Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Album of the Year
The Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Album of the Year is an honor presented annually by American television network Univision at the Lo Nuestro Awards. The accolade was established to recognize the most talented performers of Latin music. The nominees and winners were originally selected by a voting poll conducted among program directors of Spanish-language radio stations in the United States and also based on chart performance on Billboard Latin music charts, with the results being tabulated and certified by the accounting firm Deloitte. However, since 2004, the winners are selected through an online survey. The trophy awarded is shaped in the form of a treble clef.
The award was first presented to Un Nuevo Despertar by Puerto Rican singer Lalo Rodríguez in 1989. Puerto Rican singer Jerry Rivera won for the album Cuenta Conmigo, which exceeded the sales of Siembra by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades, the highest-selling salsa album at the time. Fellow Puerto Rican artist Olga Tañón holds the record for the most wins with four, for the albums Siente el Amor..., Yo Por Ti, A Puro Fuego, and Una Nueva Mujer. Cuban singer Gloria Estefan won in 1994 for Mi Tierra and in 1996 for Abriendo Puertas; both albums also earned the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album. American band Aventura, Venezuelan duo Chino & Nacho, Dominican duo Monchy & Alexandra, and Puerto Rican group Son by Four are the only musical ensembles to receive the accolade. In 2014, 3.0 by American singer Marc Anthony became the most recent recipient of the award. Puerto Rican singer Gilberto Santa Rosa is the most nominated artist without a win, with ten unsuccessful nominations.
Winners and nominees
Listed below are the winners of the award for each year, as well as the other nominees.| Key | Meaning |
| Indicates the winning album |
', the most awarded performer, winning four times
', a two-time winner
', a three-time winner
', six-time nominee and one-time winner
', two-time winner
| Year | Song | Performer | Ref |
| 1989 | Un Nuevo Despertar | ||
| 1989 | Amor y Alegria | ||
| 1989 | El Original y Unico | ||
| 1989 | Romántico y Sabroso | ||
| 1989 | Sigo Atrevido | ||
| 1990 | Mi Mundo | ||
| 1990 | Amame | ||
| 1990 | Es de Verdad | ||
| 1990 | Invasión de la Privacidad | ||
| 1990 | Top Secret | ||
| 1991 | Los Principes de la Salsa | ||
| 1991 | Con la Música por Dentro | ||
| 1991 | El Primero | ||
| 1991 | Punto de Vista | ||
| 1991 | Salsa Caliente del Japón | ||
| 1992 | Bachata Rosa | ||
| 1992 | Abriendo Puertas | ||
| 1992 | Fiesta Tropical | ||
| 1992 | Luces del Alma | ||
| 1992 | Soy el Mismo | ||
| 1993 | Cuenta Conmigo | ||
| 1993 | El Rey de los Soneros | ||
| 1993 | Perspectiva | ||
| 1993 | Tito Rojas | ||
| 1993 | Sola | ||
| 1994 | Mi Tierra | ||
| 1994 | Areito | ||
| 1994 | Cara de Niño | ||
| 1994 | Mujer de Fuego | ||
| 1994 | Nace Aquí | ||
| 1995 | Siente el Amor... | ||
| 1995 | Dicen Que Soy | ||
| 1995 | Fogaraté | ||
| 1995 | Lo Nuevo y Lo Mejor | ||
| 1995 | Mi Media Mitad | ||
