The Spanish Academy Awards celebrate the feminine

The hottest gala? Is the Alcalá Norte effect contagious? No. Ceremonies are a genre that's created, celebrated, and self-destructed. They're never a paragon of fun, but they try. The important thing is to celebrate. The gala kicks off with Madrid's Alcalá Norte, the breakout band of 2024 , accompanied by Noni Lori Meyers, performing "La Vida Canon." Perhaps the best song of the year, but no, Amaia beats them by a hair. María Pelae and Rodrigo Cuevas present, bringing color to the genres that populate our Iberian Peninsula. They try to capture the guests' mood, but they come across as somewhat affected, lacking grace and naturalness. There's also a small showdown between multinationals and the alternative scene, which the majors win.

In the press room, the artists are on a roll. Amaia admits to being freaked out. "It's the thought of freaking out." And she reveals that the reference for her performance at La Revuelta was the Belgian Stromae's performance on a newscast. "We're taking it that way. From here to a Tiny Desk? I would love to," she says.

Rozalén, who burst into tears at the gala, opens up. "I feel like I'm tiring people out. Maybe I've been overwhelmed by too many things. Next year I need to compose calmly. I think new things or bombshells are more valued these days. And I feel like my time is over," she admits. Madrid-based Alcalá Norte, the Best New Artist winner, points to smaller festivals like CetIN in Cetina and Centolo Weekender, another festival in Foz. "We love sports centers. We'll go back to those wonderful festivals," they admit.

In summary, of the 43 awards, Amaia wins Best Song of the Year, Pop Song, Composer and Arrangement ; Nathy Peluso , Best Urban Album, Urban Fusion Performance, Rap Song and Urban Song ; Rozalén, Artist of the Year, Traditional Pop Album and Singer-Songwriter Album; and Valeria Castro, Best Electronic Song, Soundtrack Song, and Best Singer-Songwriter Song. Silvia Pérez Cruz and Asier Etxeandia appear to present the award for Best Music Video. "I came from a time when I paid more attention to music. I would like to make better music videos; they have a lot of merit and a lot of artistry," says Pérez Cruz. "This is coming from someone who just won a Grammy for Best Music Video," Etxeandia emphasizes.

Rock continues its course. "Rock never dies," Judit Mateo notes before awarding Biznaga the Best Rock Album. "Thank you to the media that supports rock," she continues. Sole Giménez, president of the Academy, clearly expressed her commitment to music and peace. She asserted that "Spain is also its music. We are committed to peace. Let's make it happen. Music sets us free, so let it keep playing."

"There's nothing more beautiful / Than what I've never had / Nothing more loved / Than what I lost," sang Serrat in Lucía. Leonor Watling and Xoel López. "A song has the power to transform lives," Watling says. "A song is the gateway to everything else. It's the beginning of something. When a song moves through you, it reaches far," Xoel López.

Miguel Ríos presents the Best Artist of the Year Award to Rozalén. He states, "We should never have stopped having awards in Spain." At the same time, he takes a stand for peace. "There are many people suffering because of the genocide that is taking place."

Rozalén bursts into tears of emotion. "Thank you so much, I don't understand. The whole time I was thinking, this isn't my time. I've been thinking about this for years, and sometimes I don't know why it's so hard to recognize someone's work and talent." The Academy serves as a support network.

There's no shortage of reflections for posterity. Leiva jumps on the bandwagon, saying, "It's not that I feel like awards change careers, but they help." Now, "I'm about to start a tour and planting a garden, which I'm really looking forward to," he confesses.

Nathy Peluso acknowledges her success, winning four awards from four nominations. "With these awards, I feel lucky, as if it were the first time. You never have to get used to success," she says.

Several strategically ordered performances follow (Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba with Anni B Sweet, or that of Delaporte, Zahara, Baiuca, Ale Costa and Natalia Lacunza 'Contigo', among many others.

Los Estopa take home the award for Best Pop Album for 'Estopía' and for Best Tour. "We've been together for over 26 years. Since then, we've tied ourselves to our roots, and to the musicians who accompany us." And we enjoy receiving awards more and more. "The first time they took us to the music awards, we saw Los Chicos and we were amazed," José Manuel Muñoz says. The balance is positive. "After 26 years, being here is already a reward," explains José Manuel. "You shouldn't get carried away with it," David says. Humor erupts in the press room with the joke: "You're probably wondering why I brought you together here today," concludes José Manuel.

Dani Fernández's Best Album of the Year award for "La Jauría" leaves a bit of a cold shoulder. Rosario (Flores), Sandra Carrasco, and David de Arahal close the gala. "For a better world. Let the earth not cry. Long live music and long live the earth," Rosario.