For the first time in its 22-year history, Univision's Premios Juventud will leave the United States, to be staged in Panama City on Sept. 25. Organizers said moving the youth awards show abroad underscores a broader effort to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from Latin America and project the region's cultural power worldwide.
Bringing the ceremony to Panama involved a strategic co‘production with Magic Dreams Productions, a leading live‘entertainment company in Panama. The partnership covered all on‘site logistics, from venue management, stage construction and infrastructure coordination to red‘carpet production and full event execution.
Culture Minister Maruja Herrera said hosting the show is "a powerful affirmation of the leading role youth plays in the cultural transformation of the region," adding it will allow young people "to shine, share their voice and strengthen connections across cultures."
Tourism Minister Gloria de Leon called the event "a milestone for our country and an invaluable boost for tourism," noting that every image broadcast from Panama will serve as "an open invitation for the world to discover us."
The four-hour broadcast will air live from the Figali Convention Center on Univision, UniMas, Galavision and ViX, beginning with the red-carpet pre-show Noche de Estrellas. Clarissa Molina and Alejandra Espinoza will return as presenters, joined for the first time by Nadia Ferreira, a Paraguayan model and Marc Anthony´s wife, who will make her debut as co-host. Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi said the idea of bringing the show to Panama was born in November while he was watching the Latin Grammys broadcast from Miami.
"Why not do an event like this here?" he said he thought at the time. He added, with a laugh, "Panama is like Miami but without a visa." In 2024, Karol G and Peso Pluma were the top winners. This year, Bad Bunny and Danny Ocean are frontrunners, leading the nominations with six each. They are followed by Anitta, Emilia, Peso Pluma, Myke Towers, Beele, Cara Leon, and Neton Vega with five each.
A total of 231 artists are competing in 41 categories, including eight new ones such as Afrobeat Latino of the Year, Podcast of the Year, and Best Alternative Mexican Music Song.
One of the most anticipated categories is Artist of the Year, featuring Bad Bunny, Beele, Cara Leon, Karol G, Myke Towers, Natti Natasha, Neton Vega and Rauw Alejandro as nominees.
Bad Bunny is nominated for his album, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, which blends bomba, plena and salsa with reggaeton and "perreo." Beele competes with his breakout album, Borondo, while Cara Leon brings his genre-bending take on regional Mexican music.
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Univision's Premio Juventud has a goal of empowering new generations and honoring artists, athletes, content creators and changemakers who shape Latin pop culture. Tickets are available at premiosjuventud.com, with prices from $104.75 to $505.15 depending on location.