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A musical celebration of Daddy Yankee’s journey traced his path from Puerto Rico to the world stage, honoring the sounds that shaped him and the legacy he built
LAS VEGAS (NOVEMBER 11, 2026) — The Latin Recording Academy® honored Daddy Yankee at the 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™ Gala with a musical journey through his career. The multi-Latin GRAMMY® winner and multi-GRAMMY® nominee, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, was recognized for his nearly three-decade career as a driving force behind the globalization of reggaeton, and for his humanitarian efforts. The celebration brought together past and current Latin GRAMMY® winners and nominees, artists who shaped Daddy Yankee’s sound, and artists inspired by him.
The show began as a celebration of Daddy Yankee’s story, starting where his music did, in the barrios of San Juan in the 1990s. Jorge Drexler led with a moving rendition of “Ante La Duda, Baila,” in which he recited the verse about “Ley 112,” the obscenity law used in 1995 to confiscate reggaeton cassettes from San Juan record stores. It was a reminder of what the genre was up against, and of what Daddy Yankee and his generation turned into a global movement. DJ Playero, one of the creators of reggaeton and the first to record Daddy Yankee, took the stage for a special set of the formative tracks of that era. Anthony Ramos then performed “Coraza Divina,” an autobiographical song about Daddy Yankee. Reggaeton pioneers Tito El Bambino and Jowell & Randy joined next-generation artists Feid and Trueno for “Gasolina.” Reik and Luísa Sonza performed “Ella Me Levantó,” and Farruko, Kapo, and Rawayana took the stage for a reggae version of “La Despedida.” Milly Quezada and Alex Zurdo joined forces for “ABCD/Bonita,” while Pablo Alborán and Natalia Jiménez gave “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta” a pop rock turn. Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavárez brought “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó,” Gente de Zona reimagined “Sabor a Melao,” and Pedro Capó and Elena Rose performed “Ora Por Mí,” the most personal song Daddy Yankee has written.
The celebration then turned to the musical influences that helped define Daddy Yankee’s sound, from the music of the 1980s and hip-hop to New York salsa and merengue. As a gift to the artist, The Sugarhill Gang performed “Rapper’s Delight,” a song he credits as a major influence and one as pivotal to hip-hop as “Gasolina” was to reggaeton. Sheila E. and Dante Spinetta performed a mashup of her 1980s hit “The Glamorous Life” and “Pasarela,” opening with a timbal intro that nodded to Daddy Yankee’s father, a timbal player. The salsa segment, produced by Sergio George, had the room dancing, with Tito Nieves performing “I Like It Like That” and “Qué Tengo Que Hacer,” Oscar D’León performing “Llorarás,” and D’León and Nathy Peluso performing “Despacito,” with Nieves joining them at the end.
The show also featured the next generation of artists influenced by Daddy Yankee, a showcase of his impact on global Latin music. Ryan Castro, J Noa, and Feid, back on stage, set the room alight with “Rompe,” Paulo Londra delivered “Gangsta Zone,” and Trueno took on “Talento de Barrio,” before the whole group came together for “Somos de Calle.” Then, in a memorable moment, J Balvin took the stage for “Tu Príncipe.” The night closed with Daddy Yankee himself taking the stage to perform “Sonríele,” “BOTZ” and “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó.” Daddy Yankee received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™ award from J Balvin and LL Cool J.
The Senior Vice President of Production at The Latin Recording Academy®, Ayleen Figueras, along with Macarena Moreno, served as executive producers of the gala. The musical production was led by Danny Flores and Roberto Trujillo served as musical director.
Live Nation served as presenting sponsor of the gala for the third consecutive year. Official sponsors included Turismo de Andalucía, BACARDÍ, Bulova, JP Morgan Chase, Mastercard, Rémy Martin and YouTube.
The 27th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 12. The three-hour telecast will air on Univision, UNIMÁS, Galavisión and streaming on ViX, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central), preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT (6 p.m. Central).
For more information on the 27th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, visit The Latin Recording Academy at LatinGRAMMY.com . Follow us on Facebook ( LatinGRAMMYs), X (@ LatinGRAMMYs ), Instagram (@LatinGRAMMYs) and TikTok ( LatinGRAMMYs ), and join the conversation using our official hashtag #LatinGRAMMY on all popular social media platforms. The official Latin GRAMMY app is also available on iOS (Apple) and Android (Google Play).
