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Uruguay's Jorge Drexler eclipses Bad Bunny at Latin Grammys

Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler accepts the award for Record of the Year on stage during the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy awards at the Mandalay Bay's Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 17, 2022

LAS VEGAS - Uruguay's top musical export Jorge Drexler overshadowed megastar Bad Bunny's hype at Thursday's Latin Grammys, scoring seven trophies including Best Record during the gala that saw Spain's Rosalia take home the coveted top album award.

The Puerto Rican reggaeton phenom Bad Bunny had been tipped as the favourite coming in with 10 nominations, though he was unable to attend the 23rd edition of the awards held in Las Vegas as he continues his massively popular world tour.

The 28-year-old -- currently the highest-grossing and most streamed artist on the planet following the release of his album "Un Verano Sin Ti" -- did nab five trophies but fell short of the night's most prestigious prizes.

"Are you sure?" asked a surprised Drexler as he took the stage to accept the award for Song of the Year for "Tocarte," a track that also featured Spanish rapper C. Tangana.

Along with Bad Bunny -- whose smash "Titi Me Pregunto" ultimately scored two awards in the "urban" categories -- the 58-year-old was up against stacked competition including Rosalia, who won four awards including for her critically acclaimed album "Motomami," and Colombia's Karol G. 

In his speech Drexler acknowledged the massive reach of Latin urban music including reggaeton, dedicating the award "to everyone who does urban music in Spanish because you've taken our music to places it was never in before."

Drexler was the big winner but in some respects it was Cuban Angela Alvarez who stole the show: at 95 years old the singer scored a gramophone for Best New Artist.

Cuban-US singer Angela Alvarez poses with the award for Best New Artist during the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy awards at the Mandalay Bay's Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 17, 2022

"It's never too late," said Alvarez, bringing the auditorium to tears in accepting the award that she shared in a tie with the Mexican artist Silvana Estrada.

"I want to dedicate this award to God, and to my beloved Cuba, which I will never forget. And to those who have yet to make their dreams come true, know that although life is hard, there's always a way out and with faith and love everything can be achieved," Alvarez said. 

"With faith and love you can make it, I promise you."

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