Bad Bunny’s 27 Nominations Signal a New Era for Latin Music
- lavozlatinatu
- Sep 29, 2025
- 3 min read
Mayra Coyoy
Word Count: 639
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes
Bad Bunny, El Conejo Malo, has been nominated to the Billboard Latin Music Awards with a staggering 27 nominations for this year’s awards.
The Puerto Rican star now holds the record for the most nominations ever held by a single artist in one year - dethroning Ozuna, who held a single-year nomination of 23 - reinforcing his spot as the face of a global Latin music movement.
His nominations span major categories, including Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Top Latin Album of the Year.
His work continues to combine and blur the lines between the genres of Spanish-language music, proving that the music is not only commercially viable but central to the mainstream market.
Beyond the Statistics
Bad Bunny’s influence, however, is not limited only to his impressive streaming numbers or chart placements.
According to Chartmasters, his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti has over 20.58 billion streams on Spotify marking it the most streamed album on the platform.
His recent world tour is marked to break records across Latin America, Europe and Australia, thanks to the massive demand for tickets. What was once a 24-date tour has now developed to a 54-show run across 18 countries.
Moreover, he has reached the advocacy scene with a storm. On his most recent album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, many describe his album as an act of political resistance, touching themes including the loss of cultural identity.
“LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAII” (What happened in Hawaii), is a song that firmly expresses his stance against the colonial relationship between the island through gentrification.
“TURISTA” (Tourist), as the title may give away, touches on the issues with tourists. Many only come for brief periods of time without acknowledging the history and issues surrounding Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny’s album comes as an act of resistance where at a time Latine communities continue to face silence and erasure in both political and cultural spaces. He recently chose to omit touring the US out of fear ICE could raid his shows.
The album insists on not overlooking the struggles and broader experiences between Puerto Rico and Latin America.
It is proof that not only is Latin music thriving, but speaking, remembering, and actively resisting. They are recognition of a body of work that carries with it the histories, wounds, and hopes of Latines.
Redefining Latin Music in the World
The record nominations are more than just personal achievements; it is part of a larger cultural movement.
Historically, Latin crossover has been part of the American mainstream for a while. Artists such as Pitbull, Ricky Martin, or Shakira have taken space on the popular music landscape.
However, this came with a compromise: language. Music in the Spanish-language was solely popular for Latin American countries, and a “flop” in English-native countries.
Up until 2017, this language barrier was an unspoken condition between Latin artists and the American audience.
Yet, Bad Bunny was able to reach a level of popularity in predominantly English language countries without having to compromise his identity nor language.
“Benito has proven that he’s the strongest, creatively, when he anchors himself to the island, and if DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is to be believed, home is where he’s insistent on staying” said Anamaria Sayre for NPR news.
What Comes Next
The Billboard Latin Music Awards is set to happen on October 23, 2025, in Miami, Florida, airing on Telemundo and Peacock.
With key nominees, like Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, and many more, El Conejo Malo could possibly have his final haul set records on its own.
But whether he goes big or not, his historical nominations mark an unprecedented record for the Latin American music industry. He represents how an artist's vision can reshape not only a generation but the genre as we now know it.
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