The accolade was established to recognize the most talented performers of Latin music.
[1] The nominees and winners were originally selected by a voting poll conducted among program directors of Spanish-language radio stations in the United States and also based on chart performance on Billboard Latin music charts, with the results being tabulated and certified by the accounting firm Deloitte.
[1] The award was first presented to "Qué Te Pasa" by Mexican singer Yuri.
Spanish performer Enrique Iglesias holds the record for the most awards, winning four times on three different decades, "Si Tú Te Vas" (1996), "Experiencia Religiosa" (1997), "¿Dónde Están Corazón?"
Puerto Rican-American singer Ricky Martin has received the award three times, and is the current holder (as of 2016) with "Disparo al Corazón".