The old mingled with the new last night (May 8) at the 2003 Billboard Latin Music awards. Veteran Puerto Rican singer Chayanne and rising Mexican star Pilar Montenegro were the big winners, each taking home three honors. Chayanne, Montenegro, A.B. Quintanilla and the Kumbia Kings, Alexandre Pires, and Ricky Martin performed at the awards show, which took place at the Miami Arena and will air Sunday on the Telemundo network.
Chayanne won Hot Latin Track of the Year with “Y Tu Te Vas.” The song, which Chayanne describes as a “rock ballad” — different from his usual pop fare — was penned by Franco de Vita. It also earned Chayanne an award for Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year, Male.
Chayanne’s career retrospective, “Grandes Exitos” (Sony Discos), beat Shakira, Vicente Fernandez, and Selena to the Latin Greatest Hits Album of the Year title. Chayanne said of the collection: “There were songs that had a lot of meaning and others that were huge hits.”
For Chayanne, it is the latest armful of awards in a career that has seen many honors. For Univision artist Montenegro, the evening brought her first Billboard honors, all for “Quitame Ese Hombre.” The track, by Jorge Luis Piloto, was originally recorded more than a decade ago by Puerto Rican singer Yolandita Monge.
Montenegro’s update of “Quitame Ese Hombre” was honored as Latin Pop and Regional Mexican Airplay Track of the Year, Female, and Regional Mexican Airplay Track of the Year, New Artist. “I was able to do a crossover within Latin music,” a proud Montenegro said of her success in two genres.
This year’s edition included special award presentations to Mexican composer/singer Armando Manzanero and Panamanian rapper El General. 
Manzanero, perhaps the most cherished living composer of romantic Latin music, was honored with the Billboard Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to Latin music. El General received the Spirit of Hope Award for his work with Ninos Pobres Sin Fronteras (Poor Children With No Borders), the Panama-based foundation he created and supports. The foundation pays for education for the poor, among other things.
Regional Mexican act Los Temerarios won two awards, including Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year. Also taking home two awards were regional Mexican artist Lupillo Rivera, tropical acts Monchy & Alexandra and Brenda K. Starr, rock band Mana, and pop acts Sin Bandera and Las Ketchup.
Pires won the Hot Latin Tracks Artist of the Year award. He performed the night before the awards show at the first Billboard Bash at Billboard Live. Awards at the Billboard Bash were given to songwriter of the year Estefano and producer of the year Rudy Perez, as well as to EMI Music Publishing, which was named top publishing corporation.
Awards were also given, for the first time, for label of the year in various genres. Sony Discos led the way as the top label on six Billboard charts: Hot Latin Tracks, Top Latin Albums, Latin Pop Airplay, Tropical/Salsa Airplay, Latin Pop Albums, and Tropical/Salsa Albums.
Except for the two special honors, the awards were based on sales and airplay measured by Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, respectively, reflected in the Billboard charts for the issues dated Feb. 16, 2002, through Feb. 8, 2003.
Click here to view the full list of 2003 Billboard Latin Music Awards winners.
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