Broadcast Music, Inc.’s annual BMI Latin Awards will return on March 19, 2026, with its invitation-only gala in Miami Beach, spotlighting the creators behind today’s most-performed Latin songs, and this year’s honorees underscore both legacy and innovation in the genre.
At the 2026 BMI Latin Awards, Grammy-recognized producer duo Luny Tunes will receive the BMI President’s Award, honoring their enduring influence on reggaetón’s sound and global reach. Venezuelan-American singer-songwriter Elena Rose will be presented with the BMI Impact Award in recognition of her creative footprint as a songwriter and crossover artist.
BMI describes the President’s Award as one of the organization’s highest honors, celebrating music creators whose contributions have shaped the Latin music landscape over decades. Meanwhile, the Impact Award highlights artists whose roles are reshaping contemporary music’s future.
Luny Tunes: Architects of Reggaetón’s Golden Era
The two-decade career of Francisco “Luny” Saldaña and Víctor “Tunes” Cabrera reads like a timeline of reggaetón’s rise from regional rhythm to global movement. Originally from the Dominican Republic and early fixtures in Puerto Rico’s burgeoning scene, Luny Tunes helped define the genre’s sound on projects such as Mas Flow, Mas Flow 2, and Los Benjamins. Their production credits include some of reggaetón’s most iconic tracks from Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to Wisin & Yandel’s anthems and they helped elevate figures who today anchor Latin urban music.
With more than 500 songs credited and numerous BMI Latin Awards, their legacy is not just in sales or streams but in the very DNA of the genre. As BMI puts it, they were “architects of reggaetón’s golden era and catalysts for its global rise.”
Elena Rose: From Behind the Scenes to Center Stage
Elena Rose’s trajectory reflects the evolving role of songwriters in Latin music’s mainstream ascent. Born in Miami with Venezuelan roots, she built her reputation penning hits for top artists including Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez, and Becky G before breaking out as a recording artist in her own right. Her songwriting versatility and vocal identity have made her a defining figure among the new generation of Latin creators.
The Impact Award acknowledges her dual impact: not just in crafting songs for others, but in asserting her voice as an artist shaping the genre’s stylistic evolution.
Beyond the Spotlight: Celebrating Latin Music’s Creative Ecosystem
While Luny Tunes and Elena Rose headline the honors, the BMI Latin Awards ceremony also recognizes the broader community of songwriters and publishers behind the most-performed Latin songs in the United States over the past year. Awards in categories such as Regional Mexican Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year, as well as Contemporary Latin counterparts, will be announced during the event.
This positions the BMI Latin Awards as a key industry barometer for songwriting and compositional success a space distinct from broadcast-centric shows like the Billboard Latin Music Awards or Latin Grammy Awards that focus on performers and releases. BMI’s focus on performance royalties and writing credits underscores the often-behind-the-scenes creators driving Latin music’s global appetite.
What This Signals for Latin Music in 2026
Recognizing a duo like Luny Tunes alongside an artist-writer such as Elena Rose speaks to Latin music’s dual currents: honoring reggaetón’s foundational architects while celebrating cross-genre, songwriter-driven innovation. In 2026, the genre continues to evolve not just in sound but in how its creators producers, writers, and composers are spotlighted alongside performers. BMI’s choices reflect that shift.
For ongoing coverage of the 2026 BMI Latin Awards and insights into the songwriters shaping Latin music’s next chapter, stay with LaMezcla.com, your newsroom for music, culture, and industry leadership.