J Balvin

José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (J Balvin), born May 7, 1985, is a Colombian reggaeton singer recognized worldwide. Massively successful, he is one of the best-selling Latin music artists, with over 35 million records sold globally. Entering adulthood, he moved at 17 to the United States to learn English, living in Oklahoma and New York. Returning to Medellín, Colombia, he began building his career performing in local clubs. Through persistence and vision, he rose to international fame from those early stages. As his popularity grew, Medellín remained the foundation of his identity and sound. Throughout his career, Balvin has won five Billboard Latin Music Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and four Latin American Music Awards, along with two Grammy nominations. In 2017, the BMI Latin Awards named him Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year for his contributions to the industry, and he received the first Global Icon Award from Lo Nuestro Awards for helping spread Latin music worldwide. He became the first Latino artist to headline major global festivals such as Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza. The Guinness World Records recognized him as a “leader of a second-generation reggaeton.