Los 40 Music Awards 2023
The Wizink Center in Madrid hosted the LOS40 Music Awards Santander 2023 gala, in which different awards were presented to the most outstanding artists of national and international music. Like every year, the gala brought together the most important figures of the Spanish, Latin and international music industry.
Los 40 Music Awards occupy in Spain the space that the MTV awards once occupied globally. The mix between awards ceremony and mini festival is one of the key events of the Spanish music industry. The 2023 edition was no different, for almost 4 hours the Wizink Center stage received some of the most important artists in the country, although some absences showed that they have lost some of their drawing power.
In the Spain Category, Ana Mena has also been crowned by winning the award for Best Artist, another of the most important, while the recognition for Best Urban Artist has gone to Quevedo. Álvaro de Luna (Best song for 'Everything with you'), Saiko (Best urban artist), Depol (Best artist From 40 to 1), Vicco (Best new artist), Chanel and Abraham Mateo (Best collaboration for 'Clavaíto') and Lola Índigo (Best tour for 'The Dragon') completed the list of winners in this section.
Manuel Turizo has taken the most awards in the Global Latin Category by winning Best Album and Tour, '2000', and Best Latin Song for 'El Merengue'. However, Camilo has won Best Artist, an award that he thanked Spain for «changing his life» and dedicated to «celebrating Colombian talent.»
Precisely another Colombian, like the previous two, Feid, has been another of the protagonists of the category by winning the awards for Best Urban Artist, Best Urban Collaboration for 'Hey Mor' (with Ozuna) and Best Urban Song for 'Classy 101' (with Young Miko). The Argentines Duki (Best Live Artist), María Becerra (Best Video for 'Corazónvacco') and Emilia (Best Collaboration for 'No Se Ve', with the Brazilian Ludmilla) have also won in the Latin section.
Lola Índigo, Aitana, Ana Mena, Manuel Turizo, Ozuna, and Feid were some of the artists who performed at the WiZink Center in Madrid
One of the most special recognitions given at this gala was the Golden Music Awards, which recognizes the career of a personality. In this edition one of them was given to Shakira. LOS40 wanted to recognize her figure as a global music icon. The artist was present at the 18th edition of the most important music awards ceremony in the country virtually, to offer a very special performance from Miami.
Of all the most obvious, due to the attempt to hide it: Shakira's. The Colombian, who received the Golden Music Award for her undisputed career, gave her speech and presentation from Miami, far from the Iberian territory due to professional commitments and personalities, although the audience did not lack some jokes about her debt to the treasury. But even from a distance it is good news to hear her in the most intimate version of her performing her song 'Acrostico', a song that is reminiscent of the time of 'Antología' and 'Where the Thieves Are'.
But although the Colombian did not make an appearance, the 40 Music Awards can still boast some key Spanish-language artists. Feid, Emilia, Ana Mena, Manuel Turizo or María Becerra. But as lately even more than the winners of the main awards, in this case led by Ana Mena who left Wizink with the artist of the year award, the most important thing about the gala is who gives the best presentation, and there the Competition is complicated to measure.
On the one hand, the British Tom Odell opted for simplicity, accompanied only by the lights and his grand piano to perform 'Black Friday' and 'Another Love', while Vicco continued to dazzle with a special arrangement and choreography of his now classic 'nochentera' and Camilo gave a show of professionalism with a medley of hits that included 'Mismo Aire', 'Vida de rico' and 'Si me dices que si' as well as 'For the first time', his song in collaboration with his wife, Eva Luna Montaner.
But there are three artists who seem to have emerged especially successful from the Wizink stage. Although there is no doubt that 'Maníaca' by Abraham Mateo is so similar to the song from which it takes its central sample, 'Maniac' by Michael Sembello it is difficult to argue with the quality of its presentation with mini orchestra, corps de ballet and references to 'Flashdance' included. On her side, Aitana, already a fixture at this ceremony, reviewed several songs and choreographies from her 'Alpha' tour, winning over the public by daring to do her most provocative and criticized movements. Finally, David Bisbal did not complicate things too much, but his experience allowed him to dominate the stage as if he had been in the middle of the OT phenomenon.
Just as Shakira's absence attracted comments about her debt to the treasury, Álvaro de Luna's performance of the song 'Everything with you' was marked by his public separation from Laura Escanes, for whom he wrote the song. The same was noted when the single received a song of the year award for the same song, and although it is a shame that their relationship is always talked about, he is after all one of the best pop songwriters active and would be worth the worth reviewing the song beyond its personal relationship.
But in the case of Aitana it is evident that any comment is sought. The artist took the stage at the 40 music awards as a declaration of principles by performing the songs and choreographies that have been pointed out for being «hypersexual» on some television channels, including Telecinco. Her interpretation of ‘Los Ángeles’, ‘Las babys’ and ‘Miamor’ seemed calculated to reignite those criticisms, and to make it clear that she cares very little about them.
Although there was no moment as emblematic as that of Rosalía and Pedro Almodóvar, it is difficult to argue with the lifetime achievement awards of Shakira, Ozuna and the British Take That, who remembered that by taking a stage they make Robbie Williams forget, the other awards There is something questionable about them, especially the international ones.
It is difficult to justify that Tom Odell has a better live performance than Taylor Swift, Coldplay or Beyoncé, or that Loreen is a superior international artist than Swift herself or figures like Sam Smith, Olivia Rodrigo or Dua Lipa. These are moments when it seems impossible not to assume that the highest award is being given to the artist in the audience, which takes some of the shine off the award.
Something can be said about the 40 Music Awards of 2023: They were more entertaining than the last editions of the Latin Grammys. It is good news given that they now share the country with the ceremony for the delivery of the legendary gramophones, and although the latter will surely always have an important advantage in terms of its drawing power, at least following the more pop model of MTV differentiates them, although This year no one has made Diaz Ayuso twerk.
Aitana sweeps the 40 Music Awards 2023 and debuts hair color
In addition to winning two awards out of the six nominations she had, Aitana puts aside her old identity to enter what corresponds to her most alpha stage.
She was heavily criticized on her 'Alpha Tour' for a change in her identity as an artist. Without a doubt, that phase of the innocent, almost adolescent girl is more than in the past. Aitana has made a spectacular change to her music, her image and also her style.
For this very important event, the 40 Music Awards 2023, Aitana was nominated for six awards: Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song for Los Angeles, Best Video Clip for Las babys, Best Collaboration for miamor with Rels B and Best Festival, Tour or Concert by alpha Tour. Finally she has won two: Best Video for Las Babys and Best Album for alpha.
As they comment on the official Los40 website, «Over the halfway point of her tour and with two Awards in her hands, the artist took the stage at the Wizink Center in Madrid to express her gratitude for the sweet moment she is experiencing in her career: «No I expected it, much less having two awards. It's the first time it's happened to me in my life. I'm shaking. I love two women who lead the national music scene, Ana Mena and Lola Índigo, you know that I admire you a lot. This award is also for you,” an absolutely generous gesture towards her professional colleagues.
As for the look, Aitana is wearing a black dress with multiple openings and asymmetries, a spiked necklace and very high black boots with a patent leather texture. What has impacted us is her change in hair color that maintains her bob cut that goes from an intense black to a mahogany, we knew that it was a trending color and we see it more and more, of course, she confirmed it to Aitana and it's going to be a boom.