For this year’s Billboard Mexican Music Awards, the eligibility year for labels and publishing companies ran from Aug. 27, 2011, until Aug. 18, 2012-a time period when regional Mexican music has continued to be a vibrant genre in the United States. Finalists are chosen based on their performance during the period on Billboard’s regional Mexican charts.
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Four labels are finalists in the sales-driven category of albums record of the year, while another four are part of this year’s distinguished pool for airplay record label of the year.
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The publishers with the strongest market presence in the genre are Arpa Music (BMI), Del Melodies (BMI), Ferca (SESAC) and Serca Music (BMI), each honored as finalists.
The albums record label of the year finalists are Freddie, M&G Sound, Sony Music Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment.
UMLE’s impressive reach in the U.S. market continues with a deep roster of talent charting during the eligibility year. Among those UMLE acts are Espinoza Paz, Marco Antonio Solas, Jenni Rivera and DJ collective 3BallMTY, which comprises three young artists: Erick Rincon, 19; Alberto “DJ Otto” Presenda, 19; and Sergio “DJ Sheeqo Beat” Zavala, 20.
Sony Music Latin has also been a major frontrunner with the continued success of regional Mexican singer/songwriter Gerardo Ortiz, who is a finalist with 11 nods in 10 categories in addition to competing with himself for banda album of the year.
Ortiz, who last year was the top winner at the first Billboard Mexican Music Awards, also helps Sony secure a place as a label finalist thanks to his album “Entre Dios y el Diablo” (“Between God and the Devil”). His song “Amor Confuso” is up for song of the year and norteno song of the year. Sony’s strong portfolio also includes artists like the iconic Vicente Fernandez.
One of the two indies up for albums record label of the year, Freddie, has penetrated the market with such acts as Siggno, Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos del Norte, Solido and Elida Reyna y Avante. M&G, the other indie finalist, has earned recognition for a roster that includes DJ Cobra, Nikki X & Kike Play, El Pelon del Mikrophone & DJ Morphius, and the compilation Las Mas Picudas del Tribal.
Finalists for airplay record label of the year are Good I, Sony Music Latin, UMLE and Venemusic.
Awards are also handed out in the categories of albums imprint of the year and airplay imprint of the year. The four imprints that are finalists in both categories are Del, Disa, Fonovisa and Sony Music Latin.