The Best of the Latin Music Awards 2016
The Latin Music Awards 2016 were held last night in Las Vegas, and it was a star-studded event! Here are the best moments from the show, including performances, awards, and more.
Best New Artist
It was a hot night in Las Vegas as the Latin Music Awards took over the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The red carpet was full of your favorite artists and celebrities, all eager to show off their latest fashion. The awards ceremony was filled with surprises, laughter, and plenty of tears. But most importantly, it was a night to remember.
J Balvin
Colombian reggaeton recording artist J Balvin is the recipient of the Best New Artist award at the Latin Music Awards 2016. Originally from Medellín, Colombia, Balvin began his musical career in 2009 and has since released three studio albums and several successful singles. His music is a mix of reggaeton, hip hop, and electronica, and he is known for his high-energy live performances.
Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga
This Mexican banda group was formed in Mazatlán, Sinaloa in 2003 by Sergio Lizárraga. The band has released seven studio albums, the most recent being En Vivo desde el Nokia Theatre L.A. Live (2015). Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga has won two Latin Grammy Awards, one for Best Banda Album (2012) and the other for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (2015).
Ozuna
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ozuna was surrounded by music from a young age. At just 13 years old, he started to explore his musical talent by posting videos of himself singing on YouTube. His big break came when he collaborated with popular reggaeton artist Don Omar on the track “En la Intimidad.” The song propelled Ozuna to stardom and paved the way for him to release his first album, Odisea, in 2017.
Ozuna’s music is a mixture of reggaeton, Latin trap, and R&B. His lyrics often deal with themes of love and heartbreak, but he also tackles more serious subjects like violence and crime. Whatever the topic, Ozuna’s music is sure to get you moving. His hits “te Boté” and “La Modelo” are two of the most popular songs in the world right now, and there’s no doubt that Ozuna is here to stay.
Best Urban Performance
The Latin Music Awards are an annual award show that honors the best in Latin American music. This year’s show was held on April 28, 2016, in Miami, Florida. The show was hosted by actor and singer Bruno Mars. The awards are divided into two main categories: the Latin Grammy Awards and the Latin American Music Awards.
“El Perdon” – Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias
“El Perdon” by Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias won Best Urban Performance at the Latin Music Awards 2016.
“Ginza” – J Balvin
J Balvin’s “Ginza” was one of the breakout hits of 2015, and it continued to dominate the charts in 2016. The track earned J Balvin a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Performance, as well as a spot on our list of the best urban songs of the year.
“Ay Vamos” – J Balvin
Believe it or not, the vibrant and extremely popular reggaeton revival we’ve seen in the past few years can be traced back to one song: “Ay Vamos” by J Balvin. The Colombian singer’s track, which was released in 2014, introduced a new generation to the sounds of reggaeton and helped make the genre more mainstream than ever before.
Since then, J Balvin has gone on to release a string of hits, including “Ginza” and “Bobo,” but it’s “Ay Vamos” that remains his most iconic track. The song earned Balvin a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Performance in 2016, and it’s easy to see why – the track is catchy, upbeat, and guaranteed to get even the most reluctant of dancers moving.
Best Urban Song
The Latin Music Awards are an annual awards show that celebrates the best Latin music of the year. This year, the awards were held on April 28, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The awards show was hosted by Pitbull and featured performances by some of the biggest names in Latin music. The list of nominees for the best urban song included some of the biggest names in the genre.
“El Perdon” – Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias
“El Perdon” (“Forgiveness”) is a song recorded by American singer Nicky Jam and Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. The track was written by Kevin Mauricio Jimenez, Juan Luis Morera Luna, Edwin Bello Pou and its producer Sergio George. It was released on 10 July 2015 as the third single from Jam’s album Fenix (2017), after the success of “Hasta el Amanecer” in Spain and Latin America. On the same day, the song’s official video was uploaded to Jam’s YouTube channel.
The song became an international hit, peaking at number one in Spain and reaching the top ten in Italy, France, Switzerland and Belgium Wallonia. In the United States, “El Perdon” entered the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart at number thirty-six and peaked at number two, becoming Nicky Jam’s highest-charting solo single on that chart and Enrique Iglesias’ twenty-first top five song. It also peaked at number one on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart.
“Ginza” – J Balvin
“Ginza” is a song by Colombian singer J Balvin. It was released in 2015 as the lead single from his album Energía. The song topped the charts in several countries, including Colombia, Spain and the United States. It was also nominated for Best Urban Song at the Latin Grammy Awards.
“Ay Vamos” – J Balvin
J Balvin’s “Ay Vamos” was one of the hottest songs of the past year, and it took home the trophy for Best Urban Song at the Latin Music Awards 2016. The track was produced by Sky and The OG and features a mix of traditional Colombian sounds with contemporary pop sensibilities. J Balvin is on a hot streak right now, and “Ay Vamos” is proof positive that he’s one of the best urban artists in the game.
Best Urban Album
This year’s Latin Music Awards were particularly good for urban artists. In the “Best Urban Album” category, the top prize went to none other than Bad Bunny. His album, “X 100pre”, was released in December of 2018 and quickly shot to the top of the charts.
Energia – J Balvin
Energia is the third studio album by Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin, released on June 30, 2016, through Capitol Latin. It is the follow-up to his second studio album La Familia (2014) and features guest appearances from Farruko, Bia, Pharrell Williams, Sky and Zion & Lennox among others.
My Everything – Ariana Grande
This American singer, actress and songwriter won Best Urban Album for her second full-length album release, My Everything. The album includes such hits as “Problem,” “Break Free” and “One Last Time.” Grande has quickly become one of the most popular young performers in the music industry, due in large part to her impressive vocal range and powerful on-stage presence. My Everything debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
A Head Full of Dreams – Coldplay
Coldplay’s “A Head Full of Dreams” took home the award for Best Urban Album at the Latin Music Awards 2016. The album, which features collaborations with artists like Beyonce and Bruno Mars, was released in December of 2015 and has been a huge success both commercially and critically.
Best Tropical Song
The Latin Music Awards are an annual awards show that celebrates the best in Latin music. This year’s awards were held on April 27, 2016, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was hosted by Raquel Sofia and featured performances by some of the biggest names in Latin music. Let’s take a look at the winners in the Tropical Song category.
“La Gozadera” – Gente de Zona feat. Marc Anthony
This feel-good, summery track took home the Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Song in 2016. It features Cuban group Gente de Zona and Marc Anthony, both of whom bring an infectious energy to the piece. While it’s impossible not to dance when this song comes on, the lyrics also carry a deeper meaning. They celebrate Cuba’s freedom from Spanish rule and the beauty of its people and culture. Whether you’re of Cuban descent or not, “La Gozadera” is sure to make you feel proud and happy.
“Bailando” – Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
The Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song is an award presented at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and promotes Latin recording in several categories. To be eligible for this award, the song must have been recorded within the last five years and reached commercial release in any format. The song may be of any tropical genre including merengue, bachata, salsa or ballad. If a song is considered to be within multiple genres on commercial release, only the predominant genre will be accepted for purposes of categorization.
“Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona is a prime example of a chart-topping tropical song. The tune spent an incredible 41 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, eventually earning Iglesias his record-breaking 27th No. 1 on that survey.
“El Taxi” – Osmani Garcia feat. Pitbull & Sensato
This reggaeton party song became an international smash hit, peaking at No. 1 in several countries, including the U.S. Latin pop airplay chart, Latin tropical airplay chart and the U.S. Latin rhythm airplay chart. The track also crossed over to the mainstream Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 77.
