Juanes Named 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year
Juanes, whose career broke out as a result of the Latin Grammys and who has won the award 23 times, will be the Latin Academy's 2019 Person of the Year as part of the organization's 20th anniversary.
Juanes, whose career broke out as a result of the Latin Grammys and who has won the award 23 times, will be the Latin Academy’s 2019 Person of the Year as part of the organization’s 20th anniversary.
Juanes, 46, will be honored for his artistry, support for rising artists and humanitarian and philanthropic efforts through his Mi Sangre Foundation, as well as the Paz Sin Fronteras (Peace Without Borders) project. He joins a roster of past Person of the Year honorees that includes Marc Anthony, Miguel Bosé, Vicente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan and last year, Maná. It also includes fellow Colombian Shakira, making Juanes the second Colombian to win the honor, and the third if one counts Miguel Bosé, who has honorary Colombian citizenship.
“I remember attending the Latin GRAMMY nominations announcement after my first solo album was released, and becoming so overcome with emotion from the shock of hearing my name called seven times, that I had to step outside for a moment to process how my life had just changed forever,” said Juanes in a statement. “I was blessed to win three awards that year, and The Latin Recording Academy has been a fundamental part of bringing my music to a global audience ever since.”
“Juanes is young, but legendary, an artist who has inspired us through his amazing music for many years and—while doing so—he vigorously campaigned for political, social, and positive change around the world,” said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy.
Juanes will be honored during the Person of the Year gala, with performances by artists and friends, Nov. 13, 2019, at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas, one day before the Nov. 14 Latin Grammys.
Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, which, among other things, funds scholarships for Latin music students around the world.
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