Erick Brian and Pututi & Nesty are among the performers announced for the October 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

There is more than one way for Cuban music to reach a new audience. This month, a major televised awards show offers another opening for artists connected to reparto and the island’s contemporary urban sounds.

Telemundo has announced Erick Brian and Pututi & Nesty as performers at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The ceremony airs Thursday, October 22, at 8 p.m. Eastern on Telemundo and Peacock, from Miami’s James L. Knight Center.

For listeners discovering these names, the announcement provides a place to start. Former CNCO member Erick Brian is building his solo career with Latin pop and urban influences. His October 8 release, “Vacaciones,” with Los TiTi, continues his exploration of Cuban roots and reparto, according to Telemundo.

The broadcaster describes Pututi as a singer, songwriter, and producer involved in the evolution of reparto and Cuban urban music. Nesty’s work combines reparto with salsa, tropical music, and Latin pop. Together, their appearance puts several approaches to contemporary Cuban music in front of the same audience.

That variety is the part worth paying attention to. For generation ñ, the story offers a chance to listen beyond the familiar names that often stand in for an entire country’s music. An awards-show appearance can be an introduction; the deeper discovery happens when you follow an artist into their own recordings.

Try starting with Erick Brian’s “Vacaciones,” then explore Pututi and Nesty separately. Listen for the differences in delivery, arrangements, and the way each artist combines influences. You do not need to arrive with a perfect genre vocabulary to hear what catches your attention.

We will be watching how these artists present their music on October 22. Until then, the lineup is a good excuse to make room in the playlist for Cuban voices you may not already know.