2024 Billboard Latin Women In Music True Celebration of Sisterhood

Tears, parents, emotional performances and lots of gratitude and respect for Gloria Estefan marked Billboard’s second annual Latin Women In Music gala on June 9 in Miami.

Produced by Telemundo, the show, which aired Sunday evening, honored revered icons of Latin music like Gloria Estefan (the Legend Award), salsa Legend La India (the Pioneer Award) and Mexican Powerhouse Ana Bárbara (Lifetime Achievement), as nicely as Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García (Spirit of Change), Mexican prodigy Ángela Aguilar (Musical Dynasty), Colombian chart topper Kali Uchis (Rising Star) and this month’s Billboard cover star, Camila Cabello (Global Impact).

The show was pre-taped at Telemundo’s studios (with production headed by Cisco Suárez and Macarena Moreno) in Miami, and probably the smaller sized setting, combined with completely reside performances, gave the evening a sense of intimacy, collegiality and like — corny as that may well sound — that is not commonly felt at large award shows.

“It’s an honor to honor someone who writes her own story,” stated Mexican star María José early in the evening as she presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. “Ana Bárbara is an example of someone who does not put brakes on herself. I identify with that strength and determination with which she has chosen to be an artist, but above all, the woman she is.”

It was an assessment that could have nicely applied to all the honorees in the space, all pioneers in their personal suitable. Even Angela Aguilar, the youngest amongst them, at 20 years old, and the daughter and granddaughter of legends — Pepe Aguilar, Antonio Aguilar, Flor Silvestre — stated as substantially: “In between this great legacy and this great last name, I’m still trying to find who I am.”

It was uncommon honesty expressed once again and once again all through the evening, by the “newer” artists, but also the veterans. La India, emotional as a singer and as a speaker, belted “Ese Hombre” and her classic “Vivir Lo Nuestro,” then shed tears as she thanked her icons — the late Celia Cruz and the living Gloria Estefan — and acknowledged that artists have ups and downs. Ana Bárbara, the initially honoree of the evening, admitted that when she had initially visited Miami, a lot of, a lot of years ago, her dream was to meet Estefan, the terrific door-opening star that was honored with the Legend award, and who sat by means of the whole evening cheering her colleagues on.

The sentiment was echoed by García, who stated: “I love being among all these women I so admire. The first award show I ever went to in my life, they honored Gloria Estefan, and to see her seated here is one of the most beautiful things in the world.”

Parents have been also a recurring theme of the evening. Camila Cabello devoted most of her speech to her mother: “When the world is suffering […] my mom reminds me there is love in this world. I love you, mom. And I love you, Gloria Estefan.”

In the other path, Aguilar received warm words from her dad, Pepe Aguilar, who sent her a video from Japan, exactly where he is at the moment.

And at the close of the evening, the Woman of the Year award for Karol G — honored in absentia simply because she was kicking off her European tour the exact same evening — was picked up by her father, Guillermo Giraldo.

“Thank you, Billboard, thank you, Telemundo, for opening the door to this little girl who at five years old sang backup for this artist [Giraldo himself is an artist] who wasn’t successful, but who today picks up her recognition as Woman of the Year.”

The evening, right after all, was a celebration of doors opening, as Billboard extends its Woman of the Year franchise to the Latin realm.

“Thank you, Billboard, for doing this for women,” stated Ana Bárbara getting her award. “We have many barriers to tear down yet, but we’re doing well.”