The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2018 in Latin music. The list covers events and releases from Latin regions including Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the United States.
Events January–March January 28 "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber becomes the first Latin song to receive a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA measured data from the original version by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee and the remix with Justin Bieber for the award. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee become the 12th and 13th Latin artists to perform at the Grammy Awards. February 12 "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber breaks the record for the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The previous record was held by "Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias, Gente de Zona, and Descemer Bueno with 41 weeks. February 22The 30th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards are held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Nominations are absent due to being a commemorative edition. Special awards are given instead. Cuban producer Emilio Estefan and Cuban singer Gloria Estefan receive the Lo Nuestro Award to Excellence. Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández receives the Trajectory Award. Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañón and Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel receive a special award. March 6The 26th Annual ASCAP Latin Awards are held at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, New York. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber wins Song of the Year. Only ASCAP members Justin Bieber, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, and Daddy Yankee receive the award. Joss Favela is recognized as Songwriter of the Year. March 20The 25th Annual BMI Latin Awards are held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber wins Contemporary Latin Song of the Year. Only BMI members Luis Fonsi and Marty James receive the award. J Balvin is recognized as Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year.
April–June April 4The music video of "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee becomes the first YouTube video to reach five billion views on the site. April 10"Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber reaches an unprecedented 50th week at number one on Billboards Hot Latin Songs chart. April 23The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports that revenue for the Latin music market in the United States rose 37% in 2017, totaling in $243 million amounting to 2.8 percent of the market in the country. Streaming was noted as the primary factor for the rise in revenue for the Latin music market. April 24 The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reports that revenue for the Latin music market in Latin America increased 17.7% in 2017, denoting online streaming as the primary factor for its rise. Physical albums revenue declined 41.5%. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber is the second best-selling digital single of 2017 in the world, with 24.3 million sales plus track-equivalent streams. April 26The 25th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards are held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee is the biggest winner with eight awards. Puerto Rican singer Ozuna wins Artist of the Year. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber wins Hot Latin Song of the Year. Fénix by Nicky Jam wins Top Latin Album of the Year. April 28Mexican group Calibre 50 and Colombian singer J Balvin receive an award by streaming service Pandora Radio for being the first artists to surpass a billion streams each in that platform.
July–September July 2Colombian singer J Balvin and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny achieve their first number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 through "I Like It" with American rapper Cardi B. They become the first Latin artists to top the chart since Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in 2017. July 10Nielsen SoundScan publishes the Latin mid-year chart for the United States and reports that streaming activity has increased in comparison to the first half of 2017, while album and digital single sales decreased. Odisea by Puerto Rican singer Ozuna is the best-performing album, with 313,000 sales plus track- and stream-equivalent units. CNCO by CNCO is the best-selling album, with 17,000 copies sold. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber is the best-selling single, with 246,000 downloads sold; the most-streamed song, with 308,980,000 audio and video streams combined; the most-streamed audio, with 119,802,000 streams; and the most-streamed video, with 189,178,000 streams. July 15 American singer Nicky Jam performs "X" and "Live It Up", the latter together with American rapper Will Smith and Kosovo Albanian singer Era Istrefi, during the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony.
October–December
November 2 – The 13th LOS40 Music Awards take place at the WiZink Center in Madrid. Prometo by Pablo Alborán wins Best Spanish Album. "El Patio" by Pablo López wins Best Spanish Song. "Déjala Que Baile" by Melendi and Alejandro Sanz wins Best Spanish Video. Colombian band Morat wins Best Latin Artist. November 4 – The 25th MTV Europe Music Awards take place at the Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao. Anitta wins Best Brazilian Act. Ha*Ash wins Best Latin America North Act. Sebastián Yatra wins Best Latin America Central Act. Lali wins Best Latin America South Act. Diogo Piçarra wins Best Portuguese Act. Viva Suecia wins Best Spanish Act.
November 15The 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada: "Telefonía" by Jorge Drexler wins the Latin Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. ¡México Por Siempre! by Luis Miguel wins the Album of the Year. Karol G wins the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist Mexican band Maná is honored Person of the Year, becoming the first musical ensemble to do so.
