However, a 2023 Music Economics Report from Duetti, a music financing platform for independent artists, reveals that Latin artists’ revenue is the lowest, requiring nearly three times the streams of country artists for the same $1.  

While it may seems that these artists must be raking in the dough through all their music, Independent artists must generate a staggering 5,000,000 streams annually to make the US federal minimum wage. Additionally, Latin artists incurred the highest distribution fees this year, revealing a noteworthy financial challenge within the Latin music industry. Since 2022, earnings per stream for independent Latin artists has declined by a whopping 21% .

Something tells me these statistics will be hard to ignore the next time we jam out to the next Karol G song on Spotify.

The post The Latin music scene is back and better than ever, so why isn’t the money? first appeared on .

Warner Bros. DC Comic Book action/adventure movie Blue Beetle has all the prerequisite elements for a great superhero flick to take its place alongside the long litany of similar movie fare that dominates the theaters today.

Blue Beetle revolves around a very likable, attractive young hero, an ultra-evil villain who threatens to take over the world, an apocalyptic storyline replete with pyrotechnic fireworks, explosions, gun fights, and hand-to-hand combat. There’s a romantic interest, a sequel teaser coda, and a wonderful, pulsating, rhythmic Latino music soundtrack. But the not-so-secret key ingredient that makes Blue Beetle a tasty, palatable, delicious, cinematic feast is the cast.

A Super Latino Cast of Characters

Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a recent college graduate, the first in his Mexican-American family. Through a series of improbable events that require much suspension of disbelief, a beetle scarab possessing enormous powers becomes a parasite on his back, endowing him with powers he has no desire to have. Maridueña, who is best known for his continuing role as Miguel Diaz on Cobra Kai, is funny and disarming as the accidental, reluctant hero with superpowers he has no control over.

It is Maridueña’s affable, humorous self-effacing performance that sets the tone for Blue Beetle.

George Lopez, whose career has evolved from stand-up comic, late-night talk show host to TV sitcom star to becoming an accomplished character actor in such films as, The Spy Next Door and El Chicano, puts all that experience to good use as Jaime’s zany, eccentric Uncle Rudy who doesn’t miss a chance to chew up the scenery in his many hilarious scenes.

The talented, versatile Mexican actress Adriana Barraza who has distinguished herself in such diverse films as Babel and Thor, is Jaime’s grandmother, Nana Reyes. At first glance, Nana appears to be your typical, lovable Mexican abuela. But this granny harbors a secret past, or at least she hints at one. Nana suggests she once was a gun-toting revolutionary in some Latin American conflict.

In the exciting climatic battle, Nana shows her old revolutionary stuff by expertly firing a machine gun, much like Barraza did in Gigi Saul Guererro’s film Bingo Hell, all the while laughing out loud with obvious glee.

Jamie’s mother, Rocio Reyes, is played by legendary (and this writer’s favorite) Mexican actress Elpidia Carrillo. She has appeared in numerous big-time films like Salvador, The Border, and Predator and held her own alongside costars like James Woods, Jack Nicholson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Carrillo has appeared in several Mexican independent films as well as starring in International and American films and TV. She has won a plethora of awards for her work on the big and small screen. She also hosts an annual film festival in her home state of Michoacan, Mexico.

Despite her impressive cinema and TV pedigree, Carillo regrettably only has a small part in Blue Beetle. But it is a pivotal part, and true to her commitment as an artist, she does a lot with what she is given.

The Family is the Real Power

Director Angel Manuel Soto (The Farm, La Carta, 22 Weeks) and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, (Contrapelo, Miss Bala, El Muerto) have combined their considerable talents to create a story that illuminates and brings into sharp focus the warmth, love, and humor of the Mexican American experience found in the Blue Beetle DC Comic Book stories.

There is a strong subtext to Blue Beetle that posits the idea that Jaime Reyes’ superpowers owe as much to his strong familial connections as it does to an arbitrary beetle scarab talisman. And who better to represent the strength of the family on the big screen to a wide audience than a Mexican-American one?

There are some funny Latino cultural references used in writer Dunnet-Alcoceaideser’s script, and director Soto leavens the furious action set pieces with glib, self-effacing ad-lib asides by Jaime as he valiantly tries to rein in his out-of-control, oversized beetle bug superpowers.

