Telemundo’s production and broadcast of the Billboard Latin Awards.

The star-studded red carpet kicked off an evening of Latin music celebration at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, thrilling viewers from coast to coast with a four-stage mega production that featured 12 top performances, and honored the most popular artists of today, during the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards broadcast live by Telemundo. Top honors went to Shakira and Alejandro Sanz, taking home five and four Billboard Awards respectively, as well as Daddy Yankee, Juanes, and Andy Andy, recipients of three awards each.

The show opened with an explosive presentation by Daddy Yankee, who thrilled the audience with a high-energy water show display that featured video projections out of the water, as he made his way from a barge into a hover craft that took him through the streets of Seminole Hard Rock and into the stage, going straight to his performance of “Rompe.” Shakira’s electrical performance with Wyclef Jean, which was accompanied by the traditional Ballet Folklorico of Barranquilla, featured a Spanish version of their new hit “Hips Don’t Lie.” The Colombian artist was also surprised and deeply touched by the show’s producers, who brought four children from her Pies Descalzos’ Foundation in Colombia to personally hand her the Spirit of Hope Award. Paying homage to the current immigrant situation, Luis Fonsi, Ricardo Montaner and pianist Arthur Hanlon performed “No me llames extranjero” (Don’t call me a foreigner), a song by renowned singer and composer Facundo Cabral, which featured an interlude by Mexican actor Hector Suarez. The evening ended with back-to-back performances by Tito “El Bambino,” Angel y Khriz, and Wisin & Yandel with Aventura, with a number that celebrated the evolution of reggaeton, the Latin music genre that has taken the country by storm.

Shakira won Latin Pop Album of the Year, Female for “Fijacion Oral Vol. 1,” and Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Duet, Hot Latin Song of the Year, and Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year, Duo or Group for “La Tortura.” Alejandro Sanz received awards in the categories of Hot Latin Song of the Year, Vocal Duet, Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year, Duo or Group, and Hot Latin Song of the Year for “La Tortura.” In addition, both artists also received a Billboard award in the new category of Latin Ringtone of the Year for “La Tortura.”

Snatching three Latin Billboard Awards each were Daddy Yankee, Juanes and Andy Andy. Daddy Yankee won Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Reggaeton Album of the Year for “Barrio Fino: En Directo,” and was also honored along with Baby Ranks, Tonny Tun Tun, Wisin y Yandel and Hector “El Father” in the new category Reggaeton Song of the Year for “Mayor Que Yo.” Juanes was winner of Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year; Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year, Male for “La Camisa Negra,” and Songwriter of the Year; and Andy Andy, was a recipient in the categories of Tropical Airplay Song of the Year, Male for “Que Ironia,” Tropical Album of the Year, Male and Tropical Album of the Year, New Artist for “Ironia.

Special Billboard awards were also presented to legendary Mexican singer/songwriter Joan Sebastian with the Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to Latin music, and Colombian pop superstar Shakira, who received the Spirit of Hope Award for her charitable work through her Fundacion Pies Descalzos (Barefeet Foundation). In addition, RBD was the recipient of Telemundo’s Viewer’s Choice award, which is based on fan’s votes.

The star-studded event was hosted by Regional Mexican superstar Lupillo Rivera and renowned Spanish television personality Candela Ferro. A star-studded lineup of presenters included: Spanish singer and composer Alejandro Sanz, renowned Puerto Rican artist Olga Tanon, salsa star Victor Manuelle, pop singer and actress Pilar Montenegro, tropical artist Giselle, banda music artist Jenni Rivera, duranguense music star Diana Reyes, Mexican group Belanova, from Horoscopos de Durango, Vicky and Marisol Terraza, Mexican actor and star of the upcoming Disney film “Goal! The Dream Begins” Kuno Becker, and radio personality El Cucuy.

Joining them to present awards were Telemundo soap opera actors and television personalities including: Gabriela Spanic, Francisco Gattorno, Catherine Siachoque, and Hector Suarez from “Tierra de Pasiones,” Danna Garcia from “Corazon Partido,” Maria Celeste Arraras “Al Rojo Vivo;” Maria Antonieta Collins “Cada Dia,” Ana Maria Polo “Caso Cerrado,” Penelope Menchaca “12 Corazones,” Andres Cantor, “Deportes Telemundo,” actors Miguel Varoni, Erick Elias, and Mauricio Ochmann, and mun2 television personalities including Ellie del Pino “18 & Over” and Yasmin Deliz “Vivo”.

Those who missed the spectacular show, or anyone wanting more, can visist www.telemundo.com or tune in to Telemundo’s “Reventon Billboard VIP” on Sunday, April 2006 at 8PM/7c, or mun2 television’s “Premios Billboard All Access” on Saturday, May 6 at 10PM/9c to enjoy highlights and behind-the-scenes exclusive footage of the week-long festivities and exclusive interviews.

Hosted by Mauricio Zeilic and Luisa Fernanda Lozano, “Reventon Billboard VIP,” is a one-hour special that highlights the week-long celebration surrounding the coveted event, from the moment the stars stepped off the planes to the parties, cocktails and rehearsals that followed, to the latest looks at the red carpet, show highlights and VIP tickets to the after party.

“Premios Billboard All Access,” a one-hour special hosted by Yasmin Deliz (“Vivo”) with special reports by Ellie (“18&Over”), will bring to the screen everything the viewer was not able to see during the awards, including performance highlights from the mun2 stage located at the red carpet, featuring Calle 13, Alexis y Fido, Belanova and Jeremias, behind-the-scenes interviews with artists, images from rehearsals, and a recap of Latin music’s biggest night.
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 12, 2005 through this year’s February 4 issue.

Hard Rock Live, a state-of-the-art 5,500 capacity entertainment venue, showcases the hottest national acts, world championship boxing and more. It’s located at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, South Florida’s leading entertainment destination, featuring 50 live action poker tables and 2,100 of the most popular gaming machines on the casino floor. To date, more than five million guests have visited the resort. For the second year in a row, the American Automobile Association (AAA) renewed its prestigious Four Diamond rating to this 500-room hotel offering several restaurants and lounges, a 16,000 sq. ft. Grand ballroom, a full-service, European-style spa and an adjacent complex of 22 retail shops, 17 restaurants and 11 nightclubs in Seminole Paradise.

Now in its 111th year, Billboard is the world’s premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events and brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. Billboard is the flagship property for the Billboard Information Group, which also consists of Billboard.biz, Billboard.com, Billboard Chart Alert, Billboard Information Network (BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Books, Billboard Licensing & Events and Billboard Radio Monitor. Billboard’s many strategic partners include Fox-TV, Microsoft, mForma, Reuters, Sirius Satellite Radio, Telemundo, Univision Radio, ABC Radio Networks, Azteca America and Billboard sister companies Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. These partnerships leverage Billboard’s proprietary data, charts and information resources to develop broadcast entertainment, digital and mobile platforms and contextual commerce applications that expand Billboard’s franchise and consumer reach.