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Spain to Host First Latin Grammys Held outside US

Spanish singer Rosalia poses in the press room during the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)
Spanish singer Rosalia poses in the press room during the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)
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Spain to Host First Latin Grammys Held outside US

Spanish singer Rosalia poses in the press room during the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)
Spanish singer Rosalia poses in the press room during the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15, 2018. (AFP/Getty Images)

Spain will host the next Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, marking the first time the star-studded event is held outside the United States, officials said Wednesday.

Like the Grammy Awards, which are considered the top US music honors, the Latin Grammys celebrate excellence in music and performances by Latin artists.

The gala will be held in November in the southern region of Andalusia, the head of the Spanish regional government announced, without specifying the host city or exact dates.

"It is no exaggeration if I say that it is a historic event for Andalusia," Juan Manuel Moreno told a news conference.

"That the Latin Grammys will leave the United States for the first time is reason for special celebration, and what better place to hold them than Andalusia," said the head of the Latin Recording Academy, Manuel Abud.

The gala, which was first held in 2000, is usually hosted in Las Vegas although it has also taken place in US cities such as Houston, Miami and New York.

Andalusia, one of Spain's top tourist destinations, is home to cities such as Seville, Malaga and Cordoba.

Spanish artist Rosalia, known for her beautiful blend of flamenco music, won the best album prize at last year's Latin Grammys in Las Vegas.

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Entertainment

'Squid Game' Returns Looking for Win with Season 2

Season 2 of "Squid Game" premieres in Seoul as South Korea grapples with a political crisis. Jung Yeon-je / AFP
Season 2 of "Squid Game" premieres in Seoul as South Korea grapples with a political crisis. Jung Yeon-je / AFP
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'Squid Game' Returns Looking for Win with Season 2

Season 2 of "Squid Game" premieres in Seoul as South Korea grapples with a political crisis. Jung Yeon-je / AFP
Season 2 of "Squid Game" premieres in Seoul as South Korea grapples with a political crisis. Jung Yeon-je / AFP

Stepping onto the set of “Squid Game” season two, Lee Jong-jae felt like he had never left.
“Including promotion, I'd been living with Gi-hun for about two years," said Lee in a recent interview. “I really felt like I was him," he said in a recent interview.
“Squid Game” follows an underground competition in Korea that recruits people in debt to participate in childlike games for money. Once the games begin, the contestants realize there are deadly consequences.
The show was a global hit when it was released in 2021, becoming Netflix's most-watched series. It also won numerous accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for acting for Lee Jung-jae and directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk, The Associated Press said.
Lee's career catapulted, taking him to the Cannes Film Festival and giving him his first English-language role in the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” for Disney+.
Lee says when Netflix ordered a second season of “Squid Game,” he questioned the timeline because it took Hwang years to work on the first one. "I wondered, ‘How many years will it take him to write season two,’" said Lee. Hwang, in turn, surprised everyone — including himself — by taking just six months to write season two and a third and final season. “I'm not sure I'll ever be able to write something that fast again,” he said.
Creating new characters and their individual stories came easily. The biggest, challenge, Hwang said, was deciding what should happen with Gi-hun. Lee says when he read the scripts he thought Hwang “really is a genius.”
It's rare for even successful TV shows in Korea to have more than one season so it was a big swing, even for the new cast.
“There’s a Korean phrase, ‘there’s not a sequel that does better than its prequel,’ said actor Yang Dong-geong, whose character debuts in season two. "I've been careful because we aren't really sure what the reaction will be.” The outlook is positive. Season two has already been nominated in the best drama series category at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.
The opportunity to work on a project with worldwide appeal is a dream come true for a performer. Lee Byung-hun, who reprises his villain role from season one, has appeared in big budget English-language films like “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” with Channing Tatum and Dennis Quaid and “Red 2” with Bruce Willis. It's “Squid Game” that he credits for taking his career to another level.
“I’ve been an actor for over three decades and ... maybe most people outside of Korea have never seen anything that I’ve been in. If anyone through ‘Squid Game’ wishes to see more of me or becomes more curious about my previous works, as an actor, nothing would be more rewarding or bring me greater joy."
The audition process moved slowly. Jo Yu-ri recalls waiting two months between the first and second-round. When she finally got the part Jo says, “I actually remember crying.” The actors were asked to not speak publicly about their casting to wait for Netflix to make an announcement. “There were a couple of close friends that popped champagne for me when they found out," said Yang.
Netflix's “Squid Game” universe is also growing. A second season of a reality competition show based on the series has been ordered and an English version is in development. Season three of the original has also completed filming and is in post-production.