A Disappointment at the Box Office

Blue Beetle is a fun roller coaster ride replete with action, laughs, and quirky, likeable Mexican-American characters struggling, battling and loving within a rich Latino cultural motif that received generally positive critical reviews and enthusiastic audience feedback.

So, why didn’t Blue Beetle do better at the box office? It earned $25 million during its first theatrical week of release. As of this writing, its global box office receipts are under $100 million.

Several reasons contributed to its weak performance at the box office.

• Dump Month Factor. Warner Bros. released Blue Beetle to theaters in mid-August 2023. August, by many movie industry insiders, is considered a “dump month” for movies the studio doesn’t have much confidence in, as opposed to those released during the holidays.
• Lack of Marketing. Due to the WGA/SAG strike, Blue Beetle cast members did not appear on late night TV shows to chat up the film. TV commercials promoting the film were rare compared to the avalanche of ads for Barbie.
• Blame it on Hillary. No, not that Hillary, the other Hillary, Tropical Storm Hillary. Hillary descended on Southern California just in time for the theatrical release of Blue Beetle. It was reported that the heavy rains put a damper on theater attendance.
• The DC Cinema Universe Losing Streak. Whereas the Marvel Universe churns one highly successful adventure superhero film after another, the DC Cinema Universe has turned out one box office turkey after another. The last most recent one, in a string of many box office failures was Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Hope “Streams” Eternal

In 1946, Hollywood iconic director, Frank Capra, saw his film, It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore, open to a universal chorus of boo bird movie critics who ravaged his film for its style and content. It suffered miserably at the box office as well.

But with the advent of television, It’s A Wonderful Life over time became an annual Christmas viewing tradition and achieved a cult status which it still enjoys today.

When Blue Beetle is picked up by some streaming platform, a similar fate could befall this movie, too. On a streaming platform, it could gain the traction it didn’t get in the theaters and become a minor cult classic. With some newfound success, Blue Beetle could result in a sequel, maybe a franchise, and who knows, eventually a Broadway musical based on the DC Comic Mexican-American superhero.

A strong streaming performance could also convince the studio executives at Sony Pictures to rethink their decision to shelve Bad Bunny’s El Muerto and bring it back to life (bad pun intended).

So, let’s not throw out the big bug with the bath water just yet. Blue Beetle has a lot going for it; a great cast, storyline, and cultural diversity, which is so badly lacking in the world of superhero films today.

The post The ‘Blue Beetle’ Showcases a Super Latino Cast first appeared on .

Latin music’s most prestigious and longest-running award show will broadcast live on Telemundo from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, on Thursday, October 5, starting at 7 pm/6 pm CST. The show will also air simultaneously on the Hispanic entertainment cable channel Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

The awards will be presented in 48 different categories across the major music genres of Latin Pop, Tropical, Latin Rhythm, and Regional Mexican. In addition, two new categories are being introduced this year: Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year.

Peso Pluma, one of the biggest names in today’s music scene, has 21 entries, including Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year for Genesis. His collaboration on Ella Baila Sola with Eslabon Armado competes for six awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year, Global 200 Latin Song of the Year, and Sales Song of the Year. His collaboration on La Bebe with Yng Lvcas is up for five awards, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year.

Globally renowned artist Bad Bunny is a 15-time finalist, including Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year, and Global 200 Latin Song of the Year for Tití Me Preguntó. He has four other entries for Un X100to, a collaboration with Grupo Frontera, that includes Hot Latin Song of the Year and Song of the Year, Streaming.

Mexican-American band Grupo Frontera is also a 15-time finalist, including Artist of the Year and Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year. Five of their entries are for the song Bebe Dame with Fuerza Regida, including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year. Their collaboration Un X100to with Bad Bunny earned four entries, including Regional Mexican Song of the Year.

Among female artists, Karol G boasts 13 entries. This year marks the second consecutive year that the Bichota enjoys the highest number of entries for a female artist in the history of the awards, achieving 15 in 2022 and 13 this year. Karol G is vying for Artist of the Year, Tour of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year for Mañana Será Bonito. Her collaboration with Shakira on the song TQG is up for five awards including Hot Latin Song of the Year and Latin Airplay Song of the Year.

Shakira is a 12-time finalist. In addition to the five entries she earned for TQG, she is up for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female, and Latin Pop Artist of the Year, Solo. She is also competing for Latin Air Play Song of the Year for Monotonía and Latin Pop Song of the Year and Sales Song of the Year with BZRP Music Sessions, Vol 53, a collaboration with Bizarrap. Fuerza Regida also boasts 12 entries, and in addition to the five they earned for Bebe Dame with Grupo Frontera, they are up for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Duo or Group, and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.

