Ana Bárbara Sparkles at Premio Lo Nuestro 2024, Accepts Lifetime Achievement Award: Full Speech

Ana Bárbara stunned in a majestic mariachi baby blue outfit that sparkled gloriously — with a proper charro hat — on Thursday (Feb. 22) for her performance at the 36th annual Premio Lo Nuestro.

Flanked by a mariachi ensemble equipped with trumpets, violins, and a guitarrón, the Mexican superstar sang her heart out, singing back-to-back hits such as “No Es Brujería,” “Lo Busqué” briefly joined by Carin León, “Loca,” and “Me Asusta Pero Me Gusta.”

Impressively, Bárbara changed about four times: a baby pink cowgirl sparkly outfit, a vintage yellow ensemble with fringes, and one piece that sported a bull on her chest with horns. The star worked the dance floor like no other, even doing the splits at one point, along with her troupe of dancers amid the occasional pyrotechnics.

Following her energetic and visually stunning set, the regional Mexican music icon was awarded with the Premio La Trayectoria (Lifetime Achievement Award) by another legend in the genre, Pepe Aguilar, for her extraordinary trajectory and legacy.

Upon handing her the award, Aguilar said: “Ana, for three decades, you have carried high the traditions of our flag. Your voice became anthems and I am honored to say that you are part of my family…. For me it is an honor to present you with the award.”

Teary-eyed as the crowd chanted her name, Bárbara replied: “You left me speechless, a brother of life, thank you my Pepe. They are just as dear your family to me. In this blessed thank you for having us.”

She continued: “I remember the little girl fighting for her dreams until she became a woman, but above all a mother, the mother who has fought unreachably. Beautiful children for society, and that mother’s heart is the one who receives this blessed award of Premio Lo Nuestro. Thanks to the team, to my husband, to my Gero representing. Thank you for being here, this is for Mexican women, for Mexican music and Mexican women, may they continue to be bigger and stronger!

On Wednesday, Ana Bárbara shared insights with Billboard during rehearsals into her meticulous preparation for the anticipated performance. “We sat down as a team and asked ourselves what we wanted to share in terms of emotions, in terms of rhythm and songs,” she noted. “After thinking about it a lot, they chose one from each era that was written by different composers […] and came up with that cocktail of songs that will take us to different dimensions.”

Celebrating three decades of unparalleled influence in regional Mexican music and Latin pop, Bárbara’s journey is marked by hits a ton of hits that have earned her the title of La Reina Grupera (or the Queen of Grupero Music). Throughout her prolific career, that dates back since the mid ’90s, the San Luis Potosí native has not only captured hearts but also shaped the regional style, earning her a special place in Latin music history​.