Mexican bands, reggaeton artists were big winners at Los Premios TV in Los Angeles, where the political leanings of the host, Calle 13’s Residente, also had some time in the spotlight Thursday.
Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin and Yandel won for best artist of the year and best video for “Abusadora,” at the celebration of the best of the year’s pop, rock and reggaeton from Latin America at Universal City’s Gibson Amphitheater.
Pop diva Paulina Rubio won for best soloist and sang a duet with Cobra Starship’s lead singer Gabe Saporta.
“So early, I wasn’t expecting this,” she said, clutching her “lengua,” as the lurid pink tongue statuettes are called. “I want to thank my fans who have been voting day and night for (the song) ‘Causa y efecto.’ I’m the cause — you are the effect.”
Panda, an alternative group from Monterrey, won three “lenguas,” including best group or duo and best alternative act.
“With the explosion of reggaeton, we thought the winner would be, I don’t know, Calle 13,” lead singer Jose Madero said.
Calle 13 did win, for best urban artist. But best pop artist went to Reik, a trio from Mexicali, and alt-psychedelic band Zoe won for best rock artist.
For the first time, MTV held awards shows in Mexico City, Bogota and Buenos Aires, Argentina, and rebroadcast performances as part of the Los Angeles show, including songs by Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz and hip-shaking crossover star Shakira from Bogota.
The six regional awards went to Panda, Colombian alt-rockers Don Tetto, Peruvian pop group Adammo, Mexican singer-songwriter Paty Cantu, Argentine electropop band Miranda! and singer Loli Molina.
Fashion-forward dance artist Lady Gaga won song of the year for “Poker Face” and best new international artist. Best breakthrough artist went to the Italian duo Sonohra.
Host Nelly Furtado opened the show Thursday with “Manos al Aire,” a song from her Spanish-language album “Mi Plan.”
Then she got a little crazy. The Canadian-Portuguese singer challenged her co-host to throw down a few lines and rapped while two male body builders in tiny Speedos gyrated next to her.
Residente, whose given name is Rene Perez, called for Boriquen independence, and he called the governor of Puerto Rico a nasty name that’s not printable in Spanish or English to express his support for a one-day strike in San Juan over unemployment and public employee layoffs.
Residente, who talked a lot more than his co-host, also changed his shirt several times during the show to get his political message across.
One shirt said “Chavez for best pop artist” in Spanish, possibly a reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Another honored Argentine singer-songwriter Mercedes Sosa, who died Oct. 4. Another protested the current Honduran president and another referred to the Tlatelolco student massacre in 1968.
Eduardo Cabra — Perez’s brother and the other half of Calle 13 — jokingly said that Perez took lessons from Don Francisco, the buffoonish host of “Sabado Gigante,” Univision’s long-running variety show.
“Kidding, kidding,” he said.
