The 20 reasons why the Latin Grammys are the most exciting Grammys of them all

To launch the Latin Grammys properly (and on CBS no less), the show's producers had to configure a way to welcome in audiences who were young, old, traditional and pop-minded all at once. And with that, one of the ceremony's most fun performances was born: a tribute to Tito Puente featuring a peak-of-his-powers Ricky Martin, a blue-haired and enthusiastic Celia Cruz and a stellar Gloria Estefan. This was the kind of performance that spanned generations and showed the kind of unity that the Latin Grammys would be all about.

While the first-ever Latin Grammy Awards rode the crest of the 1999 Latin pop wave, it was Santana who capitalized it best, marrying his rock flair with the sounds of many English-language pop artists, resulting in the biggest album of his career. How fitting then that for the Latin Grammys, Santana collaborated with heartthrob rockers Maná on stage for "Corazón Espinado," a fun number that had the audience screaming and Santana moving all around the stage, showing off the hottest licks in the game.

Juanes' debut album launched in 2000 and was a moderate success. His 2002 effort, "Fíjate Bien," was a moderate success, but his second album, "Un Día Normal," helped launch him into the stratosphere of Latin pop royalty. This was reflected in a stellar night for Juanes, who won the triple crown trophies for Song, Album and Record of the Year, with his single "Es Por Ti" leading the way.

Part of being one of the most-watched Latino events of the year means that sometimes the Latin Grammys got political, and 2003 was no exception, as there were a lot of anti-Castro protests against performers coming from Cuba — even if no one from Cuba actually ended up appearing on the ceremony proper. George Lopez, then, pointedly referenced the controversy by wearing a T-shirt that read "Cuba B.C." (before Castro).

On July 16, 2003, the legendary Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, passed away at age 77. Having performed at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards, the fourth annual ceremony of course had to pay tribute to the diva and did so in spectacular fashion, bringing out Gloria Estefan, Willie Colon, Marc Anthony, Arturo Sandoval and Johnny Pacheco to give an all-star tribute to the legend. It wasn't a mournful event: It was an outright celebration of Cruz's life and music.

While Alejandro Sanz was the night's big winner (and he wasn't even in attendance at the ceremony!), the emotional apex of the Fifth Annual Latin Grammys was when Soraya won her statue for Best Singer-Songwriter Album — a new category. However, Soraya's story was a tragic one: She was in remission from breast cancer at the time and "representing the fight in many people who are striving to be better." Sadly, she would pass away from the disease two years later, making her night of triumph all the more bittersweet.

Shakira was one of Latin music's top pop stars long before she started making English-language pop records, but some felt that her turn toward the Top 40 with 2001's "Laundry Service" was a clear sign of her selling out. Her 2005 Spanish-language follow-up, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1," immediately rendered her critics silent, as her Alejandro Sanz-featuring lead cut, "La Tortura," even broke onto the American pop charts. She performed the song at the ceremony and ended up walking away with all of the top honors for the evening: Song, Album and Record of the Year. Welcome back, Shakira.

While "Despacito" made him a household name, Luis Fonsi has been cranking out Latin music hits since as early as 1998. He had become quite the commodity, with his 2005 single "Nada Es Para Siempre" even entering the Billboard Hot 100. Performing the song at the Seventh Annual Latin Grammy Awards, he surprised many by bringing out a special guest: ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, who gives the song his all and lights the stage on fire with his electric guitar work. It was one of the evening's most surprising collaborations but also one of the most memorable.

Latin pop music is like any other genre: filled with classic artists, stylish young heartthrobs and novelty oddballs. For a long time, Juan Luis Guerra was both a traditionalist and a heck of a quirky dude, with songs like "I Hope it Rains Coffee" under his belt. However, his embrace of the Dominican Republic style of music called bachata has helped elevate the genre as a whole. For the Eighth Annual Latin Grammys, Guerra had his moment, performing and also winning Song, Album, and Record of the Year for his diverse, upbeat song and album "La Llave de Mi Corazón".

The great thing about the Latin Grammys is that there hasn't been one, but instead multiple years where there were tributes to the accordion. One of the best ones, however, was in 2008 when the lovely Julieta Venegas played her ever-shifting and artful number "El Presente" before being joined on stage by no less than Michael Salgado and the Tejano legend David Lee Garza, with the three syncing up their accordion styles to celebratory effect.

