Francisco “Luny” Saldaña and Victor “Tunes” Cabrera of the reggaetón powerhouse production team, Luny Tunes.
LOS ANGELES, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 2/18/2026 – “Luny Tunes are architects of reggaetón’s golden era and catalysts for its global rise,” says BMI Vice President, Creative, Latin, Jesus Gonzalez. “We’re honored to recognize their enduring legacy alongside rising star, Elena Rose, whose songwriting talent and artistry continue to captivate audiences. We’re also excited to celebrate our exceptional familia of songwriters, producers and publishers behind the most-performed Latin songs of the past year during the ceremony.”
On Thursday, March 19, the legendary producer duo of Francisco “Luny” Saldaña and Victor “Tunes” Cabrera, will receive the BMI President’s Award during ceremonies to be held at Fontainebleau Coastal Convention Center in Miami Beach. Luny Tunes is widely regarded for their huge influence in Latin music history. Originally from the Dominican Republic, they later relocated to Massachusetts, where they began developing their signature musical style. With a career spanning 25 years, the duo moved to Puerto Rico in 2001, where they honed their production approach alongside DJ Nelson and became integral to the island’s emerging reggaetón scene. With over 500 songs to their credit, Luny Tunes helped define the genre’s golden era through landmark albums like, Mas Flow, Mas Flow 2 and Los Benjamins. Groundbreaking hit singles like “Gasolina,” by Daddy Yankee rocketed reggaetón to the mainstream globally. “Mayor Que Yo” became the anthem of 2000s urban music, and “Besos Mojados,” and “Salgo Pa’ la Calle,” also took their place as reggaetón classics.
The excellence of Luny Tunes was recognized in 2005 with Latin GRAMMY nominations for Record of the Year for “Gasolina” and Best Urban Music Album for their own project, The Kings of the Beats. They have amassed a total of 18 BMI Latin Awards with recognition for BMI’s 2020 Contemporary Song of the Year for “Calialta,” while Saldaña was individually honored as BMI’s Latin Songwriter of the Year in 2007. Their visionary sound launched and elevated the careers of icons like Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel, Tego Calderón and Ivy Queen, among others.
As the 2026 BMI President’s Award recipients, Luny Tunes joins an elite ensemble of music creators who have received this accolade the past. Creators such as Benny Blanco, Luis Fonsi and Ellie Goulding.
2026 BMI Latin Awards Impact honoree Elena Rose.
Elena Rose is a Venezuelan American singer-songwriter who has emerged as one of Latin music’s in-demand creative forces. Born in Miami, Rose has composed hits for an array of acclaimed recording artists such as Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lopez. Her collaboration with Ed Sheeran went viral courtesy of her Spanish verse for his hit song, “Thinking Out Loud.” After receiving 14 Latin GRAMMY nominations and five BMI Latin Awards throughout her career, Rose made the leap to recording artist with her first EP, En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas, earning her 2025 Latin GRAMMY nominations in major categories including Album of the Year, Song of the Year (“Palmera en el Jardin”) and Best Contemporary Pop Album.
In receiving the BMI Impact Award, Elena Rose joins Edgar Barrera, GloRilla, Ice Spice among others.
Throughout this special evening of Latin music, BMI will also recognize the songwriters and publisher of the past year’s most-performed songs in the United States. The BMI Regional Mexican Song, Songwriter, Publisher of the Year as well as the BMI Contemporary Latin Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year will be named during the ceremony.
BMI has been a global leader in music rights management for over 80 years. To learn more about BMI, please visit their site.
Follow BMI on X and Instagram.
Follow LA ELEMENTS on X and Instagram.
No Comments