Other finalists with multiple entries include Eslabon Armado (10), Rauw Alejandro (7), Rosalía, Bizarrap, Feid and Yng Lvcas (6), Ivan Cornejo, Manuel Turizo and Natanael Cano (4), Becky G, Ozuna, Romeo Santos (3), Aventura, Carin León, Daddy Yankee, Edgar “Edge” Barrera, Grupo Marca Registrada, Junior H, MAG, Maná, Marshmello, Piso 21, Quevedo, Sebastián Yatra and Yandel (2).

The complete list of finalists can be found at Telemundo.com/PremiosBillboard, the official site of the Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The post Bad Bunny, Karol G, Peso Pluma & Shakira Among Finalists for the 2023 Billboard Awards on Telemundo first appeared on .

The President’s Award is hand-selected by HPRA’s President to recognize an individual whose contributions to Hispanic culture and representation, whether it be through industry leadership, civic service, or the arts, has left an indelible mark on the community. Terrero’s ability to bring to life Latino stories through music, film, and TV, and give them representation in the industry, has created a unique visual and narrative language that speaks to a wide audience, breaking down cultural barriers and promoting cross-cultural understanding.

“For the past 20 years, Jessy’s career and powerful storytelling have been emblematic of the resilience, grit, and determination that defines Latinos in this country, while also contributing to a positive sense of identity and pride for the community,” said HPRA President Sonia V. Diaz. “His commitment to shining a light on our culture and to giving opportunities to young talent in the arts is at the heart of what HPRA strives to achieve and we are proud to honor him with this recognition.”

Terrero made his debut as a film and TV director with Soul Plane, a film featuring Kevin Hart and Sofia Vergara, and later directed a series of features including Freelancers with Robert De Niro and Forest Whitaker, and Gun with Val Kilmer. In 2018, he created and directed the Netflix Original Nicky Jam: El Ganador, a biopic that focuses on the artist’s success and fame as well as his struggles with addiction. Most recently, Terrero was the executive producer on several documentaries in partnership with Amazon Music, such as Hip-Hop Por Siempre and La Cuna Del Dembow.

The 2023 HPRA National ¡BRAVO! Awards celebrate excellence in multicultural storytelling in public relations and marketing while advancing positive narratives about Latinos in the United States. This year’s ¡BRAVO! Awards theme, “The Future es Nuestro,” focuses on the country’s ongoing cultural shift and contributions of the Hispanic/Latino community. Each year, the 2023 National ¡BRAVO! Awards also recognize communications leaders who are selected for their pivotal work in shaping the industry and establishing progress for Hispanic and multicultural consumer segments in public relations, media, and communications.

The Honorees are nominated and chosen collectively by HPRA executive leadership and its board of directors. This year’s honorees include Hispanic Heritage Foundation President and CEO Jose Antonio Tijerino, as Pioneer of the Year Award; host of MSNBC’s American Voices and Latina to Latina podcast, and author Alicia Menendez, as Journalist of the Year; and Omnicom Communications Consultancy Network Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Soon Mee Kim, as DEI Person of the Year.

Finalists for this year’s ¡BRAVO! Awards will be announced on August 15. Tickets to attend the event are available now.

For more information, visit: https://hprausa.org/bravo/.

The post Producer/Director Jessy Terrero To Receive The HPRA 2023 ¡BRAVO! Award first appeared on .

Bad Bunny born, Benito Antonio Martínez Onasio has a small, but memorable role in the early scenes of Bullet Train. He plays Wolf, a vengeful, menacing assassin hell-bent on getting his howling revenge for the murder of his bride, Mrs. Wolfe, played by Andrea Muñoz (Hold Me Together) who gets killed — and way too little on-screen time, along with everybody in the wedding party.

Columbia’s Bullet Train offers up a huge serving of high-speed, sprawling, chaotic, rock‘n, sock‘em, claustrophobic, action-adventure express ride on the Japanese railways with a generous dollop of comedy. It stars Brad Pitt, who had his action-adventure creds stamped and certified long ago in such films as, Fight Club, Troy, Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Pitt’s character, Ladybug, thinks he’s on an easy “snatch and grab” caper to recover a valuable brass briefcase. But when he boards the fast-moving train, he discovers to his shock and awe there are five assassins who also for various completely undisclosed motives and agendas, also want the same brass briefcase and during the movie they find they all have something in common.

