Arcángel, Juanes, Los Bukis, Paloma San Basilio & Manolo Díaz Make History as First Recipients of Special Premio Lo Nuestro Awards

After a powerful medley of Arcángel’s hits featuring Jhayco, J Balvin, Jay Wheeler, Mora, Sech, and Eladio Carrión, the honoree received his Premio Lo Nuestro Urban Icon Award from Balvin.

“My brother, your height does not measure your greatness. Greatness is not measured by centimeters; it is measured by the impact you’ve made, and your impact has touched many lives,” said the Colombian superstar. “I know Austin Santos, my brother, the friend, the advisor, the good son, the good father, and the coolest grandfather in this genre,” he added, using Arcángel’s real name. “I want you to know that you are a living legend.”

Clearly emotional, surrounded by his friends and colleagues, Arcángel thanked God and dedicated the award to his loved ones, including his mother and his late brother.

“To my glorious mother, Mrs. Carmen Rosa Santos, who is watching me — thank you for raising me, thank you for how great you were for me. You were both mother and father to me at the same time, and everything I have, everything I achieve, I owe to you, my mother, because without you, I wouldn’t be here,” said Arcángel, who also mentioned the people from his neighborhood in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and the members of his team, past and present. “Thank you to each one of you for being here tonight… La Maravilla is here to stay.”

Accompanied by a live band, Juanes performed a medley of hits on his guitar that included “Hagamos Que,” “Es Por Ti,” “Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor,” and “A Dios Le Pido,” among others. The Colombian rocker wore a t-shirt that read “Se habla español” (“Spanish is spoken here”), just as he did in protest during the 2003 Latin Grammys, which were broadcast in English that year.

The group Morat presented the recognition, describing the honoree as an inspiration and a source of support in their own careers. “They say you shouldn’t meet your idols, but that’s only because they haven’t met Juanes,” they said.

With a wide smile, amid cheers from the audience, Juanes delivered his speech. “When I was nine years old, I was at home playing the guitar, and I had a beautiful epiphany: a message that said, ‘Dedicate yourself to music, this is your path.’ Today, I am 53 years old, and music has brought me so much joy, as well as true tears, because I live each moment with passion,” the superstar said.

“Music has helped me understand myself, find myself, and has given me the most important thing: the chance to know all of you, the fans from all over the world. Thank you so much for giving me this beautiful opportunity,” he continued, adding that “art reminds us that we are more alike than we imagine. And now, as the world is hurting all of us, it’s good to not be indifferent… to empathize. It’s never too late to learn to love.”

After dedicating his award to Colombia and his family, and thanking his record label and his team, he concluded with a plead: “Let’s learn to play an instrument, everyone at home, no matter your age. There’s so much artificial intelligence, but we have emotional and human intelligence. Let’s stay sharp about that!”

Manolo Díaz, honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro Visionary Award, got a big surprise when his old friend, colleague, and collaborator Manuel Alejandro appeared alongside Juanes and Carlos Vives to present him with his trophy.

“Our honoree made melody, storytelling, and honesty his signature, and with that, he paved the way for many of us Hispanics,” Vives said.

Díaz reminisced about working with Alejandro on “El Puma” José Luis Rodríguez’s album Dueño de Nada (from 1982), and the four of them sang together the famous chorus of the classic song of the same title while embracing each other with a sense of disbelief.

There weren’t many more words spoken, but it was an incredibly emotional moment, filled with music and memories. Moments earlier, Mau y Ricky, Melody and Café Quijano performed a musical number celebrating his legacy.

From Los Angeles, in an apparently pre-recorded message, legendary Mexican band Los Bukis thanked their Premio Lo Nuestro Musical Legacy Award.

“Thanks to the Bukimanía, to all those fans who have supported us for so many years,” said their iconic leader, Marco Antonio Solís, surrounded by his bandmates. “Honestly, we are very happy, very grateful,” he continued. “This award was unexpected; we receive it with hearts full of gratitude toward all our fans and the media. We are here in Los Angeles, California, where we are going to perform, rehearsing. We took a break and dressed up a bit for all our fans to accept this wonderful award. Thank you with all our hearts.”

Paloma San Basilio was accompanied on stage by pianist Arthur Hanlon and young singers Sofía Reyes, Elena Rose, and Yami Safdie, with whom she performed fragments of classics from her repertoire such as “Luna de Miel,” “Cariño Mío,” and “Juntos.”

Upon accepting the Premio Lo Nuestro Excellence Award, the legendary, ever-elegant Spanish artist commented: “Lo Nuestro means a way of being, of understanding life. We are Hispanics, we are people who love, who feel, who make music, who unite, who respect, who tolerate, who fight for our freedom and our essence. We are a wonderful community, and for me, being a part of Lo Nuestro is a privilege. So thank you, Univision. I accept this with all the love in the world. Thank you. We will continue to be a reference, a beacon, light, and color.”