All the Special Awards Honorees at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards will honor some of Latin music’s biggest stars with special recognitions during the ceremony, which will broadcast Oct. 20 on Telemundo.

As previously announced, regional Mexican star Pepe Aguilar will receive the Hall of Fame Award, joining past recipients like Joan Sebastian, Marc Anthony and Vicente Fernández. Colombian hitmaker J Balvin will be honored with the Spirit of Hope Award, which was created more than 20 yeas ago in honor of Selena Quintanilla. Meanwhile, Spanish icon Alejandro Sanz will be bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award, which in the past has been awarded to acts like Los Temerarios, Ricardo Arjona and Los Ángeles Azules.

Days before receiving their special awards, all three artists will also speak at the 35th annual Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 14-18 in Miami. Aguilar, Balvin and Sanz will participate in their respective Icon Q&As where they’ll sit with Billboard‘s Leila Cobo for a one-on-one conversation. (Check the weeklong event’s full schedule here.)

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast Sunday, Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on Telemundo, and simultaneously on the Telemundo App, Peacock, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional. Karol G leads the list of finalists with 17 nods in categories including artist of the year, tour of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and top Latin album of the year for Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). See the complete list here.

Below, the three artists who will be honored with special awards at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards:

Pepe Aguilar

Recognition: Hall of Fame Award 

Past Recipients: José José, Vicente Fernández, Rocío Dúrcal, Marco Antonio Solís, Joan Sebastian, Marc Anthony, Franco de Vita, and Alejandro Fernández, to name a few.

“Receiving the Billboard Hall of Fame Award is an incredible honor, and it reminds me of the importance of continually evolving as an artist,” Aguilar says. “After 35 years in this industry, I feel just as passionate and driven as I did on day one. It’s exciting to see how música Mexicana is growing and evolving, and I’m proud to be part of that movement. What’s even more special is being able to connect with a new generation of fans while staying true to my roots. I’ve reinvented myself time and time again, and as music continues to evolve, I’m ready to keep pushing boundaries and creating something new.”

J Balvin

Recognition: Spirit of Hope Award

Past recipients: Carlos Santana, Carlos Vives, Daddy Yankee, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Karol G, Los Tigres del Norte, Maná, Ricky Martin and Shakira, among others.

“I’m so grateful, and so honored, to be recognized with such a special award,” the Colombian hitmaker says in a press statement. “It’s important for me, as the artist I am today and that little kid with dreams I once was before – and still [am] to this day – to be able to support and guide the next generation into realities of their own. I am proud to be able to help the youth and new wave discover their passions through the Vibra en Alta Foundation and help turn those very dreams into realities.” 

Alejandro Sanz

Recognition: Lifetime Achievement Award 

Past recipients: Los Ángeles Azules, Los Temerarios, Miguel Bosé and Ricardo Arjona, and others.

“I’m very happy to return to the Billboard Latin Music Awards, it’s certainly special,” Sanz expresses in a statement. “I am deeply grateful for this recognition from Billboard, and I love that it takes place in Miami. It’s fantastic to be home.”