BMI held its 15th annual Latin Music Awards Thursday, June 12 at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. Esteemed composer and producer Gustavo Santaolalla was named a BMI Icon; Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé, better known as reggaetón duo Wisin & Yandel, and singer/songwriter Espinoza Paz comprised the three-way tie for Latin Songwriter of the Year; “De Rodillas Te Pido” garnered Song of the Year honors for writer José A. Sosa; and Editora Arpa Musical received the Latin Publisher of the Year crown. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Assistant Vice President, Latin Music, Delia Orjuela, the black-tie dinner also touted the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed Latin songs on U.S. radio and television.

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The BMI Icon award is bestowed on creators who have had a “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” An all-star musical tribute paid homage to the achievements of Gustavo Santaolalla, who joins an elite list of past honorees that includes Latin music titans Los Tigres Del Norte, Juan Luis Guerra and Carlos Santana, along with legends Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Isaac Hayes, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton and the late James Brown.

Artist, talent scout, producer, documentarian and composer, Gustavo Santaolalla’s genius spills over into numerous disciplines. The Argentina native helped define the nascent Latin rock movement of the 1970’s with his innovative Latino folk/rock band, Arco Iris, and later as a solo artist. Santaolalla has mastered Andean string instrument the ronroco and filmed Pan-American, indigenous folk musicians. His transformation to producer was inevitable; the subsequent cultural unification was historic. Along with partner Anibal Kerpel, he united the traditionally separate Mexican and Argentine rock spheres, gaining recognition for production work on numerous platinum and gold-selling projects. The duo achieved a new level of visibility with band Café Tacuba, whose collaborations with Santaolalla/Kerpel garnered multiple Grammy nominations and a Latin Grammy win. Santaolalla triumphantly entered the world of cinema, where he has composed numerous BMI, Golden Globe and Oscar award-winning original scores for films including Brokeback Mountain and Babel. His work on Babel and the critically-acclaimed Motorcycle Diaries also earned BAFTA honors. Through the creation of his label Surco, Santaolalla has also launched and sustained marquee artists, including international star Juanes.

Chart-dominating reggaetón duo Wisin & Yandel and charismatic troubadour Espinoza Paz shared the prestigious Latin Songwriter of the Year title. The win marks the second consecutive Songwriter of the Year crown for Wisin & Yandel’s Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé. Three of the co-writing pair’s infectious hits rested comfortably on BMI’s most-performed list: “Noche De Entierro (Nuestro Amor)” (Los Benjamins featuring Wisin & Yandel, Daddy Yankee, Héctor "El Father,” Tonny Tún Tún and Zion), “Pam Pam” (Wisin & Yandel) and “Pegao” (Wisin & Yandel featuring Los Vaqueros). Mexican singer/songwriter Espinoza Paz earned his first Songwriter of the Year trophy by also contributing three songs to the top 50: “Mil Heridas” (Banda Cuisillos), “Prohibido” (El Coyote y su Banda Tierra Santa) and “Te Compro” (Duelo).

“De Rodillas Te Pido” earned BMI Latin Song of the Year honors for award-winning songwriter José a.k.a. “Pepe” A. Sosa. Published by Siempre Music and recorded by renowned group Alegres de la Sierra, “De Rodillas Te Pido” shot to the top slot of Billboard’s Latin Regional Mexican Airplay Chart and reached the Hot Latin Tracks’ top ten ranks. The combination of José A. Sosa and Alegres de la Sierra proved potent, as Sosa also took home an award for composing the band’s hit “Y Si Volviera A Nacer.”

With the highest percentage of copyright ownership of the year’s most-performed songs, Editora Arpa Musical garnered the Latin Publisher of the Year crown. Hits including Mariano Barba’s “Aliado Del Tiempo”; La Banda Pequeños Musical’s “Reencuentro” and “Me Encantaría”; El Chapo de Sinaloa’s “Detrás De La Puerta”; and Songwriter of the Year Espinoza Paz’s compositions catapulted Editora Arpa Musical to the top.