The comedic elements in Bullet Train add a perverse playful touch to the non-stop action and gives what would otherwise be a trainload of irredeemable bad guys, a much welcome patina of humanity. Bullet Train also marks the film debut of Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar, Bad Bunny as one of the bad guys.

Wolf hops on the train and mistakenly thinks Ladybug is his wife’s killer. A fight ensues and Wolf meets a sudden departure from the film. Although Bad bunny, as Wolf, is defanged all too early in the story, his appearance serves its purpose as a teasing cinematic appetizer for the big screen main course he will be presenting in an upcoming Marvel Universe comic book superhero film, El Muerto.

The screenplay by Zak Oklewicz (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), treats us to some very colorful villains with engaging personalities almost as complicated as the plot itself. One especially amusing pair of killers, Tangerine, and Lemon are called “The Twins:’. Tangerine, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick ass, Nowhere Boy) and his “twin” (although they look nothing alike) Lemon, played by Brian Tyree-Henry (Widows, Hotel Artemis) provide much of the humor in Bullet Train with their bickering, profanity-laced Abbott & Costello like routine. Meanwhile, the lovely Joey King (The Conjuring, The Kissing Booth) as the lethal and dangerous, Prince, treacherously lends her venomous (figuratively and literally) deceptive femme fatale charms to the deadly proceedings.

Despite all the mayhem, violence and turbulence occurring primarily in the confines of a train, director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, John wick) manages to unwind and reveal the complicated, interconnected storyline at a constant pace equal to the speeding train it is happening on.  Director Leitch ties up all intersecting plots with a tumultuous, explosive, screeching, karmic, train derailing end that leaves the audience breathless and forever wary of ever getting on a bullet train in Japan.

From Bullet Train Dead to El Muerto

Bullet Train was just a teaser for Bad Bunny’s budding movie career. Bunny has been cast to play El Muerto, the first Latino superhero role in the Marvel Universe film. A muscle-bound, spandex leotard-clad superhero known as Juan–Carlos Estrada Sánchez in the comic books. El Muerto is a luchador who inherits his powers from his Mexican-inspired Lucha Libre mask, which gives him superhuman strength. In the comics, El Muerto has gotten into the ring with Spider-Man himself.

Bad Bunny accepts the challenge with his customary soft-spoken confidence. “I’m very excited, happy, and proud,” he says.  “I think people are gonna be proud about my work.” No worries there. He will doubtless bring the same energy and talent to the role of El Muerto that he does to his insanely popular music. He will take his well-deserved place in the profitable repertory cast of Marvel Universe superheroes with the joyous ringing sound of ca-ching, ca-ching- ca-ching at the box office registers set to the pulsating Latino beat Bad Bunny’s “Me Porto Bonito” hit reggaeton tune.

Bullet Train is currently screening in theaters and Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video

Release date for El Muerto is set for Jan 2024.

The post Bad Bunny on a ‘Bullet Train’ to Becoming a Latino Superhero first appeared on .

Considered the Latino response to the American Music Awards, the Latin AMAs are produced by MBS Special Events and the Spanish-language network Telemundo, which will broadcast the award ceremony on April 21. Winners of 26 categories are determined by a poll of the public and fans.

Bad Bunny and Cortez face each other off in three categories including the coveted Artist of the Year, as well as Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Urban Artist. 

El Conejo also vies for the honor in two other top categories, including Album of the Year for El Último Tour del Mundo. Additionally, he is a candidate for Favorite Urban Album, Favorite Tropical Album, Favorite Tropical Song and Collaboration of the Year.

For his part, Cortez competes in other categories propelled by his collaboration songs with various artists. The hit “Dákiti,” a duet by Bad Bunny and Cortez, earned the artists another two nominations, in the top category Song of the Year and also in Favorite Urban Song. Also, “Fiel,” another collab with Los Legendarios and Wisin earned Cortez noms for Viral Song of the Year and Favorite Urban Song. 

El Conejo Malo and Cortez are closely followed by three artists also with multiple nods, Colombian artists J Balvin and Karol G and Puerto Rican artist Rauw Alejandro, with seven nominations each.

