s-inspired dress and hairdo, Maria Becerra attended the inaugural Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música (Billboard Latin Women in Music), where she received the Visionary Award from newlyweds Lele Pons and Guaynaa.
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“First of all, I want to thank Billboard for this incredible recognition as a visionary. Thank you for joining so many talented women and for thinking of awards that recognize the effort and work all of us dedicate to our job each day,” she said during her speech on Sunday (May 7). “This tribute is not only for me. This award has a lot to do with the capacity to generate ideas, of not staying still for one second but also with a big team that accompanies and empowers everything I propose. Thank for you trusting in my vision and thank you for having a big vision as well, for your ideas, for your work, and for your love, above all. And I want to send a shout-out to all my colleagues and congratulate you for all your incredible work.”
Becerra, who started as a YouTuber as an adolescent and was later nominated for a Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2021, also took center stage to perform her uptempo urban-cumbia track “Adiós” joined by a nine-member band. “Adiós” reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart.
Maria Becerra at Billboard Latin Women In Music held at the Watsco Center on May 6, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida. The show airs on Sunday, May 7, 2023 on Telemundo.
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For Becerra, receiving the Visionary Award represents having confidence in her project and being surrounded by a supportive team.
“I am a very active person, a person who shoots ideas, who wants to generate new concepts, who want to make new and different genres,” she previously told Billboard. “I think it goes more on that side, in the sense of not stagnating and always thinking about new things and looking to the future.”
The two-hour music special, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, honors Latin women in music. Mujeres Latinas en la Música aired on Sunday, May 7 at 9 p.m. ET exclusively on Telemundo and Peacock.
A first of its kind for Latin music, the inaugural Latin Women in Music event is an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise and celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry. Shakira will receive the first-ever Woman of the Year award. Other honorees, in addition to Becerra, include Ana Gabriel, who will receive the Living Legend Award; Emilia, who will receive the Rising Star Award; Evaluna, who will receive the Tradition and Future Award; Goyo, who will receive the Agent of Change Award, and Thalia, who will receive the Global Powerhouse Award.
Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, affecting positive change to the industry as a whole.
Ivy Queen, alongside Jacqueline Bracamontes, co-hosted the first-ever Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música (Billboard Latin Women in Music) on Sunday night (May 7). Flaunting a bedazzled boxing robe with a hood covering her face, Ivy (real name: Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez) also took center stage to exclusively premiere her new single “Toma” (Take It).
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“The queen is here,” she kicked off the track as she removed the robe and showed off her curves in a fitted golden ensemble and knee-high boots. A hard-hitting reggaetón song fused with Middle Eastern melodies that later transition to an old-school perreo (produced by Young Hollywood), “Toma” is a reassurance of her “Queen of Reggaeton” title.
“Toma reggaeton pa’ que sientan la presion,” she sings in the chorus, which loosely translates to “take reggaeton to feel the pressure.” “I’m the essence of PR [Puerto Rico] and New York City” and “they have to respect the ranks” are some of the many empowered lines in the tune, before it finishes off with the voice of virtual assistant Siri reminding everyone that “Ivy Queen became known as the Queen of Reggaeton, a singer with a fierce stage persona.”
Watch Ivy Queen’s full performance here:
In March, the 50-year-old Puerto Rican rapper was honored with the Women In Music Icon Award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music gala.
A first of its kind for Latin music, Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música, an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise, celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.
Shakira will receive the first-ever Woman of the Year award. Other honorees include Ana Gabriel, who will receive the Living Legend Award; Emilia, who will receive the Rising Star Award; Maria Becerra, who will receive the Visionary Award; Evaluna, who will receive the Tradition and Future Award; Goyo, who will receive the Agent of Change Award, and Thalia, who will receive the Global Powerhouse Award.
Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, affecting positive change to the industry as a whole.
At Billboard’s first annual Latin Women in Music, Thalia testified her star power with a medley of hits. Spanning through an energetic set with back-to-back bangers, the Mexican pop star appeared in a sultry leopard one-piece and dazzling gold jewelry, looking like a queen amid neon lights, with her luscious brown hair flowing as usual.
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She delivered her timeless songs “Amor a la Mexicana” and a bachata-driven version of her fierce clapback “A Quién Le Importa.” “Desde Esa Noche” and the tender ballad “Equivocada” were also performed, leading the crowd through a wave of emotions.
Later that evening, the beloved Latin pop star claimed her Global Powerhouse Award, given to her by Billboard’s content chief officer of Latin/Español, Leila Cobo. “She sings, check. She dances, check. She acts, check. She produces, writes, designs her own clothes, her own line of shoes; and then this woman is a super mom, a woman who has inspired generations with her music,” said Cobo. “This is a risk-taking, committed, powerful artist who is also a charming, and frankly, very funny person.”
