Julieta Venegas brought her brilliant pop ballads — and some powerful political messages — to the Billboard Latin Women in Music 2026 special, which aired live on Thursday (April 23) on Telemundo. Starting at her piano, the Tijuana-born star, with her hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing gold earrings, performed “La Línea,” a song originally in collaboration with Yahritza y Su Esencia that was released on April 9. The deeply emotional track captures the nostalgia and feelings of separation brought about by the border, also known as “la línea,” a colloquial term also referring to the Tijuana-San Ysidro border crossing.

Moments later, Natalia Lafourcade took the stage to present the award to Venegas. “When I was 15, I remember sneaking out of school or home to go to Julieta Venegas’ concerts. Her music was an inspiration, a refuge during my youth.

Listening to her gave me strength and made me dream of becoming a singer-songwriter just like her.” When accepting the honor, Venegas said, “I feel honored and emotional. Thank you to everyone who has accompanied me over the years, listening to and connecting with what I do. Thank you to my team for helping me bring this project to life with love and enthusiasm.” She continued: “Personally, it has taken me a long time to reconcile the expectations of my upbringing as a woman, a Mexican, and a Tijuana native with my desire to make music and dedicate myself to art.

I am deeply grateful to my family for supporting and standing by me through it all. I hope to be planting seeds and removing obstacles so that future generations of girls and young creators can find within themselves the validation and the means to thrive in this complex world. I want to dedicate this award to all the people who are currently separated from their loved ones, whether due to detentions or deportations, or perhaps because they are chasing a dream that takes them away from their families.

I wish for them to find hope and resilience to keep moving forward.” On the Billboard charts, Venegas has achieved multiple entries with her songs and albums. Among them, Limón y Sal earned her first Top 10 on Top Latin Albums in 2006, while timeless hits like “Me Voy” and “Andar Conmigo” placed her among the top spots on Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay. Hosted by Chiquis, the fourth edition of Latin Women in Music also honors Rosalía as Woman of the Year, as well as Gloria Trevi (Musical Legacy), Lola Indigo (Artist Evolution), Ivy Queen (Pioneer), Julieta Venegas (Artistic Excellence), Becky G (Global Impact), Young Miko (Unstoppable Artist), and Joy (Spirit of Change).