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The 2025 Heat Latin Music Awards promises to deliver memorable performances and big wins, and is set to air live from Medellín, Colombia, on Thursday, May 29.
Popularly known as Premios Heat, this year’s nominations are led by Beéle with seven nods, including best urban artist and song of the year. The Colombian Afrobeat artist is followed by six-time nominees Bad Bunny and Feid; Elena Rose with five nods; and with four nominations each are Karol G, Camilo, Yamie Safdie and Ovy On The Drums.
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In previous years, Premios Heat — founded by Colombian music executive and Billboard Latin Power Player Diana Montes — was celebrated on the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This is the first time the event takes place in Colombia.
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The awards show launched in 2015 via the HTV and TBS networks, and counted on the support of artists such as Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Nicky Jam and a then-rising J Balvin.
“We have only existed for 10 years but have grown in a huge way,” Montes told Billboard last year. “When we started, HTV was only seen in Latin America, and there was no great impact in Mexico or the U.S. Now we’ve expanded. From 2020, 2021, our biggest audiences are in the United States, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, in that order.”
Below, check out how to watch the show and see who the performers are for the 2025 edition.
How to Watch
Fans will be able to watch the 2025 Heat Latin Music Awards at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday (May 29) via television on TeleMedellín and through a global livestream on the LosHeat.Tv app.
Performers
Alex Campos
Alexis y Fido
Arelys Henao
Beéle
DJ Adoni
Eddy Herrera
Elena Rose
El Blachy
Farruko
Francy
Hades 66
Jessi Uribe
Jombriel
Juan Duque
Kapo
Lirios
LIT Killah
Luis Alfonso
Majo Aguilar
Miguel Bueno
Nacho
Nanpa Basico
Paola Jara
Pipe Bueno
Wilfran Castillo
Yailin La Más Viral
Gloria Estefan is ready to introduce the world to Raíces, her first Spanish-language album in 18 years and the 30th in her 50-year career. It is, in the words of the superstar, “like a modern Mi Tierra” — a sort of sequel to her iconic first LP in her native language, but freer.
“When we had the concept for the [1993] album Mi Tierra, we wanted to highlight a rich era of Cuban music that had been celebrated worldwide B.C. — before Castro,” the Cuban-American artist tells Billboard Español. “Back then, we were very careful to use the language that would have been used in the 1940s in the songs — the arrangements, the instrumentation, we kept it very much of that era. Here, we felt free to explore, always keeping family in mind and the music that gave us so much richness, and which helped us create these fusions, but coming from a very organic and real place.”
Set to release on Friday (May 30) under Sony Music Latin, Raíces consists of 13 tracks mostly written by musician and producer Emilio Estefan Jr., Gloria’s inseparable partner in life and career for over four decades. Salsa, bolero, and tropical rhythms resonate in songs ranging from previously released singles like “Raíces” and “La Vecina (No Sé Na’)” to deeply romantic tracks such as “Tan Iguales y Tan Diferentes,” “Te Juro,” “Agua Dulce,” and “Tú y Yo.”
Among the few songs penned by Gloria is the sweet “Mi Niño Bello (Para Sasha),” dedicated to her only grandson, with the English version “My Beautiful Boy (For Sasha).” “Since he was born, we’ve had a very beautiful and close relationship,” she proudly shares, adding that in Spanish she wanted to create something “with the flavor of ‘Drume Negrita,’ something very classic, a Cuban lullaby.”
A second song on the album, “Cuando el Tiempo Nos Castiga” (co-written by Emilio and Gian Marco and originally recorded by Jon Secada in 2001), also has a new English version courtesy of Gloria, titled “How Will You Be Remembered.” “I never translate exactly. I think about the feeling, the emotion, what one wants to express about the theme, and I approach it in the new language. In English, I was thinking more about legacy — you want to feel happy with what you left behind,” she explains about the discrepancy in the titles, with the one in Spanish meaning “When time punished us.”
Estefan — who in 2023 became the first Latina inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2024 received the Legend Award at the Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony — usually writes more for her albums, but this time she was focused on creating songs for the upcoming Broadway musical BASURA alongside her daughter Emily when Emilio presented her with the idea for the song “Raíces” a couple of years ago.
