Christina Aguilera belted out her ranchera song “La Reina” at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday (Sept. 29). The chart-topping artist blew everyone away and received a standing ovation at the end. The song is part of her Latin Grammy-nominated album Aguilera.
After her performance, she received the Spirit of Hope Award from her collaborators Ozuna and Becky G. She accepted the award “humbly, with gratitude and pride,” Aguilera said in her speech, which she delivered in English and was translated into Spanish. “It’s so nice to be in a room where they can say my name correctly and beautifully. Thank you so much, Billboard, for this award. To my Sony team, you guys are amazing, I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Aguilera also encouraged attendees and viewers to donate to the Red Cross to help those impacted and affected by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. She continued her emotional speech, “When I entered the industry, I promised myself I’d use my voice for something deeper to make change. Sharing my story was vital in helping others. It means so much to grow together with my fans throughout the years.”
The 29th annual Billboard Latin Music Awards, taking place at Miami’s Watsco Center, are broadcasting live on Telemundo and simultaneously on the Spanish entertainment cable network Universo and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional. The awards — produced by MBS Special Events and executive produced by Mary Black Suarez — coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returned to Miami from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 at the Faena Forum, with a roster of star speakers that included Romeo Santos, Maluma, Grupo Firme, Chayanne, Ivy Queen and Nicky Jam, among many others.