“The word we’ve heard the most tonight is ‘empowered’ women. Well, for me, the word empowered falls short,” said Thalia. “I believe that we are all born with power. I believe we are strong, and no one is going to empower us. We already have it. It’s something that God gave us when he created each one of us, individually, unique, unrepeatable. To all of you chingonas with ovaries who are here, don’t get distracted, keep going for your goal, for your dreams, don’t let anyone steal them from you. It is yours. You have the strength, the power, no one is going to give you that. ¡Arriba las mujeres!”
The two-hour music special, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, honored Latin women in music. A first of its kind for Latin music, Mujeres Latinas en la Música celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.
The inaugural Latin Women in Music event was announced earlier this year as an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise. Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, affecting positive change to the industry as a whole.
Watch Thalia’s performance here.
Emilia is Billboard’s Latin Women in Music’s Rising Star, and she certainly proved her star quality at the ceremony alongside Ludmilla Saturday night (May 6).
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Arriving to the stage with a slinky leather crop top, baggy blue jeans and a slick, long ponytail, the Argentine singer began to belt out her latest single, “No_se_ve.mp3,” in pop diva fashion. She was soon joined by a troupe of energetic dancers who invigorated the scene with every single beat. Then the Brazilian powerhouse performer entered the scene, and the vibe further amplified with some baile funk. She was wearing a deep royal blue latex shirt with a Mad Max-style skirt and white knee-high boots.
The Spanish-Portuguese-language cut saw the two femme fatales slice through a pop-driven baile funk fusion with boss-b—- attitude, thus solidifying the night as a powerful Latin Women in Music reverie.
“[‘No_se_ve.mp3’] is a party,” said Ludmilla earlier on the red carpet. “We mixed our two musical styles, Emilia with hers and I brought a little bit of funk from Brazil. It was a great combination.”
Right after their show, Emilia walked over songwriter Elena Rose, who handed her her Rising Star award.
“[I am] receiving this award alongside women I admire and whose lyrics marked my life. This is very special,” she said, teary-eyed. “I would like to thank all the powerful women who are part of my life and helped me become the person I am today. To my mom, who accompanied me tonight. To the women on my team… Each one of them has taught me something that has made me grow. Before I leave, I would like to say to those girls who are watching me from their homes with many dreams to fulfill, never stop dreaming and always believe in yourselves. Thank you Billboard and Leila Cobo for this recognition. It is truly a dream come true.”
Watch Emilia and Ludmilla’s performance here
The two-hour music special, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, honored Latin women in music. A first of its kind for Latin music, Mujeres Latinas en la Música celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.
The inaugural Latin Women in Music event was announced earlier this year as an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise. Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, affecting positive change to the industry as a whole.
The first-ever Billboard Latin Women in Music was full of emotions and striking performances by the honorees. Evaluna Montaner’s moment on stage was no exception.
The singer-songwriter took the stage to perform “If the World Was Ending” with JP Saxe, and it was if time had stopped. The stripped-down performance was powered by Saxe’s melancholic piano notes and Evaluna’s ethereal vocals. Following her collaboration with JP Saxe on stage, Evaluna accepted her Tradition and Future Award, which was given to her by fellow songwriter and good friend Nicole Zignago.
“It’s a real pleasure to be here tonight to celebrate the career of someone I admire for her achievements and the marvelous woman she is and someone I have the honor to call my friend, Evaluna Montaner,” Zignago said. “She started when she was very young but in 2020, she wrote and sang ‘Amén’ with her brothers, father and husband, Camilo, a mix of tradition and future. It’s inevitable to feel the light when Evaluna enters a room. She’s an enormous and unstoppable force. She’s shown me to find happiness in the smallest of things.”
“Thank you for including me,” Evaluna began her speech. “I feel very proud to come from the family I come from. I feel very proud to have started the family that I started. I give thanks to God for putting every person in my life who’s empowered me and accompanied me in becoming the woman I am today, who’ I’m also proud of. I wouldn’t be here today standing if it wasn’t for the mother that birthed me, she’s sitting over there. I dedicate this award to you, I love you.”
Watch part of her speech here.
The two-hour music special, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, honored Latin women in music. A first of its kind for Latin music, Mujeres Latinas en la Música celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.
Throughout the night, Shakira received the first-ever Woman of the Year award. Other honorees included Ana Gabriel (Living Legend Award); Emilia (Rising Star Award); Maria Becerra (Visionary Award); Evaluna (Tradition and Future Award); Goyo (Agent of Change Award), and Thalia (Global Powerhouse Award).
The inaugural Latin Women in Music event was announced earlier this year as an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise. Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, affecting positive change to the industry as a whole.