The 16th edition of the Latin Grammy Awards promises to be the most important night in Latin music, but also one that could get very political.
Taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday night, the Recording Academy will celebrate and recognize the Latino trailblazers in the music industry at a time when the Latino entertainers have been rallying against Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant campaign in the 2016 U.S. presidential race.
Ricky Martin, who penned an op-ed last month against Trump and his “racist, absurd” comments, will unite Latino superstars like Wisin and J Balvin who have also stood up to the controversial GOP candidate.
Urban singer Wisin confirmed to Variety Latino exclusively that Thursday’s event will celebrate Latino power in the United States and every artist will stand in solitude with fellow Mexican immigrants who have been targeted by politicians.
An anti-GOP commercial created by SEIU-COPE, the political arm of a major labor union, will also air during tonight’s live broadcast on Univision at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
“We will NOT accept hate. We will NOT allow anti-immigrant attacks,” the ad says.
Other highlights of the show include Will Smith, who’s taking the stage alongside Colombian band Bomba Estéreo to perform a remix of their song “Fiesta.”
Devious Maids’ Roselyn Sánchez will co-host the awards. Presenters include Diego Boneta, Rita Moreno, Fifth Harmony, Zoe Saldaña and many more.
