Latin Recording Academy Announces This Year’s Special Awards Recipients

The Latin Recording Academy announced the recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the list features innovative artists from Latin America and Spain.

Susana Baca of Peru, Enrique Bunbury of Spain, Ivan Lins of Brazil, Pandora of Mexico and Olga Tañon of Puerto Rico will be honored at this year’s Latin Grammys for their contributions to Latin music, and visionary audio engineer Eric Schilling will receive the Trustees Award, which is given to individuals who made significant contributions outside of performance.

“It is an immense privilege to honor these musical legends—who continue redefining our Latin music and heritage—as well as our inaugural Latin Music Educator Award recipient,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating them all as part of our 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Week festivities.”

The Latin Recording Academy also plans to hand out the first Latin Music Educator Award, and the individual will be recognized during the ceremony. It’s an honor done in partnership with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and given to a standout educator from the global music community who has made an impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum. In addition to the award, the recipient’s school music program will receive a donation of $10,000.

The Academy will celebrate all honorees at a private event on Nov. 9 in Las Vegas. The awards ceremony will be held Nov. 13 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Baca will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for reviving and preserving Afro-Peruvian music. The three-time Latin Grammy winner grew up in Lima and initially worked as a schoolteacher and then traveled across the country’s coastline with her husband, Ricardo Pereira, studying local Black culture. In the ’90s, Baca’s “María Landó” placed on her on the global music map and ignited interest in the Afro-Peruvian genre.

Bunbury is a renowned lyricist and one of the most celebrated rock stars in Spanish-language music. The Zaragoza-born artist rose to prominence in the ’80s as the frontman of Héroes del Silencio. Bunbury pursued a solo career after the band broke up in 1996 and developed his own sound inspired by Latin American folklore and cabaret music. The Latin Grammy winner is known for his hypnotic live performances, and he’s played several shows this year to promote his 2025 album, Cuentas Pendientes.

With Brazilian anthems such as “Madalena” and “Começar de Novo,” Lins established himself as a melodic genius. He gained exposure in the late ’60s and was recognized by American artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones. He has composed more than 800 songs and continues to put out new music. He won a Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2005 for Cantando Histórias.

Pandora elevated Latin pop to new heights in the 1980s with international hits like “Cómo Te Va Mi Amor.” Since the launch of their eponymous debut album, sisters Isabel and Mayte Lascurain and Fernanda Meade’s vocals and harmony evoked hope and an everlasting romance, capturing the imagination of music fans all over Latin America. The Grammy-nominated trio worked with legends like Armando Manzanero, Frank Sinatra, Julie Andrews and Luis Miguel. The group is celebrating its 40^th anniversary with a new compilation album featuring their greatest hits and chronicling their stellar career.

Tañon helped bring merengue to the spotlight with her 1994 smash hit “Es Mentiroso.” She broke through in a genre that is predominantly male and confined to the Dominican Republic and experimented with many sounds, including bachata, salsa and pop. Tañon started her career as a member of tropical group Chantelle before finding success as a solo artist, winning two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammys.

Schilling is a visionary audio engineer who has shaped the sound of Latin recordings for over two decades. He started his career taping live radio broadcasts in the Bay Area and was mentored by Motown veteran Bob Ohlsson. After moving to Florida, he built a creative partnership with Gloria and Emilio Estefan, becoming their engineer of choice on classic albums like Mi Tierra. Schilling has worked with artists like Shakira, Alejandro Sanza, Juan Luis Guerra, Thalía and many others. He has also won eight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sound Mixing.