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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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Kali Uchis to Receive Special Honor
Kali Uchis has been named a 2025 ASCAP Women Behind the Music, alongside honorees Kehlani and KPop Demon Hunters’ lead vocalist EJAE. “Every year, ASCAP looks forward to spotlighting some of music’s most extraordinary women by honoring them for their achievements at our Women Behind the Music event,” said Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP Executive Vice President & Head of Creative Membership, in a statement. “This year we are thrilled to recognize three women who are pushing boundaries and capturing the world’s attention across different genres. Their creative success has propelled them to the top of the charts and is set to inspire the next generation of women in music.”
The Colombian artist will receive her award at the 17th annual ASCAP Women Behind the Music event, taking place Wednesday, Nov. 12 in Los Angeles, just weeks after her Superstar Q&A at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Week in Miami earlier this month.
Lele Pons & Guaynaa in the Halloween Spirit
Lele Pons and Guaynaa are celebrating their first Halloween together as parents. Just days before the spooky holiday on Oct. 31, the Venezuelan social media star and Puerto Rican artist shared a photo of their adorable costume alongside their baby girl. In the cute carousel, the family of three is seen dressed up as Peter Pan (Guaynaa), Wendy Darling (Lele) and Tinkerbell (their daughter) — in costumes designed by Karina Garcia, according to the Instagram post.
Juan Luis Guerra is Celebrated Back Home
This week, Juan Luis Guerra was named “Patrimonio Musical y Poético de República Dominicana” (Musical and Poetic Heritage of the Dominican Republic) by Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in his native Dominican Republic.
“His career transcends the awards and distinctions he has accumulated,” said Minister Roberto Álvarez during the ceremony, according to a press release. “What is truly significant is his ability to narrate — with poetic verses that seduce and captivate the imagination and the heart — the everyday experiences of our people: their dreams of social justice, their deep faith, their joy, and their unwavering sense of humor.”
During the event, which coincides with the National Day of Merengue and National Day of Bachata, Guerra — behind timeless hits such as “Bachata Rosa,” “La Bilirrubina,” and “Mi Bendicion” — expressed the following: “I would like to conclude by giving glory and honor to the Lord Jesus. If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that my melodies, metaphors, and all my songs come from him.”
Latin Music Educator Award
The Latin Recording Academy, in partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, has announced its inaugural recipient of the Latin Music Educator Award. Honoring an “exceptional educator from the global music community who is making a significant impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum,” according to a statement, the first annual award was handed to Luciana Ortega of the Instituto Santa María de San Carlos, in Chile.
As part of the award, the school’s music program will receive a $10,000 instrument donation. Ortega — who has been teaching music for more than 10 years — will be honored during the 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY Week in Las Vegas. “We are proud to honor Luciana Ortega with the first Latin Music Educator Award,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “Her daily commitment to music students brings to life our mission to honor, celebrate, nurture and elevate Latin music and those that ensure its enduring legacy.”
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Taylor Momsen is revisiting a holiday classic — with a rock twist.
The Pretty Reckless frontwoman has re-recorded “Where Are You Christmas?” 25 years after first performing the song as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The reimagined version appears on the band’s new holiday EP, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, released Friday (Oct. 31) via Fearless Records.
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The original ballad, co-written by Mariah Carey, James Horner, and Will Jennings, first appeared on the 2000 film’s soundtrack and was famously performed by Momsen at just seven years old. That same year, Faith Hill’s version reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Momsen’s 2025 update opens with a nostalgic snippet of her childhood recording before launching into a full-blown rock version, anchored by crunchy guitars and her signature gritty vocals. “Where are you, Christmas? Why can’t I find you?” she sings, giving the wistful lyrics new energy and edge.
The six-track EP also includes four original songs — “I Wanna Be Your Christmas Tree,” “Christmas Is Killing Me,” “Blues on Christmas,” and “When We Were Young” — as well as a reprise titled “Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You.”
“Pretty Reckless Christmas started as just one song, but the moment we got into the studio, it took on a life of its own,” Momsen said in a statement. “There was so much emotion, nostalgia and chaos wrapped up in it that it didn’t feel right to leave it standing alone. To really honor it, I needed to build a whole world around it. That’s how this project became a full body of work — something bigger, deeper and far more personal than I ever expected.”
Momsen’s last studio album with The Pretty Reckless, Death by Rock and Roll, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart in 2021, making them the first female-fronted band to hit No. 1 on the chart with their first four albums.
Meanwhile, “For I Am Death,” The Pretty Reckless’ first new music since its 2021 album Death by Rock and Roll, climbs to No. 1 on the ranking dated Nov. 8. It’s the band’s eighth leader and fourth straight, a streak that dates to 2020, when “Death by Rock and Roll” led for three weeks, followed by reigns for “And So It Went” and “Only Love Can Save Me Now” in 2021.
