Latin Grammy Awards Reach a Wide Audience Saturday Night

Last night's Latin Grammy Awards reached a record 12.6 million viewers, according to Business Wire. Juan Luis Guerra, a songwriter from the Dominican Republic, was the big winner at the eighth annual award show.

Guerra's album, "La Llave de Mi Corazon" won album of the year and best merengue album, reports The New York Times. The title track of the album won record of the year, song of the year, and best tropical song. The album also won an award for audio engineering.

In his acceptance speech, Guerra referenced the recent Tropical Storm Noel and the damage it has incurred on the Dominican Republic, saying, "We are a strong and valiant nation."

The awards were held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, and doled honors to artists from countries such as Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and Mexico. Ricky Martin opened the show with his "La Bomba," and won the award for best male pop vocal album. In his acceptance speech, he spoke to the need for unity among Latin countries.

A performance of Calle 13's "Pal Norte," which won best urban song, was the highlight of the evening. Calle 13 filled the stage with musical guests Orishas, drummers from the Las Vegas Stomp show, and Arauco Indians from Colombia. It is a song about crossing borders, illegally or legally, and the delivery was full of percussion and energy.