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Juanes sweeps major categories at Latin GRAMMYs

By Rob Evans LiveDaily Editor

Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes [ tickets ] dominated the Fourth Annual Latin GRAMMYs in Miami on Wednesday (9/3), picking up wins in all five categories for which he was nominated.

Juanes' honors included a sweep of the ceremony's top categories--Album of the Year for "Un Dia Normal," and Song and Record of the Year for "Es Por Ti." His producer, Gustavo Santaolalla, won trophies for Record and Album of the Year, and also took awards for producing and arranging the Top Pop Instrumental Album, "Bajofondo Tango Club."

The Best New Artist Award went to Spanish singer David Bisbal, the winner of the reality-TV talent show "Operación Triunfo."

This year marked the first time that the Latin GRAMMY®s have taken place in Miami. The ceremony was scheduled to take place in Miami in 2001, but was moved to Los Angeles because organizers were worried about anti-Fidel Castro protests. About three dozen anti-Cuban protesters reportedly congregated outside the ceremony on Wednesday.

The show, which was hosted by comic George Lopez at the American Airlines Center, opened with a tribute by Gloria Estefan [ tickets ], Marc Anthony [ tickets ] and others to legendary Cuban musician Celia Cruz [ tickets ], who died earlier this year. Among the night's performers were Molotov, Thalia and Bacilos, Juanes with Black Eyed Peas, and Alexandre Pires with Kelly Clarkson [ tickets ].

A dozen Cuban artists were nominated for awards, but none received U.S. visas to travel to the show. According to news reports, U.S. and Cuban officials blamed each other for the snafu.

A list of winners in select categories follows. A complete list is available at the Latin GRAMMYs website.