The ceremony also featured the presentation of the BMI Foundation's fifth annual peermusic Latin Scholarship to Boston’s Simmons College student Daniela Blau. The 21 year-old Costa Rica native will receive a $5,000 scholarship for her song “Y Si No Lo Sabes.” Established by the BMI Foundation and funded by the generosity of Ralph Peer II and the peermusic companies, the scholarship is awarded annually through a competition for original Latin songs and instrumental compositions. The 2008 competition was open to college students between the ages of 16 and 24 currently attending school throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

BMI also honored beloved Mexican troupe La Banda El Récodo with a commemorative plaque celebrating the prolific group’s 70th anniversary. Recognized as the first recorded banda, La Banda El Récodo also ranks among the most eclectic, combining Latin dance, jazz and classical music to produce an inimitable sound.

Premier Latin songwriters Manuel Eduardo Castro (SACM), Agustín Cejudo, Edgar Cortázar, Héctor Delgado "El Father,” Cuauhtémoc González García, Don Omar, Luis "Louie" Padilla and Julieta Venegas (SGAE) took home two awards each. Additional big winners included Mariano Barba for “Aliado Del Tiempo”’s second award; Ramón González Mora for “Voy A Llorar Por Ti”; Adrián Pieragostino for “Me Duele Escuchar Tu Nombre”; Kike Santander for “¿Quién Me Iba A Decir?”; Sergio Vallin for “Bendita Tu Luz”; and Luigi Giraldo and A.B. Quintanilla III for “Chiquilla.”

Publishers claiming two or more songs among the top 50 were Universal Music Publishing Group (Universal Music-Careers/Universal-Música Unica Publishing/Universal Music Publishing SA [SGAE]); EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.; SER-CA Publishing, Inc.; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.; Máximo Aguirre Music Publishing, Inc.; Blue Kraft Music Publishing; Crown P. Music Publishing; Peer Music Group (Peer International Corp./peermusic III, Ltd.); and Rompediscoteca Music Publisher.

In English

Gustavo Santaolalla, compositor, productor y ganador de premios Oscar y Grammy será honrado como "Icono de BMI" en la ceremonia anual de premios latinos de BMI, a celebrarse el jueves 12 de junio. Dicho evento tendrá lugar en el Beverly Wilshire de Los Ángeles, en la cual el presidente y CEO de BMI Del Bryant, y la vicepresidenta asistente de la división de música latina de BMI, Delia Orjuela servirán como maestros de ceremonia; en ésta gala formal sólo para invitados también se reconocerá a los compositores y editoras de las canciones latinas con más ejecución el año pasado.

El premio "Icono de BMI" es otorgado a creadores que han demostrado una "influencia única e indeleble en las próximas generaciones de músicos." Mediante un tributo musical estelar se habrá de reconocer los logros de Gustavo Santaolalla, quien se une a la élite de ganadores previos, la cual incluye a grandes exponentes de la música latina como Los Tigres del Norte, Juan Luis Guerra y Carlos Santana, al igual que leyendas como Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Isaac Hayes, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton y el fenecido James Brown.

Artista, descubridor de talentos, productor, documentalista y compositor, el genio de Gustavo Santaolalla se expande por numerosas disciplinas. Este hijo de la nación Argentina ayudó a definir el movimiento neonato del rock latino en los años 70 con su innovadora banda de rock Arco Iris, y más tarde como solista. Santaolalla es un maestro del ronroco, un instrumento de cuerdas andino, y ha filmado a varios artistas panamericanos de música folklórica indígena. Su transformación de músico a productor fue inevitable; la unión cultural subsiguiente fue histórica. Junto a su compañero Aníbal Kerpel, unificó las esferas de rock argentino y mexicano, y ganó reconocimiento por su labor de producción en numerosos proyectos de discos de oro y platino. El dúo obtuvo aun mayor visibilidad con el grupo Café Tacuba, cuya colaboración con el dúo Santaolalla/Kerpel produjo no sólo varias nominaciones a los premios Grammy, sino que también logro ganar dicho galardón.

Santaolalla entró triunfante al mundo del cine, donde ha compuesto varias bandas sonoras originales ganadoras de premios BMI, Golden Globe y Oscar para tales películas como Brokeback Mountain y Babel. Su trabajo en Babel y el aclamado Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta) también ganaron premios BAFTA. Mediante la creación de su sello Surco, Santaolalla ha lanzado y fomentado las carreras de varios artistas estelares, incluyendo a la estrella internacional Juanes.

En adición al premio "Icono de BMI", esta ceremonia también premiará la Canción, Compositor y Editor del Año. Entre algunos de los ganadores anteriores de estas categorías podemos mencionar a Juanes, Shakira, Estéfano, Gloria y Emilio Estefan, Wisin y Yandel, Luis Miguel y Cristian Castro.

