Rubén Blades is adding another major honor to a career that spans more than fifty years. Billboard announced Thursday that the Panamanian singer, songwriter and actor will receive the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set for October 22 at Miami’s James L. Knight Center. The show airs live on Telemundo at 8 p.m. ET.
Blades has been a defining force in Latin music since the 1970s, helping reshape salsa with socially conscious lyrics and a willingness to blend genres long before that became the norm. He’ll also appear at Billboard Latin Music Week for an exclusive Icon Q&A with Billboard’s Leila Cobo. Latin Music Week runs October 19-22 in Miami Beach.
The Icon Award has previously gone to Maná, Chayanne, Ivy Queen and Laura Pausini. This year’s awards show also features Peso Pluma leading all finalists with 17 mentions, followed by Tito Double P with 15 and Karol G with nine. It’s a lineup that puts legendary heritage artists and today’s chart-toppers on the same stage.
What’s your all-time favorite Rubén Blades track? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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