Lupillo & Candela to host 2006 Billboard Awards.

Regional Mexican superstar Lupillo Rivera and renowned Spanish television personality Candela Ferro will be the official hosts of the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The only awards show that recognizes the most popular artists in the country based on the Billboard charts has moved to Hard Rock Live, South Florida’s newest and most modern entertainment venue located at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards, produced and broadcast by Telemundo, will take place on Thursday, April 27th at 7PM (6pm/c).

“We’re thrilled with this fantastic announcement. Lupillo and Candela will be great together; their distinctive personalities and charisma will combine to give our viewers an unforgettable evening,” said Ramon Escobar, Senior Executive Vice President Network Entertainment for Telemundo. “In addition, we’re very excited to produce and broadcast this year’s show from Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, which has hosted such renowned acts as Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Vives, Lionel Richie, Kelly Clarkson, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Def Leppard and Juan Luis Guerra, since it opened its doors less than a year ago. We felt it was the ideal site to take the Billboard Latin Music Awards show to the next level.” Lupillo Rivera is known for his enviable and fruitful 10-year musical career, which has earned him countless international awards, including gold and platinum albums for high record sales. Currently he is a finalist for the Billboard Latin Music Awards in the categories of Regional Mexican Album of the year, male solo artist for “El Rey de las Cantinas” and Regional Mexican Airplay song of the year, male solo artist for “Ya Me Habian Dicho.” He also won both categories in 2003 for his “Amorcito Corazon” album and the hit “Te Solte La Rienda.” Among one of Lupillo’s most notable and prestigious achievements is becoming the first Mexican Angelino to fill to capacity the Universal Amphitheater, managing for the first time ever to bring together in that renowned and exclusive theater Regional Mexican music’s most popular genres.

The 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards marks the fourth time that Candela Ferro co-hosts the celebrated show. One of the most admired faces of Spanish-language television, with a career that spans over ten years, Candela currently presents the top-rated Telemundo primetime program “Decisiones”. The beautiful Argentine has also served as host of many other Telemundo specials including “Red carpet for 2002 Billboard Awards”; “Ritmo Latino Music Awards”; “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”, “Golden Globes 2002”, and the “2003 Miss Universe Pageant,” the latter three making history as Spanish-Language television premieres. It was her work as co-anchor for Telemundo’s “Ocurrio Asi” that helped open the doors to her success.