Daddy Yankee will be honored as The Latin Recording Academy’s 2026 Person of the Year, celebrating his nearly 30-year career that serves as an example of perseverance, resilience and creativity.
“This recognition is a dream come true,” the Puerto Rican artist — a pioneer in the reggaetón realm — said in a statement. “It means a lot because it represents more than just a successful career; it’s recognition of years of discipline, struggle, faith and commitment to our culture. Receiving something like this is to honor Puerto Rico, to honor all Latinos, and specifically to that entire generation that believed in our music when no one else understood it.”
The artist born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez is widely recognized for catapulting reggaetón music from an underground genre to a global movement, in large part thanks to his 2004 hit “Gasolina,” from his 2004 album Barrio Fino, which spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Since, he’s earned 106 entries—including seven No. 1s—on the Hot Latin Songs chart, among them “Despacito” alongside Luis Fonsi that spent 56 weeks at the top in 2017.
In 2022, he announced his retirement from music and conversion to Christianity, but made a comeback with a renewed faith and commitment to make “music with a purpose” three years later. His faith-based album, Lamento en Baile (2025), includes the feel-good “Sonríele” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart last October.
“Daddy Yankee has been a defining force in the global rise of Latin music,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, added. “His leadership, discipline and vision opened the doors for a genre and inspired an entire generation of creators, and he remains as relevant today as ever.”
As tradition holds, The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors musicians and their artistic achievements in Latin music, as well as their humanitarian efforts. Daddy Yankee will be celebrated at a private ceremony—which will feature renditions of his repertoire performed by different artists—on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas during Latin Grammy Week.