J Balvin is up for awards in the categories of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Favorite Urban Song for “In Da Getto,” Viral Song of the Year for “AM” and Favorite Video for “Lo Que Dios Quiera,” among others. Karol G’s nominations include Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Favorite Urban Album for KG0516, as well as Collaboration of the Year for “El Makinon” and Favorite Female Artist. Rauw Alejandro is competing in the categories of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year with “Todo de Ti,” and Album of the Year and Favorite Urban Album for Vice Versa, among others.  

There are many other artists with multiple nominations. Camilo, Grupo Firme and Kali Uchis have six nods; Aventura, Christian Nodal, Eslabon Armado, Marc Anthony and Sebastián Yatra, five; Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga, Farruko, Gera MX, Los Legendarios, and Maluma, four; Calibre 50, Carin Leon, Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias, Ivan Cornejo, Los Dos Carnales, Myke Towers, Ozuna, Selena Gomez, Skrillex and Wisin, three; Annita, Carlos Vives, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho, María Becerra, María Angeliq, Piso 21, Prince Royce and Ricky Martin, two.

Nominees up for one award include Anuel AA, Becky G, Camila Cabello, Chiquis, Christina Aguilera, CNCO, El Fantasma, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Evaluna Montaner, Gerardo Ortíz, Junior H, Khalid, Lennin Ramírez, Los Angeles Azules, Los Bukis, Luis Fonsi, Luis Vazquez, Natti Natasha, Nio Garcia, Pablo Alborán, Pabllo Vittar, Reik, Romeo Santos, Rosalía, Shawn Mendez, Sonora Ponceña, The Weeknd, Tini and Tommy Torres.

The 2022 Latin AMAs nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including streaming, sales, airplay, and social activity tracked by Billboard through its data partners MRC Data and Next Big Sound from February 6 of 2021 through Jan. 29 of 2022, according to Telemundo.

The TV network said the nominees for Favorite Video and Favorite Social Artist were selected by a committee of industry professionals which consider the quality, content, creativity, and fan engagement of the music video for Favorite Video, and fan engagement and associated metrics on artist’s social media platforms for Favorite Social Artist. As with all Latin AMA categories, the winners for Favorite Video and Favorite Social Artist are determined by fan voting.

In addition to Telemundo, the Latin AMAs will stream live on the Peacock and broadcast simultaneously on Spanish entertainment cable network Universo. In the rest of the Americas, the show will be broadcast by Telemundo Internacional. 

The post Latin American Music Awards Announce Nominees first appeared on .

Colombian singer/songwriter Camilo was the big winner at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards, taking four prizes followed by Mexican songwriter and producer Edgar Barrera and Spanish rapper C. Tangana, each with three awards. Other winners in important categories included Ruben Blades, Caetano Veloso and Juliana Velasquez.

Camilo took home the trophies for Best Pop Vocal Album for Mis Manos; Best Pop Song for “Vida de Rico” that he shared with Barrera; Best Urban Fusion/Performance for “Tattoo (Remix),” shared with Rauw Alejandro; and Best Tropical Song for “Dios Así lo Quiso,” shared with David Julca, Jonathan Julca, Yasmil Jesús Marrufo and Ricardo Montaner.

Barrera won the coveted Producer of the Year award, with eight notable albums for stars like Camilo, Christian Nodal, Maluma, Daddy Yankee and Marc Anthony.

For his part, C. Tangana scored wins for Best Alternative Song category for “Nominao,” shared with Jorge Drexler, Best Pop/Rock Song for “Hong Kong” shared with Andrés Calamaro and Best Engineered Album for El Madrileño.

Brazilin music icon Veloso earned the prize for Record of the Year with “Talvez,” alongside Tom Veloso.

Blades, who was also selected as the Latin Grammy Person of the Year, also walked away with a Grammy for Album of the Year for Salswing!, which he recorded with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta.

Newcomer Velasquez from Colombia won in the Best New Artist category. An actress since age 7, she made a name for herself in TV and theatre. This year she dropped her debut album “Juliana,” which produced hits like “Cóseme.”

The Latin Grammy night at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Garden Arena also presented performances by Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguilera, Yotuel, Milly Quezada and Danna Paola. The event was hosted by Mexican-American actress/singer Ana Brenda Contreras, Mexican pop singer Carlos Rivera and Puerto Rican actress Roselyn Sánchez.

Other award winners this year were Bad Bunny, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Karol G, Vicente Fernandez and Vicentico. (See the list of winners below.)