In 2013, The Pretty Reckless made its maiden appearance on the tally with “Heaven Knows,” a song that ended up reigning for four weeks beginning in March 2014. That kicked off a streak of four consecutive No. 1s, with “Heaven Knows” followed by “Messed Up World” (2014), “Follow Me Down” (2015) and “Take Me Down” (2016).
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Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy echoed through Halloween this year thanks to a viral video of his grandson reenacting one of the most notorious moments in rock history.
In a TikTok shared on Oct. 31 by Osbourne’s daughter Kelly, her two-year-old son Sidney is seen wearing a skeleton outfit and red cowboy boots, gleefully biting the head off a stuffed bat. “Learned from the greatest, Papa!” Kelly captioned the clip, which plays over Osbourne’s 1980 hit “Crazy Train.”
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The moment nods directly to Ozzy’s infamous 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa, where he bit the head off what turned out to be a real bat onstage — a career-defining stunt that’s followed him for decades.
The metal icon, who died in July at age 76, spoke openly about the incident in later years. “I’ve achieved quite a lot in my life, but all people do is go, ‘Ozzy, what do bats really taste like?’” he told People in a 2022 interview. “But I’ll tell you what, when they gave me the rabies shot, I wasn’t smiling.”
Osbourne maintained a close relationship with Sidney up until his death. Earlier this year, Kelly shared that her son’s favorite time of day was “cartoon time” in bed with Ozzy and Sharon. “I have to literally rip him out,” she said at the time.
Last month, Sharon opened up via social media, revealing she is “still having trouble finding the words” after Ozzy’s death earlier this summer.
“I’m still having trouble finding the words to express how grateful I am for the overwhelming love and support you’ve shown on social media,” the British TV personality wrote alongside an Instagram video featuring herself and daughter Kelly at a falconry in England.
“Your comments, posts, and tributes have brought me more comfort than you know,” she continued. “None of it has gone unnoticed, in fact, it’s carried me through many nights. Though I’m still finding my footing, I wanted to share some glorious creatures I had the chance to spend an afternoon with.”
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Liam Gallagher has called out a fan who launched flares into the crowd during Oasis’ opening Australian tour stop at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Friday night (Nov. 1), describing the individual as a “seriously f**ked up” person in a profanity-laced post on social media.
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The incident occurred during the final song of the night, “Champagne Supernova,” when two flares were seen flying into the densely packed floor section of the sold-out stadium.
One concertgoer told Australian outlet news.com.au that the flares sparked visible flashes among the crowd. “Each time you saw this flash, it looked like a fire, and then it was contained fairly quickly,” said Virginia, who attended the show with her 13-year-old daughter. The pair exited the venue early due to safety concerns.
Security reportedly conducted thorough bag checks at the gate, though it remains unclear how the flares entered the venue or whether any injuries occurred. Marvel Stadium has yet to comment.
Gallagher, never one to mince words, addressed the flare-thrower directly on Saturday morning.
“To the massive C*** who launched that flare into the crowd last night at the gig in Melbourne you are 1 seriously f***ed up individual and you will get yours trust me,” the singer he wrote on X.
During the performance, fans say Liam was visibly displeased, reportedly wagging his finger and mouthing “naughty, naughty” from the stage. His brother Noel Gallagher appeared concerned, though the band did not stop the performance. It is unclear if there were any injuries as a result of the incident.
The Melbourne concert marked the first show of Oasis‘ long-awaited Live 25 reunion tour Down Under. The group is scheduled to play three shows at Marvel Stadium before heading to Sydney’s Accor Stadium for two nights.
Before taking the stage, Liam greeted fans with, “G’day Australia! Did you miss us? Because we missed you!” The sold-out show drew massive crowds, with fans queuing from 5 a.m. to secure front-row spots and breaking into spontaneous singalongs outside the venue.
The Live 25 tour sees Noel and Liam Gallagher reuniting alongside Gem Archer, Andy Bell, and drummer Joey Waronker. Mike Moore is filling in for original guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
Trending on Billboard The Alchemist has added his two cents on the topic that had Rap Twitter in a frenzy this week. On Wednesday, Billboard reported that, for the first time since 1990 — when Biz Markie‘s signature song “Just a Friend” was at No. 41 on Feb. 2 — there were no rap songs […]
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Rufus Wainwright is the latest singer to change the lyrics of “O Canada.”
At Wednesday’s (Oct. 29) Game 5 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Montreal-raised singer-songwriter performed a bilingual version of the Canadian national anthem at Dodger Stadium.
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Instead of the anthem’s usual line, “true patriot love in all of us command,” Wainwright sang: “true patriot love that only us command.”
The change has been interpreted as a protest of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made threats of annexation of Canada as the “51st state.”
