The Japan Times - Bad Bunny wins top album prize at Latin Grammys in Vegas

The reggaeton star won five awards from 12 nominations, including the coveted best album prize -- a category in which he is also competing at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in February.

Bad Bunny also won for Best Urban/Urban Fusion Performance, Best Reggaeton Performance, Best Urban Music Album and Best Urban Song.

The awards triumph for "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" ("I should have taken more photos") marks another chapter in a year in which the 31-year-old -- whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio -- has swept the entertainment world.

A barnstorming residency in his native Puerto Rico has just ended, with a world tour set to kick off this month in the Dominican Republic.

The reggaeton breakout made headlines when he said the tour would not include any dates on the US mainland because he was concerned his fans might be targeted by US President Donald Trump's immigration raids.

The one exception to his self-imposed ban will be the Super Bowl halftime show on February 8 in Santa Clara, California.

The performance, which comes midway through the NFL final, is routinely one of the television events of the year, watched by well over 100 million people in the United States alone, with millions more tuning in around the world.

Bad Bunny faced competition from Argentinian duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, who took home five awards of their own.

They are the first nominations for the explosive hip-hop duo, who recently opened several concerts in Latin America for Kendrick Lamar, a strong favorite for the 2026 Grammys.

Edgar Barrera, who as a producer and songwriter has garnered more than 70 nominations at the Latin awards, also competed for Song and Record of the Year for his work with Karol G on "Si antes te hubiera conocido" ("If I Had Met You Before").

The album's single "Tropicoqueta" also earned the Colombian singer a nomination for Best Tropical Song.

Karol G is set to be one of the headliners at Coachella next year.

Brazil's Liniker, who in 2022 became the first transgender artist to win a Latin Grammy, received seven nominations for her album "Caju," including the top three prizes.

Other nominees for the best album award include Alejandro Sanz, Carin Leon, Gloria Estefan, Joaquina, Rauw Alejandro, Vicente Garcia, and Natalia Lafourcade, who has a total eight nominations.

The Latin Grammys returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena after editions in Spain and Miami.

The show featured performances from Bad Bunny, Karol G, and Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, as well as by Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Santana, Rauw Alejandro, Kacey Musgraves, Edgar Barrera, Joaquina, Christian Nodal, Nathy Peluso, Elena Rose, and Grupo Frontera.

K.Tanaka--JT