ARCHIVE/Madrid 2025

Billboard No.1s

Date: 15 DecVenue: Madrid

The Billboard No.1s gala took place at Starlite Occident Madrid on Monday, December 15, 2025. It was the first edition of the format in Spanish and the first outside the United States, with performances by Pablo Alborán, Vanesa Martín, Ana Mena, Rozalén, India Martínez and Nil Moliner, and the Premio Imparable for Melendi.

What Billboard No.1s is and why it came to Madrid

Billboard No.1s is the gala with which Billboard celebrates the artists who have reached number one on its charts; it is separate from its awards and had previously been held only in Los Angeles and New York. The December 15, 2025 edition marked two firsts: the first held entirely in Spanish and the first outside the United States. The partnership was driven by Sandra García-Sanjuán, founder and president of Starlite Occident, and Leila Cobo, Billboard's Chief Content Officer Latin & Español. “Billboard is the bible of music, and it is an honour for us that they chose Starlite Occident to bring Billboard No.1s to our country for the first time,” García-Sanjuán said when the event was announced. Cobo described Spain as “a country with a vibrant, dynamic music market”. The gala was hosted by Ana Guerra.

The performances: from Pablo Alborán to Nil Moliner

Pablo Alborán sang with Carla Morrison, and Rosana stepped off the stage to sing among the audience. Yami Safdie performed “Querida Yo” and Rozalén “Puerta Violeta”, accompanied by sign language interpreter Beatriz Romero. Ara Malikian on violin and Chucho Valdés on piano provided the instrumental moments. Vanesa Martín sang “Tenemos universo de sobra”, India Martínez brought her flamenco power and Ana Mena got the crowd dancing before Nil Moliner closed the night. Arthur Hanlon played Paco de Lucía's “Entre dos aguas” on piano; Lucía, the guitarist's daughter, thanked him for the choice: “Hearing it today on the piano, reinterpreted with such respect and sensitivity, shows how great works transcend genres, eras and instruments.” Paz Padilla and Sandra García-Sanjuán shared the stage with Omar Montes, backed by a band under the musical direction of Víctor Elías.

Premio Imparable for Melendi and “Tu Historia Importa”

Melendi received the Premio Imparable as the Spanish artist who drew the largest audiences on national tours in 2024, with more than 500,000 tickets sold in Spain and close to 800,000 including Latin America. He dedicated the award to Javier Valiño, the person who discovered him, and to Ismael Serrano, both in the audience, and sang “Cada Mañana” a cappella with the crowd. The gala also had a charitable side: Fundación Starlite, together with Fundación Lo Que De Verdad Importa, presented “Tu Historia Importa”, twelve books telling the stories of twelve older people who devoted their lives to the music industry, one for each artist who performed. Among the guests were Óscar Casas, Jennifer Hermoso, María del Monte, Conchita, Manu Tenorio, Julia Medina, Alicia Machado, Álex Márquez, Lidia San José, Lara Dibildos and Blanca Paloma.

With Billboard No.1s, Starlite Occident Madrid became the stage for the format's first Spanish-language gala, a night that placed the capital on the Latin music calendar.

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