Trending on Billboard Fuerza Regida will be honored with the Billboard Vanguard Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Billboard and Telemundo can announce today (Oct. 5). The group from San Bernardino, California, will receive the award in recognition of a career defined by innovation and an unconventional creative vision that has pushed the boundaries of música mexicana and expanded the genre’s reach around the world. The band, a finalist for 12 awards this year, will also take the stage for a special performance during the ceremony, which will be broadcast live on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET on Telemundo and Peacock from the James L.
Knight Center in Miami. “We’ve always done things our own way. We come from San Bernardino, we know who we are and where we come from, and we’ve never been afraid to take our music somewhere people might not expect it to go,” Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP), vocalist and leader of Fuerza Regida, said in a statement. “Receiving the Billboard Vanguard Award means a lot because it recognizes that vision and everything we’ve built together. We want to keep pushing the genre forward, breaking barriers and showing the next generation that there are no limits to where our music can go.” The Billboard Vanguard Award honors artists who dare to go beyond the conventional. It recognizes those who, through their talent, inspire, innovate and open new possibilities in the world of music.
The award celebrates true visionaries, artists who break barriers, redefine standards and leave an indelible mark on the music industry. Formed in 2015, Fuerza Regida has become one of the most influential acts in Mexican music, honoring its roots while continuing to take the genre into new territories. The group — which also includes José “Pelón” García, Moisés López, Khrystian Ramos and Samuel Jaimez — has developed a unique sound and identity rooted in their bicultural experience, resonating with audiences far beyond the traditional boundaries of the genre and geography. With over 46 million monthly listeners on Spotify, 35 billion career streams and 16 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, Fuerza Regida has transformed that vision into a global impact.
Their hits include “Marlboro Rojo,” “TQM,” “El Jefe” with Shakira and “Tu Boda” with Óscar Maydon, which reached No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs and No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200. In 2025, the group hit another milestone when their ninth studio album, 111XPANTIA, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group in the all-genre chart’s history. In its second week, the LP reached No. 1 on Top Latin Albums. Beyond the charts, Fuerza Regida became the first regional Mexican group to perform at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw and brought Mexican music to Paris Fashion Week, where JOP attended KidSuper’s runway show from the front row.
On stage, they set a record as the highest-selling Latin act in the history of Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, sold out shows at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl in the same weekend, and performed for tens of thousands of fans in Mexico and Latin America. In 2026, they’re taking that momentum to an even bigger scale with the first-ever stadium tour in the U.S. by a regional Mexican group. The band will also sit for a Superstar Q&A on Oct. 20 at Billboard Latin Music Week, before headlining the Billboard En Vivo showcase that night. The 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards ceremony will air on Telemundo and will also be available on the Telemundo app, Peacock and Telemundo Internacional across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The night will kick off with star-studded blue-carpet coverage across platforms starting at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets to attend the event are now available on Ticketmaster. This year, Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 17 mentions, followed by Tito Double P with 15 and Fuerza Regida with 12.
Karol G is a nine-time finalist, Prince Royce eight and Bad Bunny seven. Produced by Telemundo and MBS Special Events, the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards coincide with Billboard Latin Music Week, which returns to Miami Beach Oct. 19-22 with a stellar lineup also including Greeicy, Jay Wheeler, Kany García, Maluma, Pitbull, Rawayana, Ryan Castro, Trueno, Zhamira and many more. For more information and tickets, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
