MotoGP announces “global music icon” Daddy Yankee to play awards ceremony

The final round of the MotoGP World Championship returns to Valencia this year, after a one-year move to Barcelona, and the awards ceremony after the race will see rapper Daddy Yankee headline.

The move to Barcelona last year was a result of the flooding in Valencia that killed 237 people and destroyed infrastructure in the region.

Returning to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo this year represents a return to tradition for MotoGP, which has ended its season in Valencia each year since the four-stroke era of grand prix racing began in 2002.

However, with changes made to the post-race awards ceremony it’s also an which aims to look forward, as MotoGP attempts to follow Formula One in breaking through to mainstream culture.

The appearance of 49-year-old Daddy Yankee is affirmatively a part of this drive, the 49-year-old having a career which stretches back to the 1990s, and having amassed over 50 million followers on Instagram.

MotoGP describes Daddy Yankee as a “global music icon”, and his appearance in Valencia this weekend (14–16 November) will come after his latest song, ‘Sonríele’, topped Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart – a chart on which Daddy Yankee has 29 number ones in his career, and on which he has more top-10 entries than any other artist.

“This year’s awards are about celebrating the sport in a way that reflects its global energy and passion,” said Kelly Brittain, who started as Managing Director of Global Marketing at MotoGP in 2024.

“Partnering with Smax Entertainment and bringing artists like Daddy Yankee to the stage is a statement of intent – we want to create unforgettable experiences for fans and showcase MotoGP as more than racing, but a cultural phenomenon.”

The Valencia MotoGP will be followed by the post-race test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Tuesday (18 November), in which Yamaha is expected to continue testing its new V4 engine and debut World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu in an official test; while 2024 MotoGP Champion Jorge Martin will begin his second attempt at a grand prix campaign with Aprilia; and Marc Marquez's title defence will begin from the sidelines, the Spaniard unable to ride after injuring his shoulder in Indonesia.