Latin Grammys Bound for Their Original Destination: Miami

After a detour last year to Los Angeles, the Latin Grammys are headed “home” to Miami.

Officials of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and the related Latin Recording Academy announced Wednesday in Miami that the second annual Latin awards ceremony will be held Sept. 12 at the county-owned American Airlines Arena there.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas hailed the news as “cementing even harder Miami’s position as . . . the Latin music capital of the world.”

The sponsoring organizations had hoped to stage the first Latin Grammys in Miami last fall, but they turned to Los Angeles’ Staples Center after a political furor over the Cuba issue.

Miami civic leaders at the time rejected hosting the awards because Cuban artists might be involved in the show. A local ordinance barred the county from doing business with those who have dealings with Cuba.

The door to staging this year’s ceremony in Florida was opened in July, when the ordinance was struck down after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed a similar Massachusetts statute blocking state purchases from companies that do business in Myanmar.

“Bringing the show to Miami . . . is an important next step for the continued growth and impact of the Latin Grammys,” Michael Greene, president-CEO of the two academies, said.

Miami civic and cultural leaders have been campaigning for months to assure Greene and other academy officials that Miami would be a safe and eager host for the awards--despite strong feelings among some Cuban Americans who say that the ceremony would provide a showcase for pro-Castro artists. The Latin Grammys will be broadcast around the world.

In his statement Wednesday, Greene expressed confidence in Miami’s ability to provide a “hospitable and secure environment for all our Latin music makers.”

The Latin Grammys were started last year as a way to recognize the growing sales power of Latin music around the world. This year’s awards will include 40 categories. Nominees will be announced this summer.