From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

RIAA Honors Selena Quintanilla

The tejano superstar was honored with an RIAA Lifetime Achievement plaque in recognition of 17 million certified units across her career, including 62x Platino Dreaming of You — marking the highest certified Latin album. The honor was presented at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on April 21, “paying tribute to the enduring impact of her music and cultural legacy,” according to a press release.

“The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) believes music can change lives, connecting generations and unifying those who speak different languages through shared emotion,” RIAA svp, state public policy & Latin music Rafael Fernandez Jr. said in a statement. “We have seen this as Latin Music in the US gains popularity as the fast-growing genre and through Selena’s legacy.This special moment with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ahead of Dia del Niño (International Day of the Child) reminds us of Selena’s passion for bettering the lives of children and encourages each of us to make an impact wherever we can.”

Jimmy Humilde Goes to Harvard

The founder and CEO of powerhouse indie label Rancho Humilde was the keynote speaker for the event Into the Music, which took place at Harvard University last week. Organized by Harvard-Radcliffe Raza and NEON16, the West Coast-based executive shared his vision regarding Mexican music, Chicano identity, and the role of the Latin community in the United States.

“I didn’t go to college, but I totally understand the crucial role that academia fulfills in our society,” Humilde said during his speech, according to a press release. “As Latinos, we all have a responsibility in the fight for the recognition of our roots, our traditions, and our culture. It’s critical that more young people in our community access quality education at universities such as Harvard. That not only opens doors on an individual level, but it also makes us stronger as a community.”

Ivy Queen Teams Up With Wendy’s

Ivy Queen’s trailblazing trajectory in the industry has recently inspired Wendy’s latest campaign in Puerto Rico, which seeks to inspire authenticity. The reggaetón icon is the new voice of Wendy’s Presents the Breakfast Baconator with next-level ‘flow.’

“Ivy Queen represents a milestone in the world of urban music,” Wendy’s chief marketing officer Lizmarie Medina said in a statement. “She’s the undisputed ‘Queen’ who paved the way for other women and is recognized for her impact and legacy in the genre, for being ‘real,’ daring, and authentic, similar to what we do at Wendy’s. We break molds and make bold decisions in the face of industry challenges.”

Check out the commercial in Spanish here.

Noel Schajris at Barnes & Noble

As of May 2, Noel Schajris’ recordings will be available exclusively at Barnes & Noble throughout the U.S., including vinyl and collector’s CDs. According to a press release, the Argentine singer-songwriter becomes the first artist with an independent label to have national distribution at the bookseller.

“For me it is an immense honor to be able to present my album work alongside a brand like Barnes & Noble,” Schajris said in a statement. “To be able to bring these albums to those fans who love the physical product, the art, the booklets, the smell of the paper… that’s priceless. It’s a way to keep the essence of music alive as a tangible experience.”

2025 Latin Women in Music is a Wrap

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music took place Thursday (April 24) where Anitta, Belinda, Celia Cruz, Chiquis, Ha*Ash, Natti Natasha, Olga Tañón and Selena Gomez were honored for their groundbreaking careers and contributions to Latin music.

Watch the pink carpet livestream here and check out all things 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music here.

Ella Langley received her first Academy of Country Music Award, for new female artist of the year, on Friday afternoon (April 25). While onstage for her set at Rock the Country in Knoxville, Tennessee, Langley received the news via a congratulatory video from Miranda Lambert, the winningest artist in ACM history.

It was hardly a surprise because Langley was the most-nominated artist for the upcoming 60th ACM Awards, with eight nods. None of the other nominees for new female artist of the year – Kassi Ashton, Ashley Cooke, Dasha and Jessie Murph – had more than that one nomination.

“I’m here to tell you how proud I am of you for being the top nominated artist for the Academy of Country Music Awards this year,” Lambert said in the video. “You are my friend, first and foremost, a fellow dog rescue advocate, you are a co-writer, you are my soul sister in country music and a partner in crime. We are gonna celebrate so big in Dallas, Texas! They ain’t even ready!”

Lambert won in that same category in 2007 – one year after Carrie Underwood took the prize, and one year before Taylor Swift did. (A pretty good run, there.)

