Brimming with projects throughout the eligibility year that put them on top of their game, the four major labels have a substantial presence among the finalists for the Billboard Latin Music Awards. But the independents, too, hold their own with hits that give them a share of nods for this year’s awards.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards, presented by State Farm, are determined by sales and radio airplay data as reported on Billboard’s weekly charts during the one-year eligibility period from the issue dated Feb. 6, 2010, through the Jan. 29, 2011, issue.
The finalists for the hot Latin songs label of the year are Disa, Fonovisa, Universal Music Latino and Sony Music Latin. The honors are based on success on the Hot Latin Songs chart, with each label credited for projects and bands that have garnered chart-topping airplay.
Disa is home to La Arrolladora Banda el Limon’s “Dime Que Me Quieres,” while Fonovisa’s hits include music from Banda el Recodo. Universal Music Latino released Enrique Iglesias’ “Cuando Me Enamoro,” featuring Juan Luis Guerra. The song spent 17 weeks at No. 1, the longest-running streak during the eligibility period on Hot Latin Songs. Sony Music Latin earned its recognition with the success of Shakira and others.
Up for honors as the top Latin albums label of the year are Capitol Latin, Sony Music Latin, Universal Music Latin Entertainment (UMLE) and Warner Latina.
Among the contenders for top Latin pop airplay label are Capitol Latin, which boasted Juan Luis Guerra’s “Bachata en Fukuoaka”; Warner Latina, which had six charting hits including Alejandro Sanz’s “Desde Cuando”; Sony Music Latin, which scored two hits with Camila on the Latin Pop Airplay chart; and Universal Music Latino, on the strength of Iglesias’ hot streak this past year.
The finalists for the Latin pop albums label of the year are Bullseye, Sony Music Latin, UMLE and Warner Latina.In the tropical genre, the airplay label of the year finalists are Premium Latin, Sony Music Latin, Top Stop and Universal Music Latino, while up for tropical albums label of the year are Capitol Latin, Popular, Sony Music Latin and UMLE.
Among the regional Mexican labels, the finalists for top airplay label of the year are ASL, Disa, Fonovisa and Musivisa. Up for top regional Mexican albums label of the year are Concord, Eagle Music, Sony Music Latin and UMLE.
In the Latin rhythm category, the contenders for airplay label of the year are Pina, Siente, Sony Music Latin and Universal Music Latino, while the finalists for Latin rhythm albums label of the year are Capitol Latin, Chosen Few Emerald, Sony Music Latin and UMLE.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards recognize publishers as well as record companies. Finalists for publisher of the year are Arpa Music (BMI), on the strength of regional Mexican hits including Espinoza Paz’s “Al Diablo lo Nuestro”; EMI Blackwood Music (ASCAP) for Don Omar’s “Danza Kuduro”; Premium Latin Publishing (ASCAP), which showed its reach through Aventura’s “El Malo”; and Sony/ATV Discos Music Publishing (ASCAP) for the success of Iglesias and Shakira. Arpa, EMI, Sony/ATV and Universal Music are finalists for top publishing corporation of the year.