A buzz in the audio at the start of the broadcast set the tone throughout the night. Bad Bunny, together with Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, the two artists who received the most nominations, closed the ceremony with five awards each. The 2025 Latin Grammy took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and in this 26th edition two new categories were incorporated: best roots song, which recognizes unreleased recordings – vocal or instrumental – that reflect the traditions and origins of different communities, and best music for visual media. But during the night a surprising victory by Alejandro Sanz over bad rabbit This caused a bit of an uproar among the public, so much so that the Spaniard was forced to apologize for having stolen the prize.
Carlos Santana, Maluma, Grupo Frontera and Christian Nodal begin the ceremony
With his characteristic style of playing the guitar, Carlos Santana from Guadalajara opened the ceremony together with Maluma, Christian Nodal and Grupo Frontera. Santana, one of the world’s most acclaimed guitarists, began his musical career in the late 1960s with an eponymous band that mixed rock, jazz, blues and Latin rhythms. “Long live maestro Carlos Santana,” Maluma said at the end of his performance.
Technical transmission problems
Ever since Carlos Santana started strumming the strings of his guitar, the broadcast of the ceremony had audio problems: a sound similar to what the radio makes when it can’t tune into a station. The problem was solved momentarily, only a few minutes after Santana and company began their presentation. Puerto Rican actress Roselyn Sánchez, together with Maluma, both masters of ceremonies, welcomed and joined Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos to present the best urban music album category: the winner was Bad Bunny. But the technical problems returned. Neither the Puerto Rican’s speech nor Aitana’s subsequent presentation were broadcast correctly.
Nathy Peluso and Gloria Estefan, the queen
The iconic Gloria Estefan had her stellar moment. The Cuban, in a red dress with ruffles and with an unmatched voice, brought the audience of the MGM Grand Garden Arena to their feet to the rhythm of salsa with The neighbor AND Chirriqui Chirri, two songs from his most recent album roots, winner for Best Traditional Tropical Album at these Grammys. It’s the first time in 18 years that Estefan has released an album in Spanish. In the 1980s, the Cuban and her husband Emilio created an empire in exile in Miami, where they trained and helped create dozens of Latin artists such as Shakira and Ricky Martin. Argentine Nathy Peluso accompanied Estefan in the last musical number and asked for a standing ovation for “the queen”.
The power of Mexico
If Colombian musicians proliferated at the 2024 Latin Grammys, Mexicans did so at this year’s ceremony. Christian Nodal and Grupo Frontera took part in the first act of the evening, together with Carlos Santana. Pepe Aguilar gave a mariachi show with up to four couples moving to the rhythm of Tapatío syrup. Carín León delighted the audience with her voice and won the award for best contemporary Mexican music album. Grupo Frontera took the stage again and was supported by Fuerza Regida, who performed Marlboro red, a song that reached number one on Billboard in early November and is the seventh number one for the pioneers of the corrido tumbado genre. Paloma Murphy won best new artist and Los Tigres del Norte closed out the night.
The bad rabbit asks for a hug
Bad Bunny took the stage for the third time of the night to receive the award for Best Urban Song I should have taken more photos. Benito said he doesn’t go into these types of events with a prepared speech because he doesn’t know if he will win or not. His words then were a request: “I would like you to hug the person next to you, because this is what music is”.
Big ovation to Raphael, Person of the Year
Raphael, named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy in 2025, performed two of his most famous songs – the list is long – during the gala: What no one knows AND My big night. Those present stood up, sang in chorus with him and gave him a standing ovation of applause that could have lasted all the minutes necessary, but was interrupted by two icons like him, Gloria Estefan and Marco Antonio Solís, to present him with the Person of the Year award. “You are my personal idol,” Estefan said. “Mine too”, added Solís, underlining that what Raphael does is not learned, “you are born with it”.
The dynamic Argentine duo
Argentinian musicians Ca7triel and Paco Amoroso took the stage at the Latin Grammys and performed Impostor, #Tits, She who can, can AND Friends party They did so on a set inspired by Amoroso’s blue hat and Ca7triel’s red vest, accessories they used during their 2024 Tiny Desk presentation, one of the most iconic ever recorded at NPR’s offices in Washington, DC. As the two did their work, four men with a lot of muscles and very little clothing – only black underwear – twisted and braided pieces of pillows that they threw into the blue hat or red vest. In the press room they continued with the usual tone of jokes, assuring that they would melt the prizes to create a series.
Singing “What Would Have Been If I Had Met You Before”
La BichotaKarol G, received the award for best song of the year. With her voice breaking and her eyes on the verge of tears, the Colombian spoke about how she had to return to what she loves about music because she felt lost. “There are a lot of professionals who give their opinion on what people should or shouldn’t do. I kind of thought nothing I did was right and I felt like I was losing my mojo. So I went back to the roots,” he said. The speech was very similar to the one she gave in 2024, when Billboard named her its first Woman of the Year.
Alejandro Sanz: “Sorry, Benito, I stole it from you”
Without a doubt, the surprise of the evening was the victory of Alejando Sanz in the recording of the year with category Palm trees in the garden. When the Spaniard went on stage to accept the award, some voices in the audience shouted things that, due to the noise in the auditorium, could only be heard “…more photos”, in what seemed to be a reference to the well-known song Bad Bunny. Sanz looked at the puzzled people for a few seconds and began his speech. “Sorry, Benito, I stole it from you,” he confessed, laughing. The Puerto Rican, from the front row, told him not to speak.
Los Tigres del Norte, the last show of the evening
The last performance of the evening was entrusted to the Mexican group Los Tigres del Norte. They did it with The lottery, a single released in February this year and talks about migration, politics and security. According to the magazine Rolling Stonethe single portrays the reality that millions of Latinos face in their struggle to realize their dream of emigrating to the United States. “This song perfectly defines what our society is experiencing,” Los Tigres said for said medium. Later, in the press room, they commented that the current political situation worries them even more than when they began their career in the late 1960s, and acknowledged that with their songs they try to bring hope to the large migrant community.
Love for Puerto Rico
Bad Bunny ended the night with five awards; The last one, album of the year, was dedicated to everyone who worked on it, to Puerto Rico and his family. “To my mother for having brought me into the world, to my brothers: I love them. And to music, I love music, I love what I do. I want to dedicate this award to all the children and young people of Latin America, especially those of Puerto Rico. There are many ways to make a homeland and defend our land, we choose music. This is yours. Puerto Rico I love you, thank you.”
