Ricky Martin has penned a touching open letter to Bad Bunny following his success at this year’s Grammy Awards, praising him for “staying true to” his roots.
The Puerto Rican singer and rapper – real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – was among the biggest winners at the 2026 Grammys, which were held in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 1).
He not only took home the award for Best Global Musical Performance for his song ‘EoO’, but also won in both the Best Música Urbana Album and the Album of the Year category for ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’. The latter marked the first time in the Grammys history that the award went to an all-Spanish-language album.
When taking to the stage to accept the Best Música Urbana Album trophy, Bad Bunny gave an impassioned speech that saw him criticise the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and speak out in defence of immigrants.
“We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans,” he said.
Now, Ricky Martin has shared an emotional open letter addressed to the singer, explaining that seeing him succeed on the night “touched me deeply, not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent, and his story.”
The letter was published in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día on Tuesday (February 3), and shared by Martin on his Instagram Stories.
“I know what it means to succeed without letting go of where you come from. I know how heavy it is, what it costs, and what is sacrificed when you decide not to change because others ask you to,” the letter continued.
“That’s why what you have achieved is not just a historic musical accomplishment, it’s a cultural and human victory. You won without changing the colour of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico.”
The ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ singer, who was born in San Juan, added that seeing Bad Bunny holding all his trophies on the night put “a lump in my throat’, because it made him realise that “something important is happening… for all of us”.
Going on to reference Bad Bunny’s speech on the night, Martin added that he was moved by the “silence of the entire audience when you spoke”.
“When you defended the immigrant community, when you pointed out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well, that place where fear and hope coexist, where millions live between languages, borders, and deferred dreams,” he wrote.
Ricky Martin pens open letter to Bad Bunny following his historic #GRAMMY victory:
“Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy awards, one of them for album of the year with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply. Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who… pic.twitter.com/eA6B41I1p8
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) February 4, 2026
“This achievement is for a generation to whom you taught that their identity is non-negotiable and that success is not at odds with authenticity,” he concluded. “From the heart, from one Boricua to another, with respect and love, I thank you for reminding us that when one of ours succeeds, we all succeed.”
Bad Bunny has spoken out about the recent ICE operations taking place around the US before, and told his fans in September last year that he would not be touring the US during his ongoing world tour due to fears over ICE agents raiding his concerts and detaining fans.
He has also faced criticism from MAGA supporters after being announced as headlining this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, which will take place this Sunday (February 8).
President Donald Trump has shared his disapproval of the decision to have the Puerto Rican artist headline numerous times. In October, for example, he described it as “crazy” and said that he had “never heard of” the rapper, and last month he doubled down on the comments, saying that having Bad Bunny and Green Day playing at the event was “a terrible choice”
One of his advisors also confirmed that ICE would be present at the “shameful” concert.
Bad Bunny’s ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ album ranked at Number Five on NME’s list of the Best Albums Of 2025, and praised as a both “breathtaking” and a release that saw “the Puerto Rican superstar make every shot count.”