“Emilio didn’t even realize it was my 50th [career anniversary],” recalls Estefan, who wanted to do something special to celebrate the milestone. “I told him, ‘Babe, I can’t change my mindset for this, but I would like, if I do an album again, for it to be tropical, for it to be in Spanish.’ He says, ‘Do you trust me?’ I go, ‘Who else am I gonna trust than you?’”
Raíces is Gloria Estefan’s first Spanish-language album since 90 Millas, which debuted and spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart in October 2007. Mi Tierra, meanwhile, spent a whooping 58 weeks at the top of the chart.
Estefan also spoke about the new Pope Leo XIV, immigration, and more. Watch the interview in the video above.
Gloria Estefan, ‘RAICES’
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Morat’s Ya Es Mañana (YEM) album has topped Billboard’s latest new Latin music poll published on Friday, May 23. In support of the weekly New Music Latin roundup and playlist, curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors, music fans voted for the Colombian band’s new studio album as their favorite music release of the week.
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The 14-track set, released via Universal Music Spain, generated more than 59% of the vote, beating out other new album releases last week including Alejandro Sanz’s ¿Y Ahora Qué?; Jesse & Joy’s Lo Que Nos Faltó Decir; and Los Tigres del Norte’s La Lotería, to name a few.
In YEM, the Bogotá-based group celebrates brotherhood, evolution, and above all, dreams coming true. The tracks are mostly inspired by riveting rock music from the ’90s, and include two collaborations: “Sin Ti” with Jay Wheeler and “Me Toca a Mi” with Camilo.
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https://open.spotify.com/album/3ImR4LsUQPbMKCa8FCuFYO?si=HA5XxSbcR9-6e8HMfRmrWA
“This is the moment to make the most of life, to be aware of what we must do now to create an incredible future,” said group member Juan Pablo Villamil during the band’s album release party in Miami. “For us, this album embodies the idea of the band we have always wanted to be, and we hope you enjoy it.”
Sanz’s new EP — whcih includes collabs with Shakira, Manuel Turizo and Grupo Frontera — and Karol G’s steamy perreo “Latina Foreva” came in at second and third place, respectively, on the fan-related poll. See the results of the latest poll below, which also included new songs by Greeicy, Carín León, Myke Towers, and Christian Nodal.
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Editor’s Note: The weekly New Music Latin poll results are posted if the poll generates over 500 votes.
Twenty-five years ago, the self-proclaimed La Chica Dorada bid farewell to the old millennium in unparalleled style. With the release of her fifth studio album, Paulina, on May 23, 2000, in the U.S., Paulina Rubio reaffirmed her status as a Latin pop icon. It was the evolution of an artist who, despite an already impressive […]
Drawing in a massive crowd on day two of Sueños Music Festival, Don Omar cemented his icon status delivering a jam-packed setlist to wrap the fourth edition of the event in Chicago’s Grant Park.
On Sunday, the reggaetón powerhouse came out on stage just a few minutes before his 9 p.m. start time, eager to sing to the crowd — significantly larger than yesterday’s — that had gathered to see him perform. Don Omar did not disappoint and he knew exactly which songs would get his fans going.
From “Dale Don” to “Hasta Abajo” and “Dile,” the Puerto rican hitmaker started with a bang. “Latinos make some noise,” he said at the top of his one-hour set. He was a man of a few words, letting the music speak for itself. “Are we having fun?” he asked at one point. It’s safe to say the crowd was indeed having fun with groups of friends perreando and singing along with the self-proclaimed King of Kings.
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He went on to sing “Pobre Diabla,” Hector y Tito’s “Morena,” “Salió El Sol,” “Se Menea,” “Taboo,” “Danza Kuduro” and “Bandoleros.” But a highlight of the night was when he sang “Ella y Yo,” his 2005 hit duet with Romeo Santos. “You guys know this song, right?” he asked, almost rhetorically.
One of the most memorable collaborations of the 21st century, Santos and Don Omar engage in a call-and-response of sorts to tell a story of lust, infidelity and betrayal in “Ella y Yo.” Don Omar asked the Sueños crowd to play the part of Santos and they promptly followed his orders, making for an epic duet between Don Omar and his fans.