Featured Photo: Camilo (Credit: Courtesy, self), Ruben Blades (Courtesy, self) and Vicente Fernandez (Courtesy, self)

Check out the videos of a performance by Becky G, Aguilera, Nathy Peluso and Nicki Nicole at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards.

The post Camilo is Biggest Winner at 2021 Latin Grammy Awards first appeared on .

Cardi B has racked up four nods including Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Hip Hop, all of them for her “WAP” collaboration with Megan The Stallion, one of the biggest hits of the year. All of Bruno’s noms are also for his collaborative song “Leave the Door Open” with Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic.

The artist with the most nominations this year is Justin Bieber, seven, closely followed by Megan The Stallion, six. More than half a dozen other performers received five nods, including veterans like Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Lil Nas X and newcomers like Olivia Rodrigo and Giveon.

The only other Latino with multiple nominations is Bad Bunny with two, both collaborations, in the Best Latin category. El Conejito Malo competes with “Dákiti,” a joint effort with Jhay Cortez, and “Un Die (One Day)” with Balvin, Dua Lipa and Tainy. Vying also for the award in this field are Billie Eilish and Rosalía with “Lo Vas a Olvidar,” Black Eyed Peas and Shakira with “Girl Like Me,” Karol G with “Bichota” and Maluma with “Hawái.” The Best Latin category is dominated by Colombian nominees–Balvin, Shakira, Karol G and Maluma, followed by Boricuas–Bad Bunny, Cortez and Tainy.

The 2021 MTV Vido Music Awards will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Sept. 12. 

LIST OF NOMINEES

Video of the Year

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar” (Starring Justin Bieber) – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records

The Weeknd: “Save Your Tears” – XO / Republic Records

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande – Republic Records

Doja Cat – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Justin Bieber – Def Jam

Megan Thee Stallion – 300 Entertainment

Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records

Taylor Swift – Republic Records

Song of the Year

24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: “Mood” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

BTS: “Dynamite” – Bighit Music

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Dua Lipa: “Levitating” – Warner Records

Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License” – Geffen Records

Best New Artist

24kGoldn – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Giveon – Epic Records / Not So Fast

The Kid Laroi – Columbia Records

Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records

Polo G – Columbia Records

Saweetie – Warner Records

Push Performance of the Year

Wallows: “Are You Bored Yet?” – Atlantic Records

Ashnikko: “Daisy” – Warner Records

Saint Jhn: “Gorgeous” – Godd Complexx / HITCO

24kGoldn: “Coco” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

JC Stewart: “Break My Heart” – Elektra Music Group

Latto: “Sex Lies” – RCA Records

Madison Beer: “Selfish” – Epic Records / Sing It Loud

The Kid Laroi: “Without You” – Columbia Records

Olivia Rodrigo: “Drivers License” – Geffen Records

Girl in Red: “Serotonin” – World in Red / AWAL

Fousheé: “My Slime” – RCA Records

Jxdn: “Think About Me” – DTA Records / Elektra Music Group

Best Collaboration

24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: “Mood” – Records LLC / Columbia Records

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA: “Kiss Me More” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk: “Laugh Now Cry Later” – OVO / Republic Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” – RCA Records

Best Pop

Ariana Grande: “Positions” – Republic Records

Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

BTS: “Butter” – Bighit Music

Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U” – Geffen Records

Shawn Mendes: “Wonder” – Island Records

Taylor Swift: “Willow” – Republic Records

Best Hip-Hop

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “WAP” – Atlantic Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk: “Laugh Now Cry Later” – OVO / Republic Records

Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion: “On Me (remix)” – Quality Control / Motown

Moneybagg Yo – “Said Sum” – N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records

Polo G: “Rapstar” – Columbia Records

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A.: “Franchise” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records

Best Rock

Evanescence: “Use My Voice” – BMG

Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records

John Mayer: “Last Train Home” – Columbia Records

The Killers: “My Own Soul’s Warning” – Island

Kings Of Leon: “The Bandit” – RCA Records

Lenny Kravitz: “Raise Vibration” – Roxie Records / BMG

Best Alternative

Bleachers: “Stop Making This Hurt” – RCA Records

Glass Animals: “Heat Waves” – Republic Records

Imagine Dragons: “Follow You” – Kidinakorner / Interscope Records

Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear: “My Ex’s Best Friend” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records

