Billboard Latin Music Awards 2018: The Full Show

The Billboard Latin Music Awards 2018 were held last night in Las Vegas, and we’ve got the full show for you right here! From J. Balvin’s opening performance to Shakira’s big win, check out all the highlights from the show.

Opening

The show started off with a bang, with J Balvin taking home the coveted Artist of the Year award. Other big winners included Ozuna, who won nine awards, and Bad Bunny, who won eight. The night was full of emotional moments, including a touching tribute to the victims of the Route 91 Harvest shooting.

Red Carpet

The red carpet at the Billboard Latin Music Awards is always a star-studded affair, and this year was no exception. From Latin music’s biggest superstars to Hollywood A-listers, everyone came out to celebrate the best in Latin music.

Some of the biggest names in Latin music walked the red carpet, including J Balvin, Ozuna, Becky G, Wisin & Yandel, and Daddy Yankee. Hollywood stars like Oscar Isaac and Gael Garcia Bernal were also in attendance.

Check out some of the best looks from the red carpet below.

Awards

The Billboard Latin Music Awards is an annual show that began in 1994. The show features live performances by some of the top Latin artists in the world and awards are given out in various categories. This year’s show was held on April 26, 2018, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Best Male Artist

The award for Best Male Artist went to Luis Fonsi. In his acceptance speech, Fonsi dedicated the award to Daddy Yankee, with whom he collaborated on the song “Despacito.” He also thanked his fans, calling them “the most important people in [his] life.”

Best Female Artist

The Billboard Latin Music Awards are voted on by the public and honor the top Latin artists in a variety of genres, as well as the top Latin albums, songs, andheatseekers. This year’s show was hosted by television personality Mario Lopez and featured performances by some of the biggest names in Latin music, including J Balvin, Becky G, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and more.

The award for Best Female Artist went to Shakira. She thanked her fans for their support and dedicated the award to all of the powerful Latina women out there.

Best Duo or Group

The Billboard Latin Music Awards is an annual award show that honors the most popular Latin music artists of the year. The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions and broadcast live on the Telemundo network. This year’s show took place on April 26, 2018, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The award for Best Duo or Group went to the Mexican pop group Reik. This was their first time winning this award. They were up against some stiff competition, including last year’s winner, Mana, as well as Shakira and Maluma, who are both nominated for multiple awards this year. Reik is a three-member group that formed in 2003. They have released six studio albums and have had many hit singles, such as “Yo Quisiera,” “Inolvidable,” and “Creo en Ti.”

Best New Artist

The award for Best New Artist goes to…

Best Collaboration

The award for Best Collaboration went to the track “Te Boté” by Casper Mágico, Nio García, Darell, Ozuna and Bad Bunny. The artists were not in attendance to accept the award.

Performances

The show started off with a bang—Pitbull kicked things off with a performance of his new song, “Mantra.” He was joined on stage by singeres Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, and Alex Rodriguez. The foursome danced and sang together, getting the crowd pumped up for the rest of the show.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny won big at the Billboard Latin Music Awards this year, taking home the award for Urban Artist of the Year. The Puerto Rican singer-rapper rose to fame in 2016 with his trap-influenced take on reggaeton, and has since collaborated with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including J Balvin, Ozuna, and Daddy Yankee.

J Balvin

This year, the Billboard Latin Music Awards show was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 26. The show was hosted by actress Roselyn Sanchez and television personality Sebasian Rulli.

Musical performances included J Balvin, Ozuna, Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, Pitbull and more. Below is a complete list of winners from the night.

Best Male Artist:
-J Balvin
Best Female Artist:
-Becky G
Best Duo or Group:
-Zion & Lennox
Best New Artist:
-Bad Bunny

Ozuna

Ozuna won three awards at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, including Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Latin Rhythm Albums Artist of the Year and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Solo. He performed “La Modelo” with Cardi B and “El Farsante.”

Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato

The pair performed “Échame La Culpa” live for the first time at the show, with Lovato starting things off in English before Fonsi took over for the Spanish verses. The poppy track — which translates to “It’s My Fault” — is currently No. 2 on the Latin Songs airplay chart.

Shakira

Shakira brought the house down at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards with a medley of her biggest hits.

The Colombian superstar opened the show with a high-energy performance of “Chantaje” and “Me Enamoré,” before launching into a sultry rendition of “Nada.”

Shakira was joined on stage by Puerto Rican reggaeton star Maluma, with whom she collaborated on all three songs. The pair recently wrapped up a highly successful tour together, and their chemistry was on full display during their Latin Music Awards performance.

Maluma kicked off the show with a solo performance of his hit song “Felices los 4,” before joining Shakira for their joint performance.

The 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards were held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on April 26.

Closing

The show closed with a high-energy performance by Reik of their new single “Me Niego,” featuring Ozuna and Wisin. The song is the first single off of the Mexican band’s upcoming album, due out this spring. After their performance, Latin music’s biggest stars took to the stage to accept their awards.

Awards Show

The Billboard Latin Music Awards is an annual award show that celebrates the most popular Latin music in the world. The show is produced by dick clark productions and broadcast live on Telemundo.

The show features performances by some of the biggest names in Latin music, as well as awards in various categories. Winners are determined by a combination of sales, radio airplay, online streaming, and social media activity.