Elvis Crespo was honored with the special Hall of Fame award at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday night (Oct. 23).
“I thank God for allowing me to live this unique and different moment,” Crespo said during his speech. “When I decided to get into music, I never thought I’d experience a moment like this. I dedicate this award to my first manager, my mother, Irene, who gave me $5 to take my singing lessons every day in Rio Piedra. To Diómedes, to my father, who recently had corneal surgery, who can’t see me but is listening. Daddy, thank you because the Crespos gave me the ability to make music. To my children who are with me tonight. To the entire industry […] you make lifelong friends here. To the audience, thank you for believing in me.”
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Crespo was honored for his 30-year career that includes his timeless hits “Suavemente,” which topped Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart for six weeks in 1998, and “Tu Sonrisa,” which peaked at No. 1 for two weeks that same year.
The Billboard Hall of Fame Award celebrates a career that extends beyond musical performance and takes into account the incredible influence the recipient enjoys as an artist globally in multiple fields, according to a press release. Previous winners include Vicente Fernández, Rocío Dúrcal, Marco Antonio Solís, Joan Sebastian and Marc Anthony, among others.
The 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards coincided with the Billboard Latin Music Week that ran from Oct. 20 to 24 and featured star-studded speakers including Daddy Yankee, Laura Pausini, Kali Uchis, Gloria Estefan, Carín León, and many more.