Twenty One Pilots: “Shy Away” – Fueled By Ramen

Willow ft. Travis Barker: “Transparent Soul” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation

Best Latin

Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez: “Dákiti” – The Orchard

Billie Eilish & Rosalía: “Lo Vas A Olvidar” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Black Eyed Peas and Shakira: “Girl Like Me” – Epic Records

Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy: “Un Die (One Day)” – Universal Music Latino / Neon16

Karol G: “Bichota” – Universal Music Latino

Maluma: “Hawái” – Sony Music US Latin

Best R&B

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

Chris Brown and Young Thug: “Go Crazy” – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records

Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary” – Epic Records / Not So Fast

H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown: “Come Through” – MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

SZA: “Good Days” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records

Best K-Pop

(G)I-DLE: “Dumdi Dumdi” – Republic Records

Blackpink and Selena Gomez: “Ice Cream” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records

BTS – “Butter” – Bighit Music

Monsta X: “Gambler” – Starship Entertainment

Seventeen: “Ready to love” – Pledis Entertainment

Twice: “Alcohol-Free” – JYP Entertainment Company

Video for Good

Billie Eilish: “Your Power” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

Demi Lovato: “Dancing With the Devil” – Island

H.E.R.: “Fight For You” – MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

Kane Brown: “Worldwide Beautiful” – Sony Music Nashville / RCA Records

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records

Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z: “Entrepreneur” – Columbia Records

Best Direction

Billie Eilish: “Your Power” – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Directed by: Billie Eilish

DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar (Starring Justin Bieber)” – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records – Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino

Taylor Swift: “Willow” – Republic Records – Directed by: Taylor Swift

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A: “Franchise” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records – Directed by: Travis Scott

Tyler, The Creator: “Lumberjack” – Columbia Records – Directed by: Wolf Haley

Best Cinematography

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, Mohammaed Atta Ahmed, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant

Billie Eilish: “Therefore I Am” – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Rob Witt

Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez

Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper: “Holy” – RBMG / Def Jam – Cinematography by: Elias Talbot

Lady Gaga: “911” – Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth

Lorde: “Solar Power” – LAVA/Republic Records – Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud

Best Art Direction

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer: “Already” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos

Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records – Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz

Lady Gaga: “911” – Interscope Records – Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Art Direction by: John Richoux

Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: “Best Friend” – Warner Records – Art Direction by: Art Haynes

Taylor Swift – “Willow” – Republic Records – Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez

Best Visual Effects

Bella Poarch: “Build a Bitch” – Warner Records – Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova

Coldplay: “Higher Power” – Atlantic Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic

Doja Cat & The Weeknd – “You Right” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel

Glass Animals: “Tangerine” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by: Ronan Fourreau

Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Columbia Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic

P!nk: “All I Know So Far” – RCA Records – Visual Effects by: BUF, VFX Supervisors: Dominique Vidal & Geoffrey Niquet, VFX Producers: Annabelle Zoellin & Camille Gibrat

Best Choreography

Ariana Grande – “34+35” – Republic Records – Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson

BTS – “Butter” – Bighit Music – Choreography by: Son Sung with BHM Performance Directing Team

Ed Sheeran – “Bad Habits” – Atlantic Records – Choreography by: Natricia Bernard

Foo Fighters – “Shame Shame” – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Choreography by: Nina McNeely

Harry Styles – “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Marshmello & Halsey – “Be Kind” – Astralwerks / Capitol Records – Choreography by: Dani Vitale

Best Editing

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” – Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic Records – Editing by: Troy Charbonnet

BTS: “Butter” – Bighit Music – Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens

Drake: “What’s Next” – OVO / Republic Records – Editing by: Noah Kendal

Harry Styles: “Treat People With Kindness” – Columbia Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” – Def Jam

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” – RCA Records

Featured Photo: Cardi B in ‘WAP’ (Credit: YouTube)

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Released this month, the song is the first single the Puerto Rican singer has dropped since his last album El Último Tour del Mundo came out last November. The album debuted #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, the first all-Spanish-language album ever to top the popular list. Bad Bunny has one of the greatest accumulations of songs on the Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs, more than 80. 

El Conejo Malo seems to be full of surprises.

Last year he dressed in drag for his video of “Yo perreo sola,” a song that earned him a Latin Grammy, the second one of his career.

This past January he released a music video with Robert Booker Tio Huffman Jr., who is a WWE professional wrestler under the stage name Booker T. 

