A Daddy Salute and Early Winners at the Latin Grammys

Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud, J Balvin and LL COOL J present Daddy Yankee with the Person of the Year award.

It’s been a wild 24 hours for reggaeton GOAT Daddy Yankee.

One night after his name was announced as a special guest at April’s Coachella festival, the Latin Recording Academy gathered to honor him at this year’s Person of the Year gala.

Yankee became the Academy’s first urban artist to receive the POTY, bestowed on Wednesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Urbano heavyweights J Balvin, Feid, Ryan Castro and Farruko were among the artists to perform tributes, alongside surprise appearances from actor-singer Anthony Ramos, salsa legends Oscar D’León and Tito Nieves, hip-hop trailblazers The Sugarhill Gang and pioneering drummer Sheila E. LL Cool J was there to help narrate the story of Yankee’s journey from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the top of the charts.

Yankee celebrated the evening next to his mother and son Jeremy Ayala González, who served as the executive producer on his new album LA POSTAL (SoundOn).

27th Latin Grammy Premiere Ceremony Winners (updating)

Best Tejano Album
Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya y Una Mía (Vol.2/En Vivo), Bobby Pulido
(Universal Music Mexico/FONO)

Best Pop Song
“La Perla,” Noah Goldstein, David Rodríguez, ROSALÍA, Ryan Tedder & Dylan Wiggins, songwriters (ROSALÍA f/Yahritza y Su Esencia)
(Columbia)

Best Pop/Rock Song
“Hasta Jesús Tuvo Un Mal Día,” Rafa Arcaute, Renee Barri, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Vicente Jimenez, Martin Kierszenbaum, John Ryan, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner & Federico Vindver, songwriters (CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso f/Sting)
(5020 Records/RCA)

Best Singer-Songwriter Song
“Dime,” Silvana Estrada, songwriter (Silvana Estrada)
(Glassnote)

Best Regional Song
“No Capea,” Edgar Barrera, Iván Gámez, Fabio Iván Gutierrez Ramírez, Joshua Xavier Gutierrez, Luis Mexia & Adelaido “Payo” Solís III, songwriters (Xavi, Grupo Frontera)
(Interscope)

Best Singer-Songwriter Album
Taracá, Jorge Drexler
(Sony Music Spain)

Best Rock Song
“Ego,” Anton Curtis Delost, Mónica Vélez Domínguez, Niko Rubio, Alejandra Villarreal, Daniela Villarreal & Paulina Villarreal, songwriters (The Warning)
(Republic/UMLE)

Best Rock Album
Shine, Fito Páez
(Sony Music Spain)

Best Reggaeton Performance
“Verano Rosa,” KAROL G f/Feid
(Bichota/Interscope)

Best Folk Album
La Vida Era Más Corta, Milo J
(Sony Latin)

Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album
El Último Disco Vol. 1, Carlos Vives
(Sony Latin)

Best Short Form Music Video
“Sauvignon Blanc (Official Video),” ROSALÍA; Noah Dillon, video director; Laura Elizabeth Seydel, video producer

Producer of the Year
Edgar Barrera

Songwriter of the Year
Sara Schell