Ricky Martin has celebrated Bad Bunny's historic Grammy wins with an emotional open letter published in a Puerto Rican newspaper. The letter highlights the cultural significance of Bad Bunny's success as the first artist to win album of the year with a fully Spanish-language album. Martin commended his fellow Puerto Rican for staying true to his roots amid global fame.
Ricky Martin expressed deep admiration for Bad Bunny following the singer's triumphs at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night. In a letter titled “When One of Ours Succeeds, We All Succeed,” published in El Nuevo Día, Martin addressed Bad Bunny directly as “Benito, brother,” noting how the wins moved him profoundly. Bad Bunny secured three awards, including album of the year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, marking a milestone as the first such honor for an album entirely in Spanish.
Martin reflected on the personal and cultural weight of the achievement. “I know what it means to succeed without letting go of where you come from. I know how heavy it is, what it costs, and what is sacrificed when you decide not to change because others ask you to,” he wrote, translated via Billboard. He emphasized that Bad Bunny's victory represented more than music: “That’s why what you have achieved is not just a historic musical accomplishment, it’s a cultural and human victory. You won without changing the color of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico.”
The letter also touched on Bad Bunny's acceptance speech, which Martin said brought him to the verge of tears. “What touched me most about seeing you there on the Grammy stage was the silence of the entire audience when you spoke,” Martin noted. “When you defended the immigrant community, when you pointed out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well.”
In his speech, Bad Bunny dedicated the award to immigrants who left their homelands for dreams, those who lost loved ones yet persevered, Latinos worldwide, and predecessors who deserved recognition. Over his career, Bad Bunny has earned 16 Grammy nominations and three wins; Debí Tirar Más Fotos alone garnered six nods, making him the first Spanish-language artist nominated for album, record, and song of the year in one cycle.
Martin closed by thanking Bad Bunny for inspiring a generation to embrace authenticity. “This achievement is for a generation to whom you taught that their identity is non-negotiable and that success is not at odds with authenticity,” he said. “From the heart, from one Boricua to another, with respect and love, I thank you for reminding us that when one of ours succeeds, we all succeed.”