This time around, “Yonaguni” makes listeners wonder if the Latino artist has an interest in things Japanese. The sing’s title refers to Japan’s westernmost inhabited island of  Japan, located nearly 70 miles from Taiwan.

Taking fans by surprise once more, the outro of the single is completely in Japanese. Bad Bunny also mentions Itachi Uchiha, a character from the popular Japanese anime Naruto, hinting at a potential linkage to his interest and anime pop-culture of the Land of the Rising Sun.

“Yonaguni” already has more than 100 million plays on Spotify while the music video has also scored over 110 million plays on YouTube. 

Coming to the music scene just five years ago, Grammy Award-winning Bad Bunny proves to his listeners that he is not done yet. Some may say he is just getting started. The top-selling artist appears in the new installment F9: The Fast Saga,  the latest installment of the blockbuster The Fast and the Furious movie franchise starring Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel, and is set to start his first post-pandemic tour in 2022.

The post Bad Bunny’s Latest Single Gifts (Another) Surprise first appeared on .

Balvin, a world top-selling artist from Colombia known as the Prince of Reggaeton, will appear on Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality on Thursday. According to Nickelodeon, the half-hour special will delve into compelling stories of immigrants, including young people and families who are searching for a better life in this nation.

The show will be hosted by CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas and showcase personal immigration stories and messages of hope from the Colombian singer and other featured guests such as comedian Samantha Bee from Canada, television host Padma Lakshmi from India and professional basketball player Ben Simmons from Australia. Also appearing on the children’s show will be Nancy Pelosi, the California congresswoman who is the current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Every immigrant’s story is individual, and yet in the U.S, it is a collective experience many can relate to,” says Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson, vice president of news programming at Nickelodeon and executive producer of Nick News. She adds that more than 25 percent of children in the U.S. under the age of 18 have a parent or grandparent that is an immigrant. “As we take time to acknowledge the many contributions immigrants have made to the United States, Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality aims to platform the stories of these remarkable individuals and families to highlight our shared history and showcase that despite our perceived differences we are more alike than different,” says Laguerre-Wilkinson. 

Balvin is one of the biggest stars of reggaeton, a hybrid reggae and hip hop that’s in Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean region and whose influence has gone global. With five albums under his belt, including one with also reggaeton star Bad Bunny, Balvin is known for hits like “Ginza,” “6 AM,” “Ay vamos,” “Bobo”, “Safari”, “Sigo extrañándote” and “Mi gente,” with the latter topping the Global Top 50 on the music streamer Spotify and reaching one billion views on YouTube. His collaboration with Cardi B and Bad Bunny on the 2018 hit single “I like it” won him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. His most recent album is Colores. 

Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality will start with the story of early immigration from Europe, detailing the hope for a better life that drove many families to permanently settle in the U.S. It will also talk about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and the “Dreamers.” The segment presents the powerful stories of three young community advocates, Luz Chavez-Gonzales of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Kamau Chege of Seattle, Washington, and Estefany Pineda of East Boston, Massachusetts, their search for the so-called “American dream.”

Enrique Acevedo, a 60 Minutes+ correspondent, will take viewers to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, a town that over 100 years ago it welcomed European immigrants which fueled its coal mining industry. Fast forward and the town faced challenges when some members of the community took issue with, and sought to stop Latino immigrants moving to the area in the late 1990s.  

However, Joe Maddon Jr., manager of the Los Angeles Angels, a Hazleton native, sought to turn the page on the divisiveness that overtook his community and help his town heal through the creation of the Hazleton Integration Project, HIP, a community-based center that aims to unite the multicultural residents of Hazleton by offering a myriad of programs, including English as a second language, a series of virtual STEM afterschool classes, sports programs and many others. The organization’s programs are highlighted through the stories of five kids whose families have emigrated to Hazleton from the Dominican Republic and who have found much-needed resources and a sense of community at HIP.

Additional segments include a mention of former President George W. Bush’s new book, Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants, which is a collection of 43 portraits of immigrants painted by Bush. It highlights the inspiring journeys of America’s immigrants and their contributions to the U.S.

Nick News: Kids, Immigration and Equality, the segment will air Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Following its premiere on Nickelodeon, the show will be available on Nick.com, Nick App and Nick On Demand beginning June 18 and on the Nickelodeon YouTube channel on June 22. 

Featured Photo: J Balvin (Credit: kodeak01/Wikipedia)

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