This was the second nomination in the new female artist of the year category for both Ashton and Cooke, which means they cannot be nominated in the category again. Dasha and Murph can be, due to the generous policy at both the ACM and CMA Awards whereby new artists can be nominated twice in the category.

Langley, 25, is also nominated for female artist of the year and in four categories for “you look like you love me,” her breakthrough hit featuring Riley Green. The sexy duet is nominated for single of the year, song of the year, music event of the year and visual media of the year. Langley is nominated as both artist and songwriter in the song of the year category and as both artist and director in visual media of the year.

“you look like you love me” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, No. 7 on Hot Country Songs and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Langley co-wrote all of the songs on her debut album, hungover, which reached No. 11 on Top Country Albums and No. 49 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Zach Top was presented with the award for new male artist of the year on Thursday. The ACM has yet to present the award for new duo or group of the year. The nominees are Restless Road, The Red Clay Strays and Treaty Oak Revival.

Langley will be celebrated for her win at the 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire. The show will stream live for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on SeatGeek.

The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

Over a month since ZZ Top announced drummer Frank Beard would be sitting out a number of tour dates over an unspecified “health issue,” it’s been confirmed that his absence will now extend to the band’s forthcoming Australian tour.

In a statement issued on Thursday (April 24), promoters Live Nation explained that Beard will not be joining his bandmates on the forthcoming trek, “as recommended by medical personnel.”

The Texas trio revealed on March 15 that Beard would be absent from the group’s current Elevation tour due to the need to undergo an unspecified health procedure. “Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term,” a social media post from the band read.

“Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim.”

Douglas has long maintained a close relationship with both Beard and his bandmates, having previously sat in for the drummer during a Paris performance in October 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

“Beard’s continued physical therapy has shown to be very effective in dealing with the issue that caused him to leave the recent US leg of the tour,” Live Nation’s statement continued. “While cheered by the positive news, band and management believe that his total recovery must be priority #1. 

“Beard’s attending physicians have suggested more physical therapy over a longer period would potentially achieve better and longer lasting results, and this will now be his focus.”

Beard has been the drummer of ZZ Top since 1969, when he took over from co-founder Dan Mitchell. Alongside vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons, Mitchell and bassist Lanier Greig had founded the band that same year. 

Following Grieg’s replacement by Billy Ethridge, Dusty Hill assumed the role of bassist in 1970, with their lineup remaining unchanged for 51 years until Hill’s death at 72 in 2021. Elwood Francis has since served as the group’s bassist.

The group will embark upon their first Australian tour since 2013 on Saturday, April 26th. The ten-date tour will conclude in mid-May, with a handful of New Zealand tour dates to be followed by an additional North American trek in June. The band’s 51-date trek will run through until October.

The Super Slimey duo has reunited. Young Thug is back with his first single since being released from jail in October as the Future-assisted “Money on Money” arrived on Friday (April 25).

“Money on Money” is slated to appear on Thugger’s upcoming UY SCUTI album, which has a rumored release date of May 9 and marks exactly three years since Thug and 27 others were indicted and taken into custody on RICO charges.

Young Thug made “Money on Money” official with a brief 10-second clip posted to X on Thursday (April 24) that finds the YSL logo surrounded by a circle of flames.

pic.twitter.com/wWDGE2muEs

— Young Thug ひ (@youngthug) April 24, 2025

Prior to “Money on Money” hitting streaming services, Thug has laid low for much of the first four months of 2025 outside of appearing on Lil Baby’s “Dum, Dumb, and Dumber” with Future.

Future and Thug have an extensive collaborative history as two of the rap titans calling Atlanta home. They previously joined forces for the Super Slimey joint album in 2017, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Other standout collabs from their catalogs include “Relationship,” Gunna’s “Pushin P,” Drake’s “Way Too Sexy” and “Sup Mate.”

After serving more than two years behind bars as part of the longest-running trial in Georgia’s history, Thug secured his freedom when he was released after reaching a plea deal on Halloween that saw the rapper sentenced to 15 years of probation.

Earlier in April, Thug announced UY SCUTI on X and launched the album’s official online shop equipped with vinyl records, CDs and merch bundles.

“It’s Time. Red Planet,” he wrote alongside the link to the UY SCUTI store. According to Nine Planets, Uy Scuti is a supergiant red star that’s located in the constellation named Scutum.

Stream “Money on Money” below.