"Atrocity of a choice": J Balvin slammed on Twitter after winning Afro Latino Artist of the Year

J Balvin recently landed in hot water after being named the Afro Latino Artist of the Year at the 2021 African Entertainment Music Awards USA for his album Jose.

However, the award left several social media users disappointed as they were upset about the Columbian singer winning the title against what they deem "actual” artists of African-American descent.

Some people also called out the African Entertainment Music Awards and said that authorities committed an “atrocity of a choice” by nominating Balvin in the category and proclaiming him the winner.

The backlash against the singer has also stemmed from his Perra music video controversy earlier this year that was labelled racist and misogynistic. At the time, Balvin faced sharp criticism for portraying African-American women as dogs in his video.

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Fans criticize J Balvin’s win at African Entertainment Music Awards USA

Twitter slammed J Balvin for AEAUSA win (Image via Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

J Balvin is one of the most recognized Columbian singers and is often helmed as the "Prince of Reggaeton”. He is a four-time Latin Grammy Award winner and one of the top best-selling Latin music artists.

On December 26, 2021, the Mi Gente hitmaker was declared the Afro Latino Artist of the Year at the African Entertainment Music Awards USA. However, fans were far from impressed with the title and immediately denounced the win after questioning the singer’s race and ethnicity.

Several people also pointed out that the singer created a racially inappropriate music video in October showing African-American women tied to leashes and wearing dog ears.

Many even criticized the award organization for giving Balvin the title, despite presenting itself as a non-profit organization with an aim of supporting, celebrating, and uplifting African Entertainment.

Following his previous Perra controversy, Balvin issued an official apology and also removed the music video from his channel. At the time, he took responsibility for his actions and said he believes in inclusivity:

"I want to say sorry to whomever felt offended, especially to the Black community. That's not who I am. I'm about tolerance, love and inclusivity."

However, it remains to be seen if the musician will respond to the latest controversy surrounding his win at the African Entertainment Music Awards USA. Meanwhile, the organization has continued to maintain silence over the issue.