Number-one albums and singles by country List of number-one hits of 2018 (Argentina) List of number-one songs of 2018 (Bolivia) List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2018 (Brazil) List of number-one songs of 2018 (Colombia) List of number-one songs of 2018 (Guatemala) List of number-one albums of 2018 (Mexico) List of number-one songs of 2018 (Mexico) List of number-one albums of 2018 (Portugal) List of number-one albums of 2018 (Spain) List of number-one singles of 2018 (Spain) List of number-one Billboard Latin Albums from the 2010s List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Songs of 2018 List of number-one Billboard Regional Mexican Songs of 2018 List of number-one songs of 2018 (Venezuela)
Awards 2018 Premio Lo Nuestro 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards 2018 Latin American Music Awards 2018 Latin Grammy Awards 2018 Heat Latin Music Awards 2018 MTV Millennial Awards
Albums released First-quarter January Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label14 Dos Caminos Samuel SerranoFlamencoCebros Producciones19 Mi Guitarra y Yo, Vol. 3 Regulo CaroRegional MexicanDEL Alô Vila Isabeeeel!!! Martinho da VilaSambaSony Music Brasil26 En Vida Banda Los Sebastianes de Mazatlan, SinaloaBandaFonovisa 2:00 am Raquel SofíaSinger-songwriterSony Music Latin Delirium Tremens Rosario La TremenditaFlamencoUniversal Music Spain Amor E Música Maria RitaSambaUniversal Music
February Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label1 Buenos Aires Noir Allison Brewster Franzetti and Carlos FranzettiClassicalAmapola 2 Miro Lo Que Otros No Miran Grupo CodiciadoRegional MexicanRancho Humilde Miradas Nana MendozaLatin popNana Mendoza Lebron Tote KingLatin hip hopSony Music Spain9 Musas: Un Homenaje Al Folclore Latinoamericano En Manos de Los Macorinos 2 Natalia LaFourcade FolkColumbia Diomedizao Elvis Crespo TropicalFlash Un Mundo Raro: Las Canciones De José Alfredo Jiménez Various artists Warner Music Mexico14 Irremplazable Adrián Acosta TejanoTalentos Music, LZ20 Ecos Del Silencio OfrendaClassicalAsociación Sinfónica De Heredia23 Mi Viaje Danilo MonteroLatin ChristianIntegrity Diferentes Tipos De Luz Sony MusicIntegrity
March Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label1 ¿Dónde Bailarán las Niñas? Ximena SariñanaWarner Music2 El Wason BB Lary OverLatin hip-hop Carbon Fiber Music Primero Soy Mexicana Ángela Aguilar Mariachi, ranchera "Tu Sangre en Mi Cuerpo (feat. Pepe Aguilar)" Machín Los Creadores del Sonido Chiquito Team Band Salsa Planet Al Este Del Cante Arcángel Flamenco Universal Music Spain Casas Rubel Brazilian rock Dorileo, Tratore4 Identidad Miguel Siso Guataca8 Fuerza Arará TelmaryLatin alternative Sony Music9 Ahora MelendiLatin pop Sony Music +AR Almir Sater & Renato TeixeiraBrazilian roots Universal Music13 Tex Mex Funk Roger Velásquez & The Latin LegendzTejanoVDiscos16 Entre Botellas Chiquis RiveraRegional Mexican Sweet Sound Hazte Sentir Laura PausiniLatin pop"Nadie Ha Dicho" Warner Music Latina Geometria del Rayo Manolo GarcíaPop rockSony Music Spain, Perro Prazer, Eu Sou Ferrugem FerrugemSambaWarner Music Brasil23 25/7 Víctor ManuelleSalsa"Hasta Que Me De la Gana""Mala y Peligrosa""Amarte Duro" Sony Music Latin Calidad y Cantidad La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho Banda Disa Nostalgias Daniel Binelli & Nick DanielsonTango Bell Ville25 Omara Siempre Omara PortuondoTropical EGREM Pa'lante el Mambo! Diego GutiérrezTropical fusion EGREM24 Viene De Panamá (Sin Raíz No Hay País) AfrodisíacoFolk Star Arsis Entertainment26 Motivos Maria RivasTropical Angel Falls Artists27 Sexflix (EP) Alex Rose Los Oídos Fresh28 Un Canto Nuevo Juan Antonio Cuéllar y Luis Torres Zuleta30 Orquesta Akokan Orquesta AkokanMambo Daptone Relax KassinBrazilian rockLab 344
Second-quarter April Day Title Artist Genre(s) Singles Label6 CNCO CNCOLatin pop, reggaeton"Hey DJ""Reggaetón Lento (Remix)""Mamita""Sólo Yo""Mi Medicina"Sony Music Latin El Sueño Americano La Energía NorteñaRegional MexicanAzteca Porque Todavía Te Quiero Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo MazzTejano M Music & Entertainment Group, Freddie La Alegría y El Canto Marta GómezFolk Aluna Vigor Tanguero Pedro GiraudoTango Zoho Music Back to the Sunset Dafnis Prieto Big BandLatin jazz Dafnison Music Fiero Quinteto Bataraz Independent Ahora O Nunca La Pegatina 7 Legado Formell y Los Van VanTropicalFormell y los Van Van10 Cantor del Pueblo Alexander Abreu and Havana D'PrimeraSalsaPáfata Productions Enamórate Bailando Reynier Pérez y Su Septeto AcareySalsaIndependent Setenta Veces Siete AlfarerosLatin ChristianAlfareros13 Trap Capos II NorielLatin trapSony Music Latin, Ganda Entertainment Sobrenatural Manny CruzTropical fusionSony Music Latin, Ganda Entertainment Leo Brouwer: The Book Of Signs, Paulo Bellinati: Concerto CabocloBrasil Guitar Duo, David Amado, and The Delaware Symphony OrchestraClassicalNaxos Alma Con BríoLa Catrina String QuartetClassicalRycy 14 Mind of a Master Bobby Valentin & The Latin JazzistsLatin jazzBronco16 Magia Todo El Día Luis Pescetti y AmigosChildren'sLMP Anniversary Spanish Harlem OrchestraSalsaArtistShare20 Pura Lumbre Legado 7 Regional MexicanRancho Humilde Aztlán Zoé Latin alternativeUniversal Music Mexico Bendecido Lenin Ramírez Regional MexicanDEL El Que A Ti Te Gusta Voz de Mando NorteñoAfinarte Music Hamilton De Holanda Trio – Jacob 10ZZ Hamilton de Holanda Trio Deck ¡Baila Conmigo!Yubá-IréFolk Ox Lab24 50 Años Tocando Para Ti Bogotá PhilharmonicOrquesta Filarmónica De Bogotá27 Comeré Callado, Vol. 2: Con Banda Gerardo Ortíz Regional MexicanSony Music Latin Tributo a la Cumbia Colombiana 4 Alberto Barros CumbiaFonovisa, Universal Music Los Ángeles Existen Pesado NorteñoRemex Music, Sony Music Dona De Mim Iza PopWarner Music Brasil Mágica y Misteriosa Claudia Montero ClassicalLa Cupula Music30 La Gira SibilinoDios
May