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Reggaeton Fuels Latin Music Boom Despite Lack of Award Recognition

The U.S. Latin music business has seen significant and steady growth

As fans around the globe have shown, Latin urban music is here to stay. But it's not always obvious from the roster at the big mainstream award shows, NBC News reports.

For Billboard’s Leila Cobo, that's a reason to make sure the 2019 Latin Music Billboard awards, set to air on April 25, puts a spotlight on artists like Ozuna, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Anuel AA and the many others who have given Latin music the boost it needed.

“We have an industry that really has finally taken off after years of not doing well, and so now, more than ever, it's important to continue to support it,” Cobo, vice president of Latin content and programming for Billboard, told NBC News.

The U.S. Latin music business has seen significant and steady growth. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, known as RIAA, Latin music finished 2018 with $413 million in revenues, from $243 million in 2017 and $178 million in 2016.

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