Latin Grammy Awards Held, Finally

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday October 31, 2001 05:12 PM EST

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Spanish pop singer Alejandro Sanz and Colombian rocker Juanes took home the top honors at Tuesday's toned-down 2nd annual Latin Grammy Awards event in a Los Angeles nightclub. The gala had been canceled twice -- including once on Sept. 11, the day of the attack on America. Earlier, the show had been shifted from Miami to L.A. in the face of fears over anti-Castro protests. "Por fin! It's been a long haul," said Enrique Fernandez, vice president of the Latin arm of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), host of the Grammys. Sanz won four awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while newcomer Juanes took home three awards, including Best New Artist. Pop diva Christina Aguilera, who was scheduled to host the event, won best female pop vocal album for her album "Mi Reflejo." The star did not attend because she had the flu, reports Reuters. "Congratulations to all of you who braved an airplane flight on such short notice. If ever there was a time for the phrase, 'the band played on,' the time is now," said actor and presenter Paul Rodriguez.