'Despacito' Honored With RIAA Diamond Award for More Than 10 Million Streams and Sales
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Universal
Avery Lipman, Sir Lucian Grainge, Luis Fonsi, Cary Sherman and Jesus Lopez attend Sir Lucian Grainge's 2018 Artist Showcase presented by Citi with support from Remy Martin on Jan. 27, 2018 in New York City.
On the eve of the Grammys, with nominations for both song and record of the year, "Despacito" -- the smash hit by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, and its remix featuring Justin Bieber -- got a different sort of award.
The track and remix were officially certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which translates to 10 million or more sales and streams in the United States.
The accomplishment makes “Despacito” one of only 18 songs to achieve diamond status, and the first Latin song to ever do so.
Fonsi, who is signed to Universal Music Latino/Republic, received his RIAA recognition during Grammy week at a ceremony with Avery Lipman, Sir Lucian Grainge, Jesus Lopez and the RIAA’s Cary Sherman.