In shifting to an all-Spanish-language ceremony for the first time, the Latin Grammy Awards took a decidedly conservative turn in its sixth year, saluting tried-and-true artists during Thursday's three-hour telecast at the expense of boundary-pushing musical upstarts.
Colombian rocker Juanes was the big winner of the night, nabbing three awards for rock song, music video and rock solo vocal album, bringing his lifetime Grammy total to a dozen. Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz's "Tu no Tienes Alma" won song and record of the year awards, while Brazilian Ivan Lins took the best album trophy for "Cantando Historias."
Meanwhile, Spanish alternative singer-songwriter Bebe -- who led the nominations going into the ceremony with five -- took home one Grammy, for new artist.
Having been bumped from CBS after ratings dwindled, the Latin Grammys -- which instead aired nationally on Univision, the country's top Spanish-language network -- shed the sometimes awkward pairings in years past of Latin stars with non-Latin celebrities.
Instead, the entire three-hour broadcast was devoted to showcasing the wide range of Latin music -- from salsa and banda to reggaeton and norteno.
"The Latin Grammys have come home," said Mexican actor Eduardo Santamarina, who joined Mexican TV personality Rebecca de Alba as co-host of the program at the Shrine Auditorium.
Still, the Univision telecast was noticeably more formal and conservative than its CBS predecessor and other U.S. entertainment awards shows. The banter between presenters was restrained and appeared tightly scripted, and most winners offered pat acceptance speeches thanking their families.
One exception was Bebe. After being named best new artist, the 27-year-old singer apologized for chewing gum and then let loose with a salty expletive -- drawing laughter from the audience -- before a final, rapid-fire sprint of Spanish that left even many native speakers hard pressed to understand. Viewers didn't have a chance to, as the network bleeped much what she said.
Bebe, the daughter of Spanish folk singers, has sold more than 300,000 copies of her debut album in Spain, with its mix of styles, from flamenco to electronica, and personal reflections mixed with social messages.
She was the only artist nominated in the top four categories -- record, album, song and new artist -- but despite her lead going into the night, voters ultimately backed more traditional artists. Italian vocalist Laura Pausini beat Bebe out for female pop vocal album with her album "Escucha," an upset that surprised even the winner.