En Español

Grammy and Oscar award-winning composer and producer Gustavo Santaolalla will become an Icon Thursday, June 12, at BMI's 15th annual Latin Awards. Staged at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles and hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Assistant Vice President, Latin Music, Delia Orjuela, the black-tie, invitation-only gala will also recognize the songwriters and publishers of the past year's top BMI Latin songs played on American radio and television.

The BMI Icon award is bestowed on creators who have had a "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." An all-star musical tribute will pay homage to the achievements of Gustavo Santaolalla, who joins an elite list of past honorees that includes Latin music titans Los Tigres Del Norte, Juan Luis Guerra and Carlos Santana, along with legends Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Isaac Hayes, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton and the late James Brown.

Artist, talent scout, producer, documentarian and composer, Gustavo Santaolalla's genius spills over into numerous disciplines. The Argentina-native helped define the nascent Latin rock movement of the 1970's with his innovative Latino folk/rock band, Arco Iris, and later as a solo artist. Santaolalla has mastered Andean string instrument the ronroco and filmed Pan-American, indigenous folk musicians. His transformation to producer was inevitable; the subsequent cultural unification was historic. Along with partner Anibal Kerpel, he united the traditionally separate Mexican and Argentine rock spheres, gaining recognition for production work on numerous platinum and gold-selling projects. The duo achieved a new level of visibility with band Café Tacuba, whose collaborations with Santaolalla/Kerpel garnered multiple Grammy nominations and a Latin Grammy win. Santaolalla triumphantly entered the world of cinema, where he has composed numerous BMI, Golden Globe and Oscar award-winning original scores for films including Brokeback Mountain and Babel. His work on Babel and the critically-acclaimed Motorcycle Diaries also earned BAFTA honors. Through the creation of his label Surco, Santaolalla has also launched and sustained marquee artists, including international star Juanes.

In addition to the Icon tribute, the ceremony will also recognize the Latin Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year. Previous honorees include Latin superstars Juanes, Shakira, Estéfano, Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Wisin & Yandel, Luis Miguel and Cristian Castro.

Dominican singer/songwriter Juan Luis Guerra dominated the eighth annual Latin Grammys, held November 8 in Las Vegas, winning five awards, including Album of the Year for La Llave De Mi Corazon (The Key to My Heart), which was also named Best Merengue Album of the Year. The album’s title track won for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Tropical Song. Guerra was named a BMI Icon at the 2006 BMI Latin Awards and tops the list of BMI 2007 Latin Grammy winners.

Ricky Martin, Calle 13 and Caetano Velosa each garnered three awards. Martin won Best Male Pop Vocal Album for MTV Unplugged and Best Long Form Music Video for “MTV Unplugged”; Calle scored a Best Urban Music Album award for Residente O Visitante and Best Urban Song award for “Pal Norte”; and Caetano Velosa won Best Singer-Songwriter album for Cê and Best Brazilian Song for “Não Me Arrependo.”

Mexican artist Pepe Aguilar won the Best Ranchero Album for Enamorado, while Bobby Cruz’s Románticos De Ayer, Hoy y Siempre was named Best Traditional Tropical Album of the Year.

Sebastian Krys added a sixth Latin Grammy to his list of accolades with this year’s Producer of the Year honor for his work with such artists as Luis Fonsi, Daniela Guzmán and Jennifer Peña., while Los Tigres del Norte were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their three-decade career and influential multi-genre music.

Additional BMI Latin Grammy winners include Freddie Martinez, Sr. (Best Regional Mexican Song); Los Horoscopos De Durango (Best Banda Album); Chick Corea & Bela Fleck (Best Instrumental Album); and Rabanes (Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal).

BMI Latin Grammy Winners

Juan Luis Guerra
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Best Tropical Song
Best Merengue Album of the Year

Los Tigres Del Norte
Lifetime Achievement Award

Ricky Martin
Best Male Pop Vocal
Best Long Form Music Video

Calle 13
Best Urban Music Album
Best Urban Song

Caetano Veloso
Best Singer-Songwriter Album
Best Brazilian Song

Oscar D’Leon
Best Contemporary Tropical Album of the Year

Bobby Cruz
Best Traditional Tropical Album of the Year

Freddie Martinez, Sr.
Best Regional Mexican Song

Marcos Witt
Best Christian Album (Spanish Language)

