Rubén Blades to receive Billboard Icon Award

Panamanian singer, songwriter, and musician Rubén Blades will receive the Billboard Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The ceremony is scheduled for October 22 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.

Blades is recognized for a career spanning over five decades, during which he became a central figure in the 1970s New York salsa movement. He is noted for expanding the genre by incorporating elements of jazz, rock, and other Latin sounds, while utilizing socially conscious lyrics to tell stories about everyday life and political issues in Latin America.

Throughout his career, Blades has recorded more than 25 albums and written hundreds of songs. In response to the announcement, he expressed gratitude to the musicians, arrangers, and engineers who contributed to his work, specifically highlighting his long-term collaboration with Roberto Delgado y Orquesta de Panamá. As part of the festivities, Blades will participate in a special Icon Q&A during Billboard Latin Music Week.