BMI® (Broadcast Music, Inc.®) celebrated its top Latin songwriters and publishers this evening at the 30th Annual BMI Latin Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. 

Ana Bárbara was named a BMI Icon in honor of her exceptional musical career spanning over 30 years and the influence she’s made on future generations of Latin songwriters.

In addition, the BMI Latin Impact Award was presented for the first time at the award show and went to prolific songwriter/producer Edgar Barrera, saluting the contributions he made to the genre with multiple award-winning songs in both Contemporary Latin and Regional Mexican categories. 

BMI’s Regional Mexican Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year and BMI’s Contemporary Latin Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year were also announced, as well as the top 50 Latin songs of the previous year.

The private event was hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Creative, Latin, Jesus Gonzalez. 

To honor BMI’s newest Icon, an ensemble of female artists paid tribute to Ana Bárbara with performances of her most popular songs.

Adriana Ríos gave her rendition of “Mala Racha,” Angélica Gallegos hit the stage with “Para No Extrañarte Tanto,” Alisun Solís sang her interpretation of “De Vez en Cuando” and Lupita Infante paid homage to the revered songwriter with a performance of “Fruta Prohibida.”

After receiving the BMI Icon Award, the globally celebrated queen of grupero captivated the audience with an electrifying performance of “Lo Busqué,” “Qué Poca,” and a medley of “Quise Olvidar/No Es Brujería.”

Throughout her illustrious career, Ana Bárbara has released more than 10 studio albums, selling over six million records, and has received countless accolades including a Latin GRAMMY for Best Grupero Album for Loca de Amar, four Premios Lo Nuestro and seven Premios Furia Musical awards, and a GRAMMY nomination for Best Mexican/Mexican-American album for No Es Brujería. 

In receiving the BMI Icon Award, Ana Bárbara joins an elite group of music creators who have been presented with BMI’s highest honor, including Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan, Juan Luis Guerra, Los Tigres del Norte and Los Lobos, among others. 

In addition, the ceremony also presented Edgar Barrera with the BMI Latin Impact Award, highlighting the distinguished achievement of having ten award-winning songs in both the Regional Mexican and Contemporary Latin categories, the most of any individual songwriter at this year’s ceremony. This marked the first time this honor was given out at the BMI Latin Awards. 

Throughout the event, the top songwriters and publishers of the previous year’s 50 most-performed Latin songs were also saluted leading up to the night’s top honors.

Puerto Rican hitmaker Tainy received the coveted Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year for his work on five of the most-performed BMI Latin songs of 2022, including “Baila Conmigo,” “Caramelo (Remix),” “In Da Getto,” “Lo Siento BB:/” and “Yonaguni.”

The Regional Mexican Songwriter of the Year was a tie between Edgar Barrera and Horacio Palencia for each penning six of BMI’s most-performed regional Mexican songs of the past year.

Together they co-wrote “2 Veces,” “Cada Quien,” “La Sinvergüenza,” “Ojos Cerrados” and “Ya Supérame,” and Barrera was also honored for writing “Botella Tras Botella” and Palencia for his work on “Ya Solo Eres Mi Ex.” 

The mega hit “Pepas” by Víctor Cardenas VIIC, IAMCHINO, Axel Quezada “Ghetto” and Keriel K4G Quiróz was named Contemporary Latin Song of the Year, and “Jugaste y Sufrí” by Daniel Balderrama Espinoza earned the title of Regional Mexican Song of the Year. 

Universal Music Publishing Group secured Regional Mexican Publisher of the Year, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing was named Contemporary Latin Publisher of the Year with seven and 14 of the most-performed songs among their repertoires, respectively.

Earlier in the evening on the red carpet, the BMI Foundation presented Berklee College of Music student Angela Fernández with the 2022 peermusic Latin Music Scholarship for her winning song “Ekiss.”