Don Omar most recently wrapped his Back to Reggaetón World Tour, which marked his grand return to the stage in celebration of his decades-spanning career.
Day two of Sueños Music Festival also included riveting performances by Kapo, Bellakath, Omar Courtz, Jhayco, Tito Double P, Grupo Frontera and Wisin.

When Shakira announced the stadium tour dates for her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran trek, Chicago was not part of the list, leaving fans wondering why the Windy City was left out. Soon after, it was unveiled that she’d headline Sueños Festival and on Saturday (May 24), the Colombian star closed out day one of the two-day event in Chicago’s Grant Park.
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What was originally billed as a two-hour performance starting at 8 p.m., Shakira went onstage closer to 8:30 p.m. and played a 90-minute set. The crowd — which had quickly dispersed after Peso Pluma’s set — slowly returned to find a good spot to watch Shakira and the empty spots filled up, especially when the main stage lights were turned on.
Shakira’s crowd was multigenerational, which is noteworthy given that Sueños caters to a younger, perhaps Gen Z-leaning crowd. Many women in attendance paid homage to Shakira, wearing her signature belly-dancing hip belts. And Colombians proudly waved their flags, eager to hear La Loba howl.
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“I was really looking forward to being with you tonight,” a beaming Shakira said, speaking in a mix of English and Spanish. “This is incredible. This city, wow I’m in love with this city, it’s so beautiful. Thank you for making me feel at home. There is definitely no better reunion than a she-wolf with her pack. Chicago, tonight, we are one.”
While it’s hard to replicate a stadium tour stage in a festival setting, it’s safe to say Shakira gifted Chicago fans an unforgettable night. Going from wearing a shimmery white jumpsuit and large black sunglasses to a sparkly pink dress in a blink of an eye, the “Pies Descalzos” singer, backed by a troupe of fierce dancers, kicked off with bangers, including “Girl Like Me,” “Las de la Intuición,” “Estoy Aquí,” “Inevitable,” “Te Felicito,” “TQG” and “Don’t Bother.”
“These last few years have not been easy for me, nobody is saved from falls. But if I have learned anything, it’s that the fall is not the end but the beginning of a higher flight. We, women, get up a little stronger, a little more wiser, every time we fall,” Shakira said, a nod to the empowering theme of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran era, inspired by the healing that comes from a heartbreak.
During her 90-minute set, Shakira’s hypnotizing dance moves and choreography were on full display, including her unmatched belly-dancing in “Ojos Asi” and the champeta and calypso footwork during “Waka Waka.” But a fan favorite moment was when Shakira revisited her rockera roots, singing “Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos” and “Antología.”
Of course, she closed with the global hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which had all the women in attendance singing at the top of their lungs, ending an epic reunion between a she-wolf and her pack.
Sueños continues on Sunday (May 25) with Grupo Frontera and Don Omar as headliners. Meanwhile, Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is set to visit Boston, Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles next.
Sueños fans waited one year for Peso Pluma to headline the Latin music festival in Chicago’s Grant Park after his set was canceled by festival organizers last year over thunderstorms.
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“It’s good to be in Chicago,” Peso told attendees at the top of his one-hour-and-15-minute set on Saturday (May 24). “Remember last time we got rained out? Well, no rain can stop me this time.”
The significant crowd that gathered to see him perform at the event’s main stage roared, crowding the stage area to be closer to Peso.
Although the air was crisp and unseasonably cold temperatures had festival-goers rethinking their summery wardrobe choices, it did not rain. This time, mother nature was on Peso’s side. And so he went on to sing his biggest hits, including “AMG,” “Rubicón,” “Nueva Vida,” “La Patrulla,” “Rompe La Dompe” and “Lady Gaga,” to name a few on his Sueños setlist.
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Dressed casually in jeans, a black T-shirt with a black puffer jacket over it and a black and white Chicago White Sox baseball cap (which he later traded for a beige one), Peso was accompanied by his band composed of nearly 10 musicians — giving life to signature sound powered by instruments like charchetas, trombones and trumpets and following Peso’s lead.
