Ricky Martin is proudly cheering on fellow Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny after his historic night at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
The global pop icon praised the rapper for staying true to his roots while reaching the top of the music world, calling his success a win not just for one artist, but for an entire community.
Bad Bunny, 31, won three Grammys, including Album of the Year, for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. The album made history as the first fully Spanish-language project to earn the top Grammy honor.
Soon after the awards, Ricky Martin, 54, shared his thoughts in an open letter published in Puerto Rico's newspaper "El Nuevo Día" on Feb. 3. The letter was titled, "When One of Ours Succeeds, We All Succeed."
In the letter, Martin congratulated Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, and spoke from personal experience.
He wrote that seeing Bad Bunny win Album of the Year with music entirely in Spanish "touched me deeply," not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has carried his culture to global stages, Yahoo reported.
Martin highlighted how rare and meaningful it is to succeed without changing one's language or identity.
🇵🇷 Poderosa carta de Ricky Martín a Bad Bunny:
— BAD BUNNY DAILY UPDATES (@keiveiec) February 3, 2026
“Este logro es para una generación a la que le enseñaste que no se negocia su identidad. También es de los puertorriqueños, de todos nuestros hermanos latinos que sueñan en español, de los que cruzaron mares y fronteras llevando su… pic.twitter.com/QBwrX0sSXU
Bad Bunny's Grammy Speech Moves Audience
Martin reflected on the pressure artists often face to fit in. He explained that choosing not to change can be difficult and costly, which made Bad Bunny's achievement even more powerful.
According to People, he called the win more than a musical milestone, describing it as a cultural and human victory. "You won without erasing your roots," Martin wrote. "You won by staying true to Puerto Rico."
Bad Bunny's impact went beyond the awards themselves. During his acceptance speech for Album of the Year, he dedicated the win to people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.
He also thanked Latinos around the world, a moment that Martin said left the audience silent and deeply moved.
Martin praised Bad Bunny for speaking up for immigrant communities and for using his voice with honesty and courage.
According to Martin, Bad Bunny's success sends a clear message to younger generations.
He said the artist showed that identity is non-negotiable and that staying authentic does not block success.
Martin ended his letter with gratitude, thanking Bad Bunny for reminding Puerto Ricans that shared victories lift everyone.
The two artists share a history of mutual respect. They previously performed together at the 2019 Latin Grammy Awards, and Martin presented Bad Bunny with the GLAAD Vanguard Award in 2023.
© 2026 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
