Romeo Santos, Daddy Yankee, and Keityn Win 2026 ASCAP Latin Music Awards

The 2026 ASCAP Latin Music Awards went down Tuesday night in Miami, and the ceremony made clear who is running the Latin songwriting game right now. Romeo Santos, Daddy Yankee, and Colombian hitmaker Keityn all walked away with top honors at the invite-only event hosted by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Keityn Takes Songwriter of the Year for the Third Time

Keityn claimed songwriter of the year for the third time, and the catalog behind that win says everything. He co-wrote Karol G and Marco Antonio Solís's "Coleccionando Heridas," Maluma's "Cosas Pendientes," Feid's "Doblexxó," and Nicky Jam and Beéle's "Hiekka." That is not a hot streak. That is a system. Keityn is consistently placing records across styles and rosters, which is exactly the kind of songwriter career worth studying.

Romeo Santos took home songwriter-artist of the year, driven by recent cuts including "Ángel" with Grupo Frontera, "Desde Hoy" performed by Natti Natasha, and "Khé" with Rauw Alejandro. Santos has always been a composer first, and this award reinforces that his pen is just as valuable as his name on the marquee.

Karol G's "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" Wins Song of the Year

The Latin Song of the Year went to "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" by Karol G, written by ASCAP songwriter Rios and published through Capital Music Puerto Rico LLC and Kobalt Music Publishing. The track held No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs for 14 weeks and recently climbed back to No. 6 after Karol G headlined Coachella. That kind of chart staying power does not happen without an airtight song at the foundation.

Daddy Yankee added his 63rd and 64th ASCAP Latin Awards, extending his record as the most decorated Latin songwriter in the organization's history. He has been recognized at every ASCAP Latin Awards ceremony since 2005. At this point, Yankee's publishing catalog is one of the most valuable bodies of work in the entire genre.

On the publishing side, Universal Music Publishing Group took Latin music publisher of the year for the fourth straight year, credited in large part to its representation of Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, and other current chart leaders. Other honorees included Feid, Xavi, Natanael Cano, Danny Ocean, and Julito Gastón, who earned his first ASCAP recognition for co-writing Bad Bunny's global hit "Baile Inolvidable."

What This Means for Independent Songwriters

The ASCAP Latin Awards are a direct reminder that the songwriting credit is where long-term value lives in this industry. Keityn winning songwriter of the year three times means he is not chasing placements. He has built relationships and a reputation that keeps him in rooms where the biggest records are being made.

For independent artists and songwriters working in Latin music or adjacent lanes, the lesson here is about positioning. Publishing deals, performing rights organization registration, and credit transparency are not paperwork problems. They are the infrastructure that turns a hit into a career. If you are building that infrastructure now, [submit your music](/submit) and connect with the community that can help you get there.