“They are my family,” Peso gushed about his band. “Over the past three years, we’ve grown this project together.”
A handful of artists joined him onstage as special guests, including Oscar Maydon and El Alfa — both who had performed earlier in the day — and labelmates Tito Double P and Jasiel Nuñez. Throughout his show, Peso expressed his Mexican pride and wrapped a Mexican flag at the end of his set saying, “Viva la cultura mexicana!”
And, although he didn’t address head on the bans on narcocorridos in Mexico and the U.S., and how they’ve impacted a few of his fellow regional Mexican hitmakers, Peso made note during his set that he’s focusing on romantic corridos.
According to Sueños’ website, as of Saturday, about 95% of the passes to the event were sold, although actual daily attendance figures were not made readily available by festival organizers. Now in its fourth edition, day one of Sueños featured other acts like NSQK, El Malilla, Dei V, Oscar Maydon, El Alfa and Arcángel. Shakira closed out Saturday with a 90-minute set.
Don Omar and Grupo Frontera will headline day two of Sueños on Sunday (May 25).
From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
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Los Tigres del Norte Honored in New York
Los Tigres del Norte Way is officially a street in New York, named after the legendary norteño group. “As of today, a street in Brooklyn bears the name of Los Tigres del Norte. Thank you for walking with us, today and always,” the group posted on Instagram. See the photos from the street naming presentation here.
During their stop in New York — where they are set to perform at Madison Square Garden today (May 24) — Los Tigres also honored the fallen Mexican Navy cadets, América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Marcos, who died after crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17. “Honor and eternal memory,” the Mexican band posted with a video from the vigil alongside New York’s Mayor Eric Adams.
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Rauw Alejandro & Dad
During one of his Cosa Nuestra shows in New York, Rauw Alejandro and his father shared a special moment onstage. “I want to introduce you to my dad, Raul Ocasio on the guitar,” he told the crowd. The moment was particularly special given that his father was born in Brooklyn and the Cosa Nuestra tour concept pays homage to the Nuyorican diaspora.
See the sweet moment onstage below:
Billboard Latin Music Week Dates Unveiled
Billboard Latin Music Week will return to Miami from Monday, Oct. 20 to Friday, Oct. 24, with the Billboard Latin Music Awards set for Thursday, Oct. 23.
Set once again at the historic Fillmore Miami Beach, ticket and lineup information for Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 will be announced in the coming weeks. Pre-register now for the latest information at billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
More than 10,000 people attended Latin Music Week last year, including the live shows by Fuerza Regida with Majo Aguilar; a reggaeton night with Omar Courtz, Dei V, and Saiko; and LMW’s 35th anniversary party with Young Miko, Tito Double P, Belinda, Elvis Crespo and more, among other events.
Myke Towers’ New Soccer Initiative
Myke Towers’ Young Kingz Foundation and soccer star David Villa’s DV7 Academy officially kicked off their global partnership earlier this weekend. The event, held in Madrid, marked the start of a series of joint initiatives with projects underway in Puerto Rico, Colombia and Spain that include free sports clinics, exchange programs, urban space revitalization and educational support for vulnerable youth.
“I’m not doing this expecting it to blow up like a song,” Towers told Billboard Español then. “It’s more about leaving a legacy. Creating a habit. Inspiring those who can help to do so, in their own way.”
Get more details on the partnership here.
Mexican star Julión Álvarez has postponed his Saturday show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after not being able to enter the United States, according to the artist’s team.
Álvarez — alongside the show’s promoter CMN and his management/booking company Copar Music — issued a statement Friday (May 23) explaining that, “Due to unforeseen circumstances,” he was “unable to enter the United States in time for the event.”
Adding, “With nearly 50,000 tickets sold, this sold-out show was set to be an unforgettable night for fans. Both CMN and Copar Music, along with Julión’s team, are actively working to reschedule the performance as soon as possible. Julión Álvarez extends his heartfelt thanks for your patience and continued support, and he looks forward to reuniting with his Texas fans very soon.”
