Before receiving his lifetime achievement award at Thursday’s (Feb. 23) Premio Lo Nuestro, Victor Manuelle received a riveting tribute by fellow artists including Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jerry Rivera, Tito Nieves, Noel Schajris and Norberto. All sang a medley of Manuelle’s salsa anthems, including “Tengo Ganas” and “He Tratado.”
“Today, we celebrate the career of a man whom I met 30 years ago when he was a teenager with many dreams,” Santa Rosa said as he presented Manuelle the award. “He approached me asking if he could sing and I remember thinking, that man will be a big deal. 30 years later, we’re celebrating a career that is based on talent. He’s an excellent singer, producer, songwriter. The ones that know him personally also know he’s a great brother, husband and now also grandfather.”
A teary-eyed Manuelle took the stage to give a heartfelt speech: “There are many emotions. First, I’d like to thank the one I think is the best composer, producer, Jesus Christ. Secondly, my family, among them is the man who in 1993 believed in me when no one else did and he produced my first songs, Gilberto Santa Rosa. To my mom, my children, who are my inspiration, my wife, who is the heart of our family. To my fans, the artists that are with me tonight.”
The 2023 Premio Lo Nuestro, which is themed “El Mundo Es Lo Nuestro” (or The World Is Ours), is co-hosted by Colombian pop star Sebastian Yatra, Mexican TV presenter and actress Alejandra Espinoza, Mexican superstar Paulina Rubio, and Adrián Uribe of Univision’s late-night show De Noche Pero Sin Sueño.
Yatra tops this year’s nominations with 10 nods including the all-genre artist of the year category. He’s closely followed by other top nominees Bad Bunny, Camilo, Becky G, and Grupo Firme, who each have nine nods; Maluma, Daddy Yankee, and Ozuna with eight each; power couple Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía tie with seven, as well as Carin León, Karol G, Carlos Vives, and J Balvin. In total, 192 artists across diverse musical backgrounds are nominated within 39 categories.
The nominations for the fan-voted Premio Lo Nuestro are based on Uforia radio airplay during the eligibility period of Oct. 1, 2021 through Sept. 30, 2022. Streaming counts and the assessment of a committee of music and entertainment experts also factor in this list.
