Manuel Alejandro Accepts the Visionary Award at Premio Lo Nuestro 2025: ‘This is a Great Celebration’

Manuel Alejandro received the Visionary Award at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 ceremony. At 92 years old, the Spanish musician, arranger, and producer was recognized on Thursday (Feb. 20) for his six-decade career, during which he has written more than 500 songs and worked with iconic romantic crooners including José José, Rocío Jurado, and Julio Iglesias, among many others.

The artist was recognized with an elegant and moving presentation in which Alejandro Sanz, Niña Pastori, Carín León and Laura Pausini, with Edgar Barrera on the piano and an orchestra, performed his classics “Procuro Olvidarte,” “Qué Sabe Nadie,” “Dueño de Nada” and “Mi Amante Amigo,” respectively, before joining their voiced for “Como Yo Te Amo.”

“For me this is a great celebration, because since I started in America so many years ago, this beautiful America, I realized that the strength of yours, of its people, ended when they heard a love song,” said Manuel Alejandro, hoarse but beaming with joy. “So, the only thing I did my whole life was delve deep, listen to your vibrations, your deepest feelings, and write them down verbatim. Nothing more.”

Born in Jerez de la Frontera–Cádiz in 1932, Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (his real name) has music in his blood, as his father was renowned composer Germán Álvarez Beigbeder.

In the 1970s, he achieved success as the author of the most emblematic songs for Raphael: “Yo Soy Aquel,” “Cuando Tú No Estás,” and “Cierro Mis Ojos,” to name a few. He continued to write great hits that decade for voices like Libertad Lamarque, Pedro Vargas, Julio Iglesias, Rocío Jurado, “El Puma” José Luis Rodríguez, and more. In the 80s and 90s, he also wrote and produced for stars such as Emmanuel, José José, Isabel Pantoja, and Plácido Domingo.

“I share this award with magnificent songwriters such as this boy here, Edgar Barrera, who a few days ago receiving a Grammy mentioned me as a role model,” he added. “I also share it with those composers that you all know, like Roberto Cantoral or Armando Manzanero, who accompanied me along the way to get here.”

Other two artists received special awards this year: La India, who was honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro Lifetime Achievement Award, and Alejandro Fernández with the Premio Lo Nuestro Excellence Award.

Broadcasting live from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. Becky G & Carin León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine nods each; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, with eight nominations each.

This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.