Billboard Latin Music Awards Open To The Public.

Latin music’s most prestigious awards show will open its doors to the public for the very first time. The 2003 Billboard Latin Music Awards, produced and broadcast by Telemundo, will take place on May 8th, 2003 at its new venue, the Miami Arena in Florida.

“As our highest rated music special, the Awards have gained tremendous popularity, reaching more than 1.8 million viewers last year. Our move to the Miami Arena will allow us to accommodate fans who want to experience the show in person,” said Manuel Martinez, Executive Vice President, Programming & Productions at Telemundo.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the Miami Arena to be the host venue of such a distinguished event,” said Jim Jenkins executive director of the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority owner and operator of the Miami Arena. “The Billboard Latin Music Awards is a welcome attraction for visitors seeking to enjoy the show at a great location and in an exciting city.”

The Billboard Latin Music Awards honor the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music, as determined by the actual sales and radio airplay data that informs Billboard’s weekly charts during a one-year period from the issue dated February 16, 2002 through this year’s February 8 issue.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Telemundo to make the 2003 Billboard Latin Music Awards show bigger and better than ever before,” said Howard Appelbaum, Vice President of Billboard Music Group. “Together, we are deeply committed to the single purpose of creating the world’s premier Latin music show.”

For the second year, the Awards will also be simulcast by the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, the largest Spanish-language radio network in the U.S., with over 60 stations in 15 markets. The Awards show is the grand finale of the 2003 Billboard Latin Music Conference, presented by Heineken in association with Garnier Fructis, slated for May 5-8 at the Eden Roc Resort in Miami Beach. This year’s conference will feature the first Billboard Bash, to be held May 7 at BillboardLive. The bash, an “off-air” awards show, will include awards presentations and performances by some of this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards finalists. Other conference events include showcases of the hottest new acts, the annual one-on-one superstar interview, an awards show after-party, the Heineken Lounge, and cutting-edge industry panels. The annual BMI Latin Awards, an invitation-only event recognizing the songwriters and publishers of BMI’s most performed Latin songs, will be held May 5 at the Eden Roc.