Billboard Latin Music Awards 2026: Finalists to Be Revealed Sept. 9, Rosalía Honoured as Woman of the Year
The finalists for the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 5 p.m. ET during a live broadcast on the Telemundo Entretenimiento YouTube channel, as well as on Billboard and Billboard Español, according to Billboard.
The awards ceremony itself follows on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, broadcast live on Telemundo and Peacock. The show coincides with the 37th edition of Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to the Faena Forum in Miami Beach from Oct. 19–22, 2026.
Rosalía will receive the Woman of the Year award at this year's ceremony, Billboard announced in April. The Spanish artist — whose work spans flamenco-rooted pop, reggaetón collaborations and global experimental sounds — becomes the latest recipient of an honour that recognises career impact and cultural influence in Latin music.
For context on what the 2026 field might look like, last year's ceremony was dominated by Bad Bunny, who took home 11 trophies including artist of the year. Karol G followed with six awards, and Fuerza Regida claimed five. The year before, the 2024 finalists were led by Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, Tito Double P and Peso Pluma — a roster reflecting the continued chart dominance of reggaetón and regional Mexican music, the latter propelled by artists like Peso Pluma whose corridos tumbados sound has crossed into mainstream US streaming charts.
Billboard Latin Music Week, the industry conference running alongside the awards, brings together label executives, artists, songwriters and managers for panels, showcases and networking sessions. The Faena Forum, a waterfront cultural venue in Miami Beach, has served as its base in recent editions. The 37th instalment will run across four days, closing with the awards on Oct. 22.
For fans, the Sept. 9 finalist announcement is the first real signal of who shaped the Latin music charts over the past year. Billboard's Latin Music Awards are determined by chart performance rather than a peer or academy vote — the same methodology used across Billboard's awards franchise, meaning the finalists and winners reflect sales, streaming and radio airplay data rather than industry lobbying.
The ceremony's move to Peacock alongside Telemundo broadens the broadcast beyond traditional Spanish-language television, making the show available to streaming subscribers across the US. Telemundo has long been the home network for the Billboard Latin Music Awards, having aired the ceremony in past editions including the 2021 broadcast.
With the finalist reveal two weeks away and Rosalía's honour already confirmed, the path to Oct. 22 is set. The question now is which names join her on the list.
