Not juries or expert panels: This is how the nominees and winners of the Billboard Awards are chosen

This Thursday, October 23, Miami, Florida, will shine for another edition of the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The gala will take place at the James L. Knight Hotel at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local time. As its name suggests, the ceremony celebrates the best releases of the year in Latin music.

For the 2025 awards, the artist with the most nominations is Bad Bunny, setting a new record with 27 nods in a single edition. Following him is Fuerza Regida with 15 nominations, while Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, and Tito Double P each earned 10.

Unlike many other music awards shows, the Billboard Latin Music Awards are not decided by a jury, fan vote, or critics. Since the event is organized by Billboard magazine, winners are determined entirely by their performance on the charts.

In other words, whether an artist wins depends on hard data. Metrics include sales, radio and streaming plays, tours, and social engagement. All of this information is collected by Billboard in partnership with Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, ensuring that the artist with the strongest overall performance takes home the award.

While the awards are based on metrics, Billboard also gives special recognition to artists whose impact extends beyond the numbers. This year, special honors will go to Bad Bunny, Laura Pausini, Elvis Crespo, and Peso Pluma.

The Italian singer Laura Pausini will receive the Billboard Icon Award, American merengue star Elvis Crespo will be inducted into the Billboard Hall of Fame, Mexican artist Peso Pluma will receive the Billboard Vanguardia Award, and urban music sensation Bad Bunny will be honored with the Billboard Latin Artist of the 21st Century Award.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards gala will be broadcast live on Telemundo, and streaming will be available on Peacock and the Telemundo app.

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