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In April, the regional Mexican star, known for hits like “Póngamonos de Acuerdo” and “Te Hubieras Ido Antes,” made his grand return to the United States with three historic sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The shows in L.A. saw Álvarez perform in the U.S. again, eight years after a legal process that began Aug. 10, 2017, when the U.S. Treasury Department singled out the singer for alleged money laundering and links to drug trafficking. This caused the closure of his social media accounts and the rejection of U.S. companies to work with the Chiapas-born singer, and kept him away from stages in this country.
In May 2022, the charges were dropped and Alvarez announced in a press conference that everything had been “cleared up.” The three shows in L.A. and the one in Texas this year were setting him up for his upcoming 4218 Tour in the U.S., although the tour dates had yet to be announced.
While it’s unclear why Álvarez was not able to enter the U.S., the news comes at a time when international artists have faced a visa situation that has impacted a handful of regional Mexican acts and events. Earlier this month, Michelada Fest in Chicago was canceled over artists’ visa uncertainty.
Today’s press statement mentions that previously purchased tickets “will be honored for the new date,” but if unable to attend the rescheduled concert, “refund details will be provided.”

The instrumentation of the song “Tiempos Violentos” reminds the listener of the James Bond saga. But when the unmistakable voice of the Chilean-Mexican alternative star Mon Laferte appears in it — adding melancholic nuances and a dramatic air, and then merging with the soft and powerful singing of the American St. Vincent — this new bilingual version of the song “Violent Times” reinvents itself.
Released Friday (May 23) on digital platforms under the Virgin Music Group label, the new collaboration between St. Vincent and Mon Laferte not only translates into the language of Cervantes one of the most outstanding tracks from this year’s Grammy winner for best alternative music album, All Born Screaming (2004), but also transforms it into something new through two languages and two visions that connect in a masterful piece.
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“Collaborating with Mon gave the song new shape, new blood, new depth,” St. Vincent told Billboard Español on Thursday in a video call. “Like a dream falling into another dream.”
“Tiempos Violentos”, the Spanish-language adaptation of “Violent Times,” was originally included in the translated edition of All Born Screaming, titled Todos Nacen Gritando, which singer/songwriter and guitarist Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, released last November as a “humble tribute” to her Hispanic-American fans who go to her concerts and sing her songs in perfect English without it being their native language.
“I just think she’s so powerful and incredible and I thought that her voice would be so well suited to this song because she has all of that jazz standards in her body, but also an edge to her voice,” Clark explains. “So yeah, I initially reached out seeing if she might want to cover the song or reinterpret it and then she made her own translation of it and then we made it this duet really between us, which I think has ended up being just interesting and beautiful.”
Meanwhile, Mon Laferte says that when she first heard the Spanish version of “Violent Times,” she felt “a deep pull.”
“It was beautiful and haunting. I wanted to give it my own voice, to make it mine too — and to do it alongside an artist I’ve long admired,” recalls Mon Laferte, according to a statement from Virgin Music Group shared with Billboard Español.
And that is precisely what she did. On “Tiempos Violentos,” the Chilean-Mexican singer/songwriter delivers a poignant and intimate verse in Spanish that reframes the emotional meaning of the song, while St. Vincent’s English refrains resonate like distant memories, creating a raw, cinematic version.
“Tiempos Violentos” was recorded in a studio in Bogota at the end of last March, when both artists were in the Colombian capital to participate in the Estéreo Picnic music festival, where the friendship blossomed.
“Her voice is just fire,” St. Vincent notes about the Chilean-Mexican artist. “It’s emotional. It’s pure. It has an edge. And I’m just very honored to get to be on the same track with.”
Part of the experience of learning and improving her Spanish also includes listening to music in that language, and in Portuguese, so St. Vincent’s Ibero-American playlist naturally includes Mon Laferte, but also artists such as Bomba Estéreo, Caetano Veloso and Rosalía, according to the artist.
Regarding the relationship between Latin America and Spain, St. Vincent points out that it has become closer. She confesses that Mexico is one of her favorite places to perform, but she also feels a great affection for her fans in South America, where next week she will play concerts in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, with former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon as opening act.
“I just think what’s so incredible is just the way that people love music,” says Clark of her Latin followers. “It just feels so authentic and true. It just feels like music isn’t some other extra commodity. It’s like it is life itself. It is as essential as like food and air.”