Last Updated on 4 days by Vijay Kumar
In a night that celebrated the rich tapestry of Latin music, Bad Bunny was honored with the prestigious “Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century” award at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The accolade was presented by the legendary Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno, marking a historic moment in the industry.
Moreno, 93, graced the stage with her signature energy, dancing to the rhythm of “CAFé CON RON” alongside Los Pleneros de la Cresta. Reflecting on her early career, she shared, “When I started my career, being Latino meant facing a lot of rejections, a lot of no’s, a lot of closed doors… Today I see an artist who reaches the entire world.” Turning to Bad Bunny, she added with a playful smile, “Hello, baby, how are you, baby? You’re hot too, all right,” earning a standing ovation from the audience. The two then shared a lively salsa dance, with Moreno tenderly cupping Bad Bunny’s face—a moment fans called iconic.
The artist, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, accepted the award alongside his team, including producers Tainy and La Paciencia, manager Noah Assad, and younger brother Bernie Martínez Ocasio. In his emotional speech, Bad Bunny expressed deep gratitude, humility, and respect for his peers: “I am 100% aware that this award could have been received by any of the artists here… I will always identify with those artists because I consider myself the same—a young man who continues to dream of many goals and things to do.”
Earlier in the night, Bad Bunny had already won Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR Más FoToS, dedicating the award to his homeland: “Thank God, first of all. Thank you to all the people who support me… I’m very proud to make music from my homeland and enjoy the process with so many wonderful people.” He also acknowledged his Puerto Rican fans during his musical residency, “No me quiero ir de aquí”, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum.
Closing the night, Bad Bunny reminded aspiring artists to stay true to themselves: “Always be yourself, go to the studio, have fun, let loose… Say what hurts you, what makes you happy, and never forget to be yourself. I love you. Thank you.”
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.