There are legends, and then there are legends. Juan Gabrel has been putting out albums since 1971 and is a staple in ranchera and mariachi circles. However, his appearance near the end of the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards is the kind of water cooler moment that people have been talking about for years. As the penultimate performance of the evening, Gabrel was to perform a medley of his hits in an allotted time of about seven or so minutes. Yet once Gabrel and his band started, they didn't let up, with the crowd chanting along and cameras following for what became a full broadcast length of 33 minutes of continuous performing. There was some audience banter thrown in between numbers, but Gabrel showed up and proved exactly why he has earned his icon status.

2011 really was Calle 13's year, and that was made no more apparent than at the 12th Annual Latin Grammys. While the hip-hop group had a clean sweep of the top categories (Song, Album, and Record of the Year), the highlight of the evening was when the group worked in collaboration with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Gustavo Dudamel) and gave its sound an absolutely cinematic accompaniment. When the orchestra in full started clapping along to the beat, you knew this was going to be a moment that would be hard to forget.

Back in 1991, Natalie Cole found a massive audience when she tried doing a digital "duet" with her father, Nat King Cole, on the classic "Unforgettable." During awards show performances, she would "sing" to her father via video, and it created an emotional indelible moment. So it was lovely for her to do something similar at the 2013 Latin Grammys, again singing across from her father's video performance of the classic "Acercate Mas," making for a lighthearted, lovely moment.

Say what you will about Pitbull, but there's no denying the fact that he can make for lively entertainment. He's shown up at so many Latin Grammy performances that it's hard to highlight just one, so we'll go with his 2013 appearance where he managed to break out "Echa Pa'lla (Manos Pa'rriba)." El Cata gave us a live sexy music video for "Cotorra y Voli," and Enrique Iglesias closed things off with his obvious EDM hit "I Like It." Quality of the songs aside, the performance was astoundingly fun.

At 15 years old, the Latin Grammys had become a brand unto itself. While its audience is clear, pop stars from across the spectrum have shown up to lend a hand to Latin music's biggest night. For the 2014 ceremony, however, it was remarkable how many pop idols were gathered in one arena. From Pitbull adding his own portion to Santana's "Oye Como Va" to Pitbull and Chris Brown (along with Wisin) living up "Control," there was also Ricky Martin and Camila ("Perdón"), Canadian reggae band Magic! bringing in Marc Anthony to its only hit, and so much more.

It was so brief: Rita Moreno presenting an award. She's an icon. She's a legend. And even at 84 years old, she managed to bust out a couple of moves, the enthusiasm of the evening overtaking her as she hustled, shimmied and posed like the professional she is. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of moment but has lived on in our hearts long after the fact.

What happens when you have two of the biggest Latin music groups of all time share the same stage? Well, you get great music, of course, and Maná's "Ironía" and Los Tigres Del Norte's "Somos Más Americanos" are stellar numbers. Yet at the end of their set, the two snuck a sign right onto stage and held it up for all to see: "Latinos unidos no voten por los racistas" was written in big bold letters. Of course, for English speakers, it translates to "Latinos united, don't vote for racists" — which appeared to be a pointed rebuke of Donald Trump's presidential bid.

While relatively new to the scene, having formed in 2005, Bomba Estéreo's unique brand of floor-filling dance music is a true sight to behold. The band's performances are known for their high energy, but when it came to the 16th Annual Latin Grammys, the group absolutely upped its game by adding in hordes of dancers, fireworks and yes, a Spanish-rapping Will Smith, who looked like he was having the time of his life up on stage.

Almost as surprising as Juan Gabrel's half-hour-plus of power back in 2009 was this once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. Once married, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had a tabloid romance that lasted for years. To help celebrate Anthony being named "Person of the Year" by the Latin Recording Academy, the duo sang four songs together, shed some tears and kissed after the crowd chanted for it. It was a touching, lovely and downright heartwarming moment that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

After the absolutely devastating effects of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, the entirety of the 2017 Latin Grammy Awards was focused on helping and celebrating the people of the island state. From Luis Fonsi and Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance speeches — which included explicit shout-outs to the country and pointed critiques of the Trump administration's poor handling of Puerto Rico's recovery efforts — to Residente's opening number, "Hijos del Cañaveral," itself a tribute for his birthplace — it was a night of high emotion and genuine unity.