Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso and Bad Bunny top the Latin Grammys

Argentinians Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso and Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Bad Bunny kicked off the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas on Thursday with a bang, taking home the night's first gramophones.

The explosive hip-hop duo, which arrived with 10 nominations at Latin music's biggest party, won five categories during the first half of the gala, including Best Pop Song with "El Día del Amigo," one of the hits from their viral "Papota."

The Argentines, who made their Latin Grammy debut Thursday, have just opened for U.S. rapper Kendrick Lamar. The duo dominated the alternative music categories and will battle it out for Best Album, Record, and Song of the Year, the night's top three statuettes, with Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny swept the urban categories with his “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”), taking four statuettes right off the bat.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio won over the Latin Recording Academy and came into the party on top with 12 nominations.

The 31-year-old artist has also just been nominated for the same three categories at the Grammys to be held in February in Los Angeles.

The reggaetonero arrives unstoppable after a blockbuster musical residency in his native Puerto Rico and expectations for his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show.

This month, he will also kick off his world tour in the Dominican Republic.

For his part, the laureate Édgar Barrera, who also arrived with ten nominations, rose as the composer of the year with a set of songs, among which "Si antes te hubiera conocido" stands out.

The song, which was performed by Karol G, won Best Tropical Song and is a contender for Best Song and Recording of the Year.

The coveted statuette for Best New Artist went to the emerging voice of Mexican pop, Paloma Morphy.

"Dream come true"

Hosted by singers Maluma and Roselyn Sanchez, the Latin Grammys returned to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas after a two-year hiatus due to Spain and Miami.

The performers were full of sequins, glitter, and charisma on the red carpet.

The gala was opened by Edgar Barrera with Grupo Frontera and legendary guitarist Carlos Santana.

"It's a dream come true," Barrera told AFP on the red carpet shortly before taking the stage.

Gloria Estefan accepted one of the first gramophones of the televised portion of the awards thanks to her album "Raíces," which won in the best tropical album category.

Estefan, one of the voices considered a pioneer in the globalization of Hispanic music, also took the stage for a lively duet with Nathy Peluso.

Another pair that thrilled the audience was Karol G with Marco Antonio Solis, who performed their ballad "Coleccionando heridas," while Rauw Alejandro got everyone dancing with a lively medley that included several of his hits.

Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso flooded the stage with color, while Pepe Aguilar added a charro touch to the night.

The prelude to the 26th edition of the awards was the traditional tribute to the Person of the Year, which on this occasion went to the Spaniard Raphael, with a career spanning more than six decades.

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