J Balvin Brings Spectacular Jungle Vibes to Latin Billboard Awards, Receives Spirit of Hope Honor

Colombian superstar J Balvin shined at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where he not only gave an emotional speech when he was presented with a special Spirit of Hope award — which he received from fellow countryman Maluma — but also one of her awards evening. the most spectacular performances with an explosive finale of salsa music.

Balvin, recognized for his philanthropic efforts through Vibra En Alta Foundationspoke with emotion as she accepted the award, which was created in honor of the late Selena Quintanilla to highlight stars who have dedicated extraordinary time and efforts to political, community and humanitarian causes beyond their artistic achievements.

“I've always enjoyed helping my people quietly, because those are the rewards one carries forever,” he said. “These prizes come and go, but the prizes of the soul, helping a friend, serving others, these are worth the most.”

Amid screams from fans, chanting “Balvin, Balvin!”, he dedicated the award to his life partner Valentina, his son Río, his friends and fans for their continued support.

“At the Vibra En Alta Foundation, that's exactly what we do, we look for ways to help elevate the aspirations and dreams of others, children, single mothers, people who have suffered abuse — we always want to help lift the spirits them so they can find their way,” he added. “Now that I'm a family man, I'm dealing with a job that's quite complicated [the fight against] child trafficking. It's something very few people talk about and I've been told to be very careful, but I'd rather die for our children and families than stay silent.”

Balvin, dressed in a two-tone white suit and sneakers, received the trophy from Maluma, who he mentioned in the recent Bulletin board cover as a colleague to whom he turned for advice in difficult times, and became a good friend. “Today we celebrate an artist who with his music has traveled our culture around the world,” Maluma said as he presented the award amid cheers from the audience. “José is a great representative not only of our country, Colombia, but also of our species, a man who gives without expecting anything in return.”

Moments earlier, Balvin transported the audience to an Amazonian jungle to perform his hit “Cosa de Locos” on stage accompanied by an energetic group of dancers. The song, part of his latest album Rayois fast and hard reggaeton mixed with futuristic synthesizer beats, but for the Latin Billboard Music Awards, the star brought a stunning set that ended with a salsa beat, rousing the audience at the Mediapro Studio in Miami Beach, Florida.

Balvin also headlined Billboard's Latin Music Week 2024, appearing on Wednesday (October 16) for a Superstar Q&A, in which he reflected on the industry and his career.

With the Spirit of Hope award, the artist joins a list of previous honorees including Carlos Santana, Carlos Vives, Daddy Yankee, El General, Emmanuel, Gloria Estefan, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Karol G, Los Tigres del Norte, Luis Fonsi, Maná, Marc Anthony, Ricardo Montaner, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Soraya, Olga Tañón and Willy Chirino.

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards also featured performances from J Balvin, Grupo Niche, Pepe Aguilar, Gloria Trevi, Maria Becerra, Xavi, Chencho Corleone, Prince Royce, Gabito Ballesteros, Proyecto Uno and more.

To catch more performances, special awards and exclusive behind-the-scenes content from the awards night, visit Billboard.com.