La India chatted with Billboard’s Ingrid Fajardo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Alejandra Guzman chatted with Billboard’s Ingrid Fajardo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Manuel Alejandro received the Visionary Award at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 ceremony. At 92 years old, the Spanish musician, arranger, and producer was recognized on Thursday (Feb. 20) for his six-decade career, during which he has written more than 500 songs and worked with iconic romantic crooners including José José, Rocío Jurado, and Julio Iglesias, among many others.
The artist was recognized with an elegant and moving presentation in which Alejandro Sanz, Niña Pastori, Carín León and Laura Pausini, with Edgar Barrera on the piano and an orchestra, performed his classics “Procuro Olvidarte,” “Qué Sabe Nadie,” “Dueño de Nada” and “Mi Amante Amigo,” respectively, before joining their voiced for “Como Yo Te Amo.”
“For me this is a great celebration, because since I started in America so many years ago, this beautiful America, I realized that the strength of yours, of its people, ended when they heard a love song,” said Manuel Alejandro, hoarse but beaming with joy. “So, the only thing I did my whole life was delve deep, listen to your vibrations, your deepest feelings, and write them down verbatim. Nothing more.”
Born in Jerez de la Frontera–Cádiz in 1932, Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (his real name) has music in his blood, as his father was renowned composer Germán Álvarez Beigbeder.
In the 1970s, he achieved success as the author of the most emblematic songs for Raphael: “Yo Soy Aquel,” “Cuando Tú No Estás,” and “Cierro Mis Ojos,” to name a few. He continued to write great hits that decade for voices like Libertad Lamarque, Pedro Vargas, Julio Iglesias, Rocío Jurado, “El Puma” José Luis Rodríguez, and more. In the 80s and 90s, he also wrote and produced for stars such as Emmanuel, José José, Isabel Pantoja, and Plácido Domingo.
“I share this award with magnificent songwriters such as this boy here, Edgar Barrera, who a few days ago receiving a Grammy mentioned me as a role model,” he added. “I also share it with those composers that you all know, like Roberto Cantoral or Armando Manzanero, who accompanied me along the way to get here.”
Other two artists received special awards this year: La India, who was honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro Lifetime Achievement Award, and Alejandro Fernández with the Premio Lo Nuestro Excellence Award.
Broadcasting live from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. Becky G & Carin León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine nods each; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, with eight nominations each.
This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.
Stranger Things star Joe Keery and his Djo project have taken on Haim’s “Gasoline” during his recent visit to Australia.
The performance took place as part of an appearance on Like a Version, the long-running covers segment from Australian radio station triple j. Keery was in the country over the past few weeks performing as part of the long-running Laneway Festival, which featured Charli XCX, Clairo, and Beabadoobee atop the bill.
The two-song session was launched with a rendition of Djo’s original track “Basic Being Basic,” which was issued in late January as the lead single from his upcoming third album, The Crux. For the customary cover, the focus was then shifted to Haim’s “Gasoline,” originally featured on their 2020 album, Women in Music Pt. III, and hit No. 30 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart,
“Love that album, I think they’re such great artists,” Keery said of the original in a post-performance interview. “I love that they’re sisters and they’re making music together. I’ve got a big family, and the other song that we played, ‘Basic’, my sisters are singing on that. So I thought it’d be sort of cool to pay homage to them for that reason.”
“It was a fun experience to me, and I hope they like it,” he added. “Shout out to them. I hope they’re making new music soon because we deserve another album from them. We’re overdue.”
Currently, Women in Music Pt. III serves as Haim’s most recent record, though the familial trio provided a video update in 2023 to reveal they were working on their fourth album. That same year also saw the release of “Home”, which was included on the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
This isn’t the first time Djo’s music has been the focus of the Like a Version studio, either. In May 2024, Canadian quartet The Beaches covered “End of Beginning” for their own appearance on the segment. Originally released on the 2022 album Decide, the track gained traction in 2024, resulting in both a peak of No. 11 on the Hot 100, and a top rock song nomination at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
“To see that was really kind of a cool and a crazy experience,” Keery reflected. “I’ve never met them, but they did such a cool cover and to hear someone else’s interpretation of a song that I wrote was a really unique experience and something I’ll always remember.”
Having first launched in 2004, the Like a Version series has gone from being a near-impromptu acoustic affair to featuring larger studio productions. Numerous artists have taken part over the past two decades, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, and more reinventing classic tracks in the process.
HA*ASH chatted with Billboard’s Ingrid Fajardo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Chimbala chatted with Billboard’s Leila Cobo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Pedro Capó chatted with Billboard’s Leila Cobo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Leonardo Aguilar chatted with Billboard’s Leila Cobo & Jessica Roiz on the red carpet of Premio Lo Nuestro 2025.
Alejandro Fernández was honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro a la Excelencia (Excellence Award) during the 2025 ceremony held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, a tribute that celebrated his expansive and influential career across various genres of Mexican music
His children Camila and Alex Fernández warmly introduced the Mexican legend, commending his ability to captivate hearts with a voice that has gracefully transcended genres — from ranchera to Latin pop, and romantic ballads to mariachi — over the course of more than three decades.
Dressed in traditional, elegant mariachi attire complete with a striking sombrero, Alejandro Fernández demonstrated the enduring appeal of Mexican musical heritage.
The medley of rancheras performed by Fernández, a tribute to his late, legendary father Chente, began with “Un Millón de Primaveras,” transitioned smoothly into the polka-driven “La Ley del Monte,” and culminated with the mariachi-fusion hit “Estos Celos.” The performance was a display of his vocal prowess and a vivid reminder of his contribution to elevating Mexican music on the global stage. During his performance, a candid shot captured Pepe Aguilar enthusiastically bobbing his head, visibly moved by the rendition.
The prestigious award was presented by Carín León, who handed the trophy to Alejandro Fernández amid cheers. In his acceptance speech, Alejandro expressed:
“This is an accolade that I deeply appreciate as it reflects the effort and perseverance put into my career. First and foremost, I thank my father, who I’m sure is throwing a party up there and would be immensely proud of this recognition. I also thank my mother, my children who are here today, my granddaughters, and my entire family. To Carlos, my lifelong companion, to my team from management, Alex, Jason, Octavio, and to Universal Music, my president Jesús López, Univision, and most importantly, to all my fans who have always supported me and shared my love for Mexican music.”
The 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro, with the theme “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), brought together a celebration of Latin music’s past, present, and future. Hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza, the night was filled with memorable performances and accolades.
Natti Natasha commanded the stage at Premio Lo Nuestro with a captivating performance, where she gave a masterclass in bachata.
Wearing a backless black dress with a high slit, the Dominican star performed “Desde Hoy,” the gorgeous song that opens her new album Natti Natasha en Amargue. The set is entirely produced and penned by the King of Bachata himself, Romeo Santos. Natti began the performance serenading the couple next to her who danced bachata. She later showed off her own dance moves with her dancing partner.
During Billboard‘s red carpet livestream, Natti — a six-time nominee tonight — spoke about working with Romeo Santos for the LP. “He’s going to be watching the show tonight,” she said. “And I hope he and the Romeistas feels proud. I also hope my country, my flag and Latin America feels proud. Everyone has supported bachata and today we will be bachateando.”
Broadcasting live on Thursday (Feb. 20) from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. Becky G & Carin León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine nods each; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, with eight nominations each.
La India, Alejandro Fernández and Manuel Alejandro are being honored with special awards. This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.
