Universal Music Executive Jesús López Honored by the King and Queen of Spain

Jesus Lopezpresident/CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, has received a special honor from the King and Queen of Spain.

On Wednesday (April 3), the music executive received the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts — an award that recognizes individuals and entities who have “excelled” in the field of artistic and cultural creation and have “rendered outstanding service in promoting , development and dissemination of art and culture and in the preservation of artistic heritage,” according to a statement from Universal Music Latino.

The ceremony, where 32 awards were presented, took place in Cádiz, a port city in the Andalucia region of southwestern Spain, with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia attending. With this honor, the Spanish executive, who was born in the city of Ferrol, becomes the first executive in the music industry to receive the recognition.

“Being the first Spanish record executive to receive this recognition has a double meaning for me, on the one hand personal and family pride and gratitude, and on the other hand that the work of so many record executives is rewarded by the Spanish cultural world. López said in a statement. “Thank you to all the artists, songwriters, producers and colleagues at the various labels I have worked with and continue to work with for their support and care, without them this recognition would never have been a reality.”

Over the years, López has been behind success stories, including Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's global smash hit “Despacito,” which became the first predominantly Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena” of Los del Río in 1996. He was also a player in the history of Karol G Mañana Será Bonitowhich became the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.

López joins previous gold medal recipients such as Spanish singer-songwriter Víctor Manuel, writer Rosa Montero, musician Santiago Auserón, actor Javier Cámara and painter Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau, among others.