The Billboard Latin Music Awards grew out of the Billboard Music Awards program from Billboard Magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. In addition to awards given on the basis of success on the Billboard charts, the ceremony includes the Spirit of Hope award for humanitarian achievements and the Lifetime Achievement award, as well as awards by the broadcasting partner. The Billboard Music Awards, held annually in December, is one of four major music awards shows presented each year (the others being the American Music Awards, the Grammys, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony). ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... On January 4, 1936, Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade and on July 20, 1940 the first Music Popularity Chart was calculated. ... Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ...

Since 1999, the awards ceremony has been broadcast on the television network Telemundo, where it became the network's highest-rated music special. The broadcast not only extends throughout the Americas, but also to such countries as Romania. ^[1] 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... Telemundo is an American television network based in Hialeah, Florida. ... World map showing the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ...

Notes

1. ^ Production of Telemundo's Latin Music Award Extravaganza Gets Bigger and Better, Hispanic PR Wire, 25 April, 2003 http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=437&cha=7

Further reading

Official site, Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards http://www.billboardevents.com/billboardevents/latin/index.jsp