It’s the same lyrical change that fellow Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk made during the height of tariff tension in February, while performing at the final 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kreviazuk subsequently shared a now-deleted Instagram post, confirming that the lyric change was intentional and that she wrote the words on her hand to remember them.
“I truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices and try to protect ourselves,” she wrote at the time. “We should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power. I was raised in part by music that was inspired by brave voices committed to peaceful conflict resolution.”
This isn’t the first time a Canadian artist has taken a jab at Trump’s comments. Country singer Dallas Smith is currently on a 51-date cross-country tour, an intentional nod to the 51st state comments, making intimate stops all across Canada.
Two days before Wainwright’s performance, Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based singer JP Saxe performed the Canadian national anthem at Dodger Stadium during Game 3. He swapped out the “Our home and native land” line for “Our home on native land.”
Saxe went viral on social media in August for starting an important conversation about touring as an artist, after cancelling his tour due to low ticket sales.
He followed in the footsteps of acclaimed singer-songwriter Jully Black, who made the one-word lyric change in 2023, while performing “O Canada” at the NBA All-Star Game. Black went on to be honoured by the Assembly of First Nations.
Wainwright and Saxe join the growing list of Canadian artists who have performed the national anthem at this year’s World Series, including Alessia Cara (Game 2) and Deborah Cox (Game 4).
Following yesterday’s 6-1 win, the Jays are one game away from winning the World Series, which returns to Toronto for Game 6 tomorrow night (October 31) and Game 7 (if necessary) on Saturday (Nov. 1).
Read more here. — HTS
Toronto’s Budweiser Stage to Become RBC Amphitheatre
Say hello to RBC Amphitheatre.
Live Nation Canada and RBC have announced a multi-year partnership to expand the Toronto waterfront venue — starting with the replacement of its former name, Budweiser Stage, effective immediately.
RBC Amphitheatre is set to be transformed and expanded into a year-round venue by 2030.
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The concert venue, on the site of the old Ontario Place Forum, opened in the mid-1990s under its initial name, Molson Amphitheatre, and was renamed Budweiser Stage in 2017. Its new name is a callback to its origins.
“It is a nod to the past, but it’s also forward looking,” says Wayne Zronik, president of business operations at Live Nation Canada, in an interview with Billboard Canada. “We’ve all been down there for shows. It’s been around for 30 years, and it’s one of the best in the world. It’s so amazing and so to preserve that, yet to also have it be available in this very unique year-round configuration for generations to come is very exciting for us.”
Embarking on renovations, the event space will expand its indoor and outdoor capabilities. By becoming a full-year venue, RBC Amphitheatre will include an expanded capacity in the summer and approximately 9,000 seats in the winter, featuring seated and an open-air lawn section from May to October.
Zronik says the winterization will include an “operable panel system” that will enclose the pavilion in a temperature-controlled environment starting in the fall months.
The event space is expected to close for renovations in fall 2027 and reopen in spring 2029, with full-year capabilities complete by summer 2030.
Inspired by fan feedback, the venue will feature a pedestrian bridge that improves access and eases crowd flow. Live Nation also promises upgraded amenities like expanded food and beverage options, hospitality areas and a new lookout deck with elevator access to the lawn. The city skyline views will remain central to the venue’s identity.
With the proposed changes and transformation, RBC Amphitheatre is set to significantly increase its show count, hosting over 1.5 million fans annually.
Venue upgrades will include multiple tiers of VIP experiences (as is the current trend with venues), as well as infrastructure to support modernized concert production and backstage amenities for some of the biggest artists in the world. Toronto has become one of the biggest global touring markets, which has inspired Live Nation’s expanded presence in venues, including the new Rogers Stadium that opened this summer.
“I think we have to continue to invest in cultural infrastructure so that we can accommodate these shows,” says Zronik. “The Amphitheatre is 30 years old; by the time this is done, it would have been 35. You have to revitalize these things.”
Building signage of the previous venue name will remain visible as the space transforms in the months leading up to the 2026 season, when the RBC Amphitheatre name will replace it. The venue currently has four shows announced for next year’s lineup, including Canadian rapper bbno$, American musician MGK, country star Bailey Zimmerman and Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer.
Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh, Richard Trapunski
Independent Music Industry Groups Ask for Public’s Help to Renew Canadian Music Funding
Independent music organizations are asking the public for help as the deadline looms for Canadian music funding.
A $16 million annual boost was announced in 2024 as a temporary top-up to the Canada Music Fund — which supports both FACTOR and Musicaction, two of the country’s biggest and most important music grants.
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The update promised $32 million over two years to enhance the careers of Canadian artists, while strengthening the competitiveness and stability of the Canadian music sector.
With the deadline for the funds approval looming by March 31, 2026, independent groups including the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), SaskMusic, Music NL and more have requested the public’s assistance in reaching out to local MPs to ensure the funds are renewed.
