The inaugural Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música gala took Miami by storm, uniting the biggest names in Latin music to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of female artists and executives. The historic, star-studded event, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, showcased the unique talents and strengths of these trailblazing women.
A capacity crowd of over 2,000 people filled the Watsco Center on May 6, with the spectacular event simulcast on Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock on May 7. A first-ever Spanish-language Billboard print edition featuring the artists and 49 executives honored at the gala was unveiled during the show.
The evening began with hosts Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes highlighting the talented women being honored, who represented Latin America. Shakira, the three-time Grammy winner, was presented with the prestigious Billboard Latin Woman of the Year Award by Maluma. In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Shakira dedicated the award to her mother and children and encouraged the audience to not only celebrate the Woman of the Year but the Year of Women.
Ana Gabriel, the recipient of the Living Legend Award, delivered a powerful acceptance speech and performed her hit “Simplemente Amigos” to a delighted audience. Grammy winner Thalia opened the show with an energetic medley of her hits and later accepted the Global Powerhouse Award. She thanked her family and inspired women everywhere to tap into their power.
Evaluna was honored with the Tradition and Future Award and joined JP Saxe for a special piano performance of “If The World Was Ending.” Emilia, the Rising Star Award recipient, delivered a powerful performance of “No Se Ve” with Ludmilla and expressed her gratitude to represent Argentina at the event.
Goyo received the Agent of Change Award and was presented the award by her mother, Nelfa Perea, and Colombian actress and singer Greeicy. Goyo’s daughter, Saba, also took the mic to express her love for her mother. Newlyweds Lele Pons and Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa presented Maria Becerra with the Visionary Award, who thanked Billboard for investing in powerful women in music.
Ivy Queen closed the show with the premiere of her new single “Toma,” which had the crowd on their feet dancing. The inaugural Latin Women in Music event, an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise, highlighted the artistic achievements and positive impact these women have had on Latin music and the industry as a whole.
Among the numerous attendees were Adriana Cataño, Adriana de Moura, Aleida Nuñez, Alicia Machado, Amara La Negra, Andrea Meza, Arlyn Broche, Aylin Mujica, Chicky Bombom, Denise Rosenthal, Domino Saints, GALE, Giselle Blondet, Isadora Figueroa, Jessica Carrillo, Laura Flores, Paula Arenas, Shantall Lacayo, Tayshia Adams, Ximena Duque, and many more.
ABOUT BILLBOARD
Billboard is a global music media brand, with a renowned authority among artists, fans, and the industry at large. Billboard powers the ultimate global music destination and magazine, featuring unrivaled reporting on music news, issues, trends, and the industry’s definitive charts, encompassing the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres. Billboard also produces elite conferences and events which regularly convene influential industry stakeholders and consumers around important conversations.
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL TELEMUNDO ENTERPRISES
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises leads the media industry in the production and distribution of Spanish-language content for U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. The company serves U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 61 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Telemundo is the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, as well as the Premier League and Mexican soccer team Chivas. The #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., Telemundo Global Studios includes Telemundo Television Studios, Telemundo Streaming Studios, and Underground Producciones. Telemundo’s new Tplus content brand on Peacock features programming developed for the full spectrum of Hispanics. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