Pepe Aguilar
Best Ranchero Album

Los Horoscopos De Durango
Best Banda Album

Chick Corea
Best Instrumental Album

Béla Fleck
Best Instrumental Album

Sebastian Krys
Producer of the Year

Rabanes
Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal

An annual series, “BMI PRESENTS: Latin Music Showcases” will also be held on July 11 (“Verano Alternativo,” rock and alternative rock), September 10 (“Noche Bohemia,” acoustic singer/songwriter) and November 19 (“Al Otro Lado Del Hip-Hop,” Latin/urban). Each event will focus on a different genre of music in the Latino musical landscape and will be held at S.O.B.’s

“Latin music is one of the fastest growing segments in the music business,” said Porfirio Pina, BMI’s Director, Latin Music, New York. “This series showcases some of the most diverse artists and songwriters in New York as well as the world. It’s an opportunity for the industry and public to discover new talent and get hooked on some of the most engaging new artists releasing CDs and music today.”

The U.S. leader in Latin music, BMI represents such Latin songwriters as Shakira, Los Tigres del Norte, Ricky Martin, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, Juanes, composer Gustavo Santaolalla, Café Tacuba and many others.

About the bands:

TAXI AMARILLO (yellow cab) - Young Latino duo Cruzmonty and Chris Hierro are creating a unique blend of r&b, soul, salsa, rock, pop and hip-hop. Cruzmonty and Chris were brought together by what some may consider fate. One night as Chris performed at Mirage, a popular nightclub in the Bronx, Cruzmonty sat with his manager in the audience, completely taken aback by what he heard and amazed at how much he could relate to Chris’s musical style. Within minutes, Cruzmonty’s manager arranged to get his artist onstage for a duo with Chris and what happened next was perfect musical chemistry. Once offstage, the two soon became inseparable, endlessly collaborating on lyrics and melodies over the next few months. With lyrics that will move you, voices that will elevate you, and a style that will blow you away, one thing is for sure: You will never be the same once you go on a ride with Taxi Amarillo.

THALISHA - A talented young singer/songwriter who melds the influences experienced growing up as a true urban Latina, Thalisha hails from Washington Heights, New York and her passion for life is her music. Winner of the 2003 Underground Music Awards for Best R&B Female, Thalisha embodies all the elements needed for success in today’s ever-changing music marketplace. Her versatility as a singer/songwriter has garnered her the opportunity to work alongside the same producers who have generated hits for r&b elite Beyonce and Mary J. Blige, and legendary Latin producers who have created hits for acts like Proyecto Uno, Huey Dunbar, Jelly Bean, Shaggy, Notorious B.I.G. and Tito Nieves. Thalisha is already making noise on her U.S. turf and now has a presence overseas. She currently has a song released in France with Barclay/Universal-France recording artists Relic.

FRANCISCO SALICRUP - A singer/songwriter born in La Isla Del Encanto, Puerto Rico from Dominican and Puerto Rican parents, then later raised in the heart of Boston. This young blood captured the attention of the music industry and stole the hearts of fans when he landed on “Objectiva Fama,” the Latin American version of “American Idol” in 2005. Musical influences include singers with true Latin soul, such as Grammy Award crooner Marc Anthony. Francisco merges the influences of salsa, r&b, soul, house, hip-hop and reggae. He feels that to be a singer in this day in age, one must be able to provide entertainment for both teenagers and adults. He loves to sing salsa, bachata, and r&b, but realizes that music is forever changing, so he is open to exploring different genres.

SONIDO SECRETO - This act was once categorized as a blend of grunge and psychedelic rock with subliminal sound effects and samples. As the band went through several line up changes, its sound evolved into a more progressive rock approach, with classic rock, hard rock and blues influences. Sonido Secreto released its first album, Eternal Jam, in April of 2005. Eternal Jam is a psychedelic rock/blues trip of four songs clocking 50 minutes, in total. The long-awaited first full-length album, Voodoo Sonico, is due out in the summer of 2007. Voodoo Sonico would satisfy any rock fan with its mixture of blues, hard rock, psychedelic rock, grunge rock and pop rock. This production will also be Sonido Secreto’s first bilingual album and the first release on Guasabara Records. Live performances are highlighted by the use of abstract visuals, which are conceived by the band.