| 1996 | Abriendo Puertas | ||
| 1996 | Éxitos y Más | ||
| 1996 | La Tierra del Olvido | ||
| 1996 | Los Dueños del Swing | ||
| 1996 | Todo a Su Tiempo | ||
| 1997 | Todo a Su Tiempo | ||
| 1997 | Auténtico | ||
| 1997 | Esencia | ||
| 1997 | Fresco | ||
| 1997 | La Makina | ||
| 1998 | Sentimientos | ||
| 1998 | Contra la Corriente | ||
| 1998 | De Corazón | ||
| 1998 | Llévame Contigo | ||
| 1998 | Sobre el Fuego | ||
| 1999 | Suavemente | ||
| 1999 | De Otra Manera | ||
| 1999 | Juntos | ||
| 1999 | Leyenda 2 | ||
| 1999 | Un Segundo Sentimiento | ||
| 2000 | Píntame | ||
| 2000 | El Amor de Mi Tierra | ||
| 2000 | Entrega | ||
| 2000 | Expresión | ||
| 2000 | Inconfundible | ||
| 2000 | Masters of the Stage | ||
| 2001 | Son by Four | ||
| 2001 | Así Mismo Fue | ||
| 2001 | ' | ||
| 2001 | Fruta Prohibida | ||
| 2001 | Perdóname...Éxitos! | ||
| 2002 | Yo Por Ti | ||
| 2002 | Intenso | ||
| 2002 | Romántico | ||
| 2002 | Wow! Flash | ||
| 2002 | Yo Si Me Enamoré | ||
| 2003 | La Negra Tiene Tumbao | ||
| 2003 | A Bailar Cumbia | ||
| 2003 | Bailando Bailando | ||
| 2003 | Confesiones | ||
| 2003 | Déjame Entrar | ||
| 2003 | Libre | ||
| 2004 | A Puro Fuego | ||
| 2004 | Escuchame | ||
| 2004 | Estilo Propio | ||
| 2004 | Le Preguntaba a la Luna | ||
| 2004 | Latin Songbird: Mi Alma y Corazón | ||
| 2005 | Valió la Pena | ||
| 2005 | Indetenibles | ||
| 2005 | Love & Hate | ||
| 2005 | Mi Tentación | ||
| 2005 | Travesía | ||
| 2006 | Una Nueva Mujer | ||
| 2006 | Amanecer Contigo | ||
| 2006 | Aquí Estamos y De Verdad | ||
| 2006 | Hasta El Fin | ||
| 2006 | Ironía | ||
| 2007 | Éxitos y Algo Más | ||
| 2007 | Decisión Unánime | ||
| 2007 | I Love Salsa! | ||
| 2007 | Sigo Siendo Yo | ||
| 2007 | Soy Diferente | ||
| 2008 | K.O.B. Live | ||
| 2008 | Arroz Con Habichuela | ||
| 2008 | Haciendo Historia | ||
| 2008 | La Llave de Mi Corazón | ||
| 2008 | Soy Como Tú | ||
| 2009 | ' | ||
| 2009 | Contraste | ||
| 2009 | Con Todas Las de Ganar | ||
| 2009 | La Nueva Escuela Nu School | ||
| 2009 | Soy | ||
| 2010 | The Last | ||
| 2010 | 15 Años de Corazón | ||
| 2010 | Ciclos | ||
| 2010 | El Mensaje | ||
| 2010 | La Introduccion | ||
| 2011 | Mi Niña Bonita | ||
| 2011 | A Son de Guerra | ||
| 2011 | Huey Dunbar IV | ||
| 2011 | Prince Royce | ||
| 2011 | Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso | ||
| 2012 | ' | ||
| 2012 | Indestructible | ||
| 2012 | Oblígame | ||
| 2012 | Sigo Aquí | ||
| 2012 | Soy y Seré | ||
| 2013 | Phase II | ||
| 2013 | Busco un Pueblo | ||
| 2013 | Formula, Vol. 1 | ||
| 2013 | Los Monsters | ||
| 2013 | Supremo | ||
| 2014 | 3.0 | ||
| 2014 | Amor Total | ||
| 2014 | Corazón Profundo | ||
| 2014 | Leslie Grace | ||
| 2014 | Me Llamaré Tuyo | ||
| 2015 | Formula, Vol. 2 | ||
| 2015 | Party & Dance | ||
| 2015 | Único | ||
| 2015 | Soy el Mismo | ||
| 2015 | Más Corazón Profundo | ||
| 2016 | Soy el Mismo | ||
| 2016 | Radio Universo | ||
| 2016 | Todo Tiene Su Hora | ||
| 2016 | Géminis | ||
| 2016 | Que Suenen los Tambores | ||
| 2017 | Visualízate | ||
| 2017 | Tiempo | ||
| 2017 | Conexión | ||
| 2017 | 35 Aniversario | ||
| 2017 | Mi Mejor Regalo |