For the first time in his career, Bad Bunny is taking home the Latin Grammy for album of the year.

After "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" was lost the record of the year award to Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz's song "Palmeras en el Jardín," Bad Bunny's album by the same name took home the top prize of the night. (He won record of the year in 2024 for "Monaco.")

The 31-year-old global superstar, who was nominated for a total of 12 awards at the 26th annual Latin Grammys on Thursday, Nov. 13, swept four other categories: best urban music performance, best urban song, best urban music album and best reggaeton performance.

During his final acceptance speech of the night, Bad Bunny thanked God, but "first and foremost, my mom for giving birth to me." He went on, "Mom, Dad, I love you. I love my siblings, and music – I love music. I love what I do. I love being around passionate people and doing what I enjoy most."

Bad Bunny wins album of the year for the first time at Latin Grammys

This is the first time the reggaeton star, who's set to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026, has won in this category.

Bad Bunny was last nominated for the album of the year at the 2022 Latin Grammys with "Un Verano Sin Ti," but lost to Spanish singer Rosalía for "Motomami."

In 2021, "El Último Tour Del Mundo" was nominated in the category. During the 2020 awards show ceremony, both "OASIS," his joint effort with Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin, and "YHLQMDLG" were nominated for album of the year. Before then, Bad Bunny was not yet a household name in the Latin Grammy nominations list.

Now, Bad Bunny's sixth studio album, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for four weeks after its January release, is nominated for six Grammy Awards at the 2026 ceremony.

"DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS," which also spawned the 30-date Puerto Rico concert residency "No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí," is up for album of the year, song of the year, record of the year, best global music performance, best album cover and best música urbana album.

Bad Bunny shouts out collaborators in Latin Grammys speech

"Thank you to everyone who worked on this album; there are so many of you, and I carry you all in my heart," he continued his speech. The album pays tribute to Bad Bunny's Boricua roots and sees the singer incorporate traditional genres such as Plena, salsa and jibaro into his signature Latin urbano sound.

"I am grateful for all the collaborations because I believe this album would not have been the same without the contribution of each of those artists who gave a piece of their soul and emotions into this project," he said, giving thanks to Los Sobrinos, Los Pleneros de la Cresta, Tainy, Chuwi and Omar Courtz.

Bad Bunny talks 'patriotism' in speech

Although earlier in the night Bad Bunny said he rarely practices his speeches before an award show, there's no denying he knows how to deliver one.

"Love as much as you can," he said in his speech, adding that he also wanted to dedicate his album of the year award to "all the children and young people of Latin America, and especially of those in Puerto Rico." Looking straight to the camera, he said, "Never stop dreaming and being yourselves. It doesn't matter where you come from; don't forget where you come from and don't forget where you're going.

"There are ways to show patriotism and defend our land — we chose music," he concluded.

Bad Bunny headlining Super Bowl halftime show next

His Latin Grammy wins on Thursday only burnish his reputation ahead of his wider introduction to English-speaking America and a worldwide audience as the halftime performer of the Super Bowl in February, a choice that rankled some U.S. traditionalists, including President Donald Trump, who said he had never heard of his music.

He is also likely to become the first such act to perform entirely or mostly in Spanish. In 2020, he made a guest appearance at the halftime show headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.

The rapidly growing Latin music sector generated a record $1.4 billion in 2024, making up 8.1% of total U.S. music revenue, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, which said it was shaping the culture faster than any other genre.

The "Tití Me Preguntó" artist kicks off his 24-date Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Nov. 21. Ahead of the Latin Grammys on Thursday, Nov. 13, it was announced that Hennessy partnered with Bad Bunny as the Global Presenting Sponsor of his upcoming world tour.

"The collaboration celebrates creativity, culture, and global Latin community, with Hennessy rolling out immersive fan experiences across tour stops, including signature cocktails inspired by Bad Bunny himself," a new release read.

The tour will include stops in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bad Bunny wins album of the year for the first time at Latin Grammys 2025

Reporting by Pamela Avila, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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