If not, they warn, the investment, which impacts Canadian-owned music companies and artists, could be slashed by up to 50%.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced that the 2026 budget will be discussed on Nov. 4 — months earlier than its initial March deadline.
The news comes at a pivotal time for the Canadian music industry.
According to CIMA, contributions from private radio broadcasting to FACTOR have significantly decreased from $16 million in the early 2020s to approximately $2 million this year. In 2024, the funding body was the victim of a $9.8 million cybertheft.
Meanwhile, funds from Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act), a part of which was intended to allot 5% of revenue from major foreign-owned digital streaming platforms, have been paused after major streamers like Spotify, Amazon and Apple took the government to court.
“Whether you are a large Canadian company, a new music start up, an established artist or fledgling musician, everyone in our sector benefits from the investments made by FACTOR and Musicaction,” shares Andrew Cash, CIMA president and CEO, in a statement.
Cash urges the public to contribute by emailing Stephen Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“Now more than ever before we need to be strengthening the fabric of Canadian-made culture,” he said.
With only a week to go, the organizations are encouraging the public to speak up by emailing representatives.
Read more here. — HTS
Trending on Billboard We now know who will play the love interests of each of The Beatles in the upcoming four-part Fab Four biopic — and the cast is stacked. The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event revealed that Saoirse Ronan will play Paul McCartney‘s wife Linda McCartney, Shogun‘s Anna Sawai will play John Lennon‘s […]
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Former Hot Boys member Turk is being sued by a concert promoter over online threats that supposedly threatened to derail a Cash Money Records reunion tour this summer.
The $12 million breach of contract and defamation lawsuit, filed in New York federal court on Wednesday (Oct. 29), is the latest in a bitter legal salvo between Turk (Tab Virgil Jr.) and promoter Dope Shows over the Cash Money Millionaires 30th Anniversary Tour. Named in honor of a Cash Money Records supergroup from the ’90s, the ongoing reunion tour features Cash Money figures like Birdman, Juvenile and former Hot Boy B.G.
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Turk originally signed onto the tour as well, but was kicked off the roster before his first performance this summer. The rapper subsequently sued Dope Shows for $340,000 in Florida last month, alleging he was removed from the tour because the promoter wasn’t selling enough tickets and ran out of money to pay him.
Now, Dope Shows is countering in its own lawsuit that money had nothing to do with Turk’s removal. Rather, the promoter says it had to boot Turk because he had been physically threatening B.G. on social media — leading venues to voice concerns about potential violence and risking disruptive intervention from B.G.’s probation officer.
Dope Shows alleges that in response, Turk began posting defamatory content on Instagram, spreading his false narrative that the promoter was struggling financially. Dope Shows claims Turk’s Florida case is a “sham lawsuit” that merely serves to amplify those falsehoods.
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“Desperate to revive his flagging rap career, Turk is attempting to sabotage the tour through childish and petulant antics that he hopes will regain the public’s attention,” writes Dope Shows’ lawyer, Jeffrey Movit. “Turk’s publicity stunts are an abject failure, as they have done nothing to advance his career. Rather, through his malicious and misguided actions, Turk has created nothing more than massive legal liability for himself in this lawsuit”.
Dope Shows alleges that Turk owes $5 million for breach of contract and $7 million for defamation. According to the lawsuit, Turk’s conduct has deterred fans from attending the reunion tour and led other artists to doubt the promoter’s abilities.
Turk’s attorney, Paul Aloise, denied all of Dope Shows’ claims in a statement to Billboard on Friday (Oct. 31). Aloise says the new lawsuit is a “desperate attempt” by the promoter to “try and shift the blame away from their own unethical business practices and promotional failures.”
“While the complaint defames my client and says that he was attempting to sabotage the tour to try and revive his flagging rap career, the complaint conveniently leaves out the fact that on August 3, 2025, Turk, released his own album, JOSEPH, on iTunes, which peaked at #5 on the iTunes Hip-Hop Chart,” added Aloise. “Thus, my client has no intentions of trying to sabotage a tour he wants to be on, let alone to help his rap career.”
Trending on Billboard Anyone who’s received an email inquiry from promoter and music manager Barrie Marshall might need to double-check that it was really him. Representatives from Marshall Arts sent out a rare press release on Friday (Oct. 31) warning that someone is impersonating the AEG-aligned promoter, who works with stars like Paul McCartney and […]
Trending on Billboard Kayla Nicole’s costume for this year’s Halloween is bound to turn some heads. On Friday (Oct. 31), the podcaster unveiled her spooky-season tribute to Toni Braxton — specifically the R&B icon’s 2000 music video for “He Was’t Man Enough.” In a clip posted to Instagram, Nicole — who dated Travis Kelce on […]
