Ricky Martin has shared a deeply personal message of pride for Bad Bunny following the rapper’s historic night at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Writing an open letter in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día on Tuesday, 3 February, Martin expressed how much the 31-year-old’s success meant to him not just as a musician, but as a fellow “Boricua.”
“Boricua” refers to Puerto Rican.
In the letter titled When One of Ours Succeeds, We All Succeed, the 54-year-old Livin’ La Vida Loca star wrote, “Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply. Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent, and his story.”
Martin reflected on his own career, noting that he understands the heavy cost and sacrifice involved when an artist chooses to stay true to their origins rather than changing to suit others’ expectations.
He described the achievement as a “cultural and human victory” rather than just a musical one.
Bad Bunny made history over the weekend, taking home Best Global Musical Performance for EoO, Best Música Urbana Album, and the prestigious Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
It was a landmark moment, as his win marked the first time an album performed entirely in Spanish has ever won the top prize.
Martin praised the rapper for refusing to “soften the Spanish or hide the identity” of his work, adding, “You won without changing the color of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico.”
The legendary singer also highlighted how the audience fell silent when Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech to defend the immigrant community and critique systems of persecution.
Bad Bunny dedicated his big win “to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams” and thanked his Latino fans worldwide.
Martin noted that this moment taught a whole generation that their identity is something that should never be negotiated and that success can coexist with being authentic.
The two stars have a history of mutual respect, having performed together at the 2019 Latin Grammys, while Martin presented the rapper with a GLAAD award in 2023.
This celebration of Puerto Rican culture comes just days before Bad Bunny is set to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Sunday, 8 February.
The game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will also feature pre-show performances from Green Day and Charlie Puth.
As Bad Bunny previously stated about the upcoming show, “this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”