Songwriter Of The Year Accolades Go To Wisin & Yandel, Francisco Saldaña “Luny” And Manuel Eduardo Toscano

‘La Tortura’ Takes Song Of The Year And Ringtone Of The Year Awards; EMI-Blackwood Music Inc. Named Latin Publisher Of The Year

BMI held its 14th annual Latin Music Awards tonight, with top honors going to BMI Icons Los Tigres del Norte; Songwriters of the Year Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé of duo Wisin & Yandel, songwriter/producer Francisco Saldaña “Luny” of producing duo Luny Tunes and corrido master Manuel Eduardo Toscano (SACM); Song of the Year “La Tortura” written by Shakira and Luis F. Ochoa; and Publisher of the Year EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Assistant Vice President, Latin Music, Delia Orjuela, the awards were held at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. The black-tie dinner honored the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most performed Latin songs on U.S. radio and television.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation and musical tribute to legendary norteño group Los Tigres del Norte. Honored as Icons, they were presented silver BMI Icon buckets for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” The longest-running and most influential Norteño music group in the history of the genre, “Los Jefes de Jefes” (“the bosses of the bosses,” the nickname affectionately given to them by their loyal fans) are renowned for their “corridos,” which depict timeless stories of the Mexican people and culture as well as the lives and struggles of Hispanic immigrants in the United States. They join an elite list of previous BMI Icons that includes Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Santana, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Brown, Dolly Parton and Brian Wilson.

The group was honored with an all-star musical tribute. Mexican pop singer Reyli performed “La Puerta Negra,” Regional Mexican singer-songwriter Mariano Barba covered “Ya Te Velé” and Latin pop singer Christian Castro belted out “Golpes En El Corazón.” Los Tigres themselves also jumped up onstage to perform a medley of their songs for the standing-room-only house.

BMI’s Songwriter of the Year title was a four-way tie, shared by Wisin & Yandel’s Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé; Francisco Saldaña “Luny” of production duo Luny Tunes; and Manuel Eduardo Toscano. The four-way tie represents the first BMI Latin Award for each member of this elite cross-section of Latin hit-makers. To earn this honor, all four writers contributed three songs to the top 50. The Puerto Rican Reggaetón duo Wisin & Yandel and acclaimed producer “Luny” of Luny Tunes co-wrote “Llamé Pa’ Verte ‘Bailando Sexy’,” “Mayor Que Yo” and “Rakata,” which were all hits for Wisin & Yandel. Premier Mexican songwriter Manuel Eduardo Toscano’s award-winning corridos — “La Sorpresa,” “Señor Locutor” and “Socios” — were signature hits for Icons Los Tigres del Norte.

“La Tortura” took home BMI Song of the Year and the inaugural BMI Latin Ringtone of the Year honors for its two songwriters—international superstar Shakira and Luis F. Ochoa. “La Tortura” is Shakira’s second Song of the Year win; “Suerte,” which she also co-wrote and performed, snagged the honor in 2002.

With nine songs among the year’s top 50, EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. nabbed its first Latin Publisher of the Year award. Songs including “Algo Está Cambiando,” “Enséñame A Olvidar,” “Llamé Pa' Verte ‘Bailando Sexy’,” and “Rakata” catapulted EMI-Blackwood to the top.

The ceremony also featured the presentation of the BMI Foundation's fourth annual peermusic Latin Scholarship to Berklee College of Music student Daniel F. Díaz. The 23 year-old Mexico native will receive a $5,000 scholarship for his song “Todo Lo Que Necesito.” Established by the BMI Foundation and funded by the generosity of the peermusic publishing companies, the scholarship is awarded annually through a competition for original Latin songs and instrumental compositions. The 2007 competition was open to college students throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Some of the night’s other big winners included songwriters Josias De La Cruz “Nely,” Don Omar, Ramón Ortega Contreras (SACM), Martha “Ivy Queen” Pesante, Shakira and Ricky Vela, all boasting two awards each. “No Me Queda Más,” written by Ricky Vela, took home its third BMI Latin Award, while “¿Qué Me Vas A Dar?,” composed by Alfonso García Santillana (SACM) and Ramón Ortega Contreras (SACM), took home its second honor.

Publishers claiming two or more songs among the top 50 were SER-CA Publishing, Inc., Tigres Del Norte Ediciones Musicales, Universal-Música Única Publishing, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Blue Kraft Music Publishing, Editora Arpa Musical, Peer International Corp./peermusic III, Aniwi Music LLC, LGA Music Publishing, Lone Iguana Music, Mexican Music Copyright, Inc. and Songs of Univision, Inc.