Xochitl Gomez Named Winner of Season 32 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Xochitl Gomez is dancing on the ceiling…

The 17-year-old Mexican American actress and Marvel star and her professional dancing partner Val Chmerkovskiy have become the first pair to win Dancing With the Stars’ Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Xochitl Gomez, Dancing with the StarsThe DWTS grand prize was renamed to honor Goodman in September. Goodman, who died at age 78 in April, served as a judge on the reality competition series from 2005 to 2022. 

Gomez and Chmerkovsky claimed the trophy during the Tuesday, December 5, season 32 finale of the long-running ABC celebrity ballroom dancing competition, making her the fourth Hispanic celebrity to win Dancing with the Stars and the first celebrity of Mexican descent to claim the trophy.

“I don’t want this show to end, and I think it’s gonna be really good for me to keep coming back,” she joked after her big win during the finale.

After redeeming their foxtrot and bringing it home with a fiery freestyle, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy received two back-to-back perfect scores from the judges. With their scores from the semifinals also included in their judges’ totals Tuesday night, they were the only couple to earn a perfect score of 120 across all four dances.

“Gosh, I didn’t think that [we did that]. I forgot until there had been like a little thing that said, this is your score something out of something, and it was the score. I was like, ‘What? We did that?’ Yeah, we did that. I’m proud of that,” Gomez said.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s performances, judge Bruno Tonioli visited Gomez and Chmerkovskiy in the studio to reassign them the foxtrot and give Gomez some pointers on how to improve in the dance style. Tonioli said during rehearsals that he was hoping to see more “refined sophistication” than the couple’s first attempt at the foxtrot in week three.

Gomez was the last to grace the stage for the redemption round, but certainly not the least. She made her latest foxtrot look effortless, earning praise from all three judges, including Tonioli, who told her she is a “delight” to watch.

Gomez told Deadline the judge’s advice in rehearsals was invaluable to be able to perfect her foxtrot, especially when it came to lengthening her arms.

“That was one of the things that I tried to do, but I was never that successful. And I tried a lot, but it was hard. So for someone else to have a different voice and tell me, ‘This is something that is one of your weakest points. So fix it.’ And also for him to show me how to do it. I thought that was really nice and definitely helped me out for the foxtrot,” she said.

Chmerkovskiy expressed pride for his partner, beaming as he explained he was most impressed with “how much dance she’s learned.”

“I mean, we put in the work at the studio. But usually we like do a lot more warming up and practicing during the show leading up to the performance. Today, we just trusted ourselves and came out and just danced,” he said.

In the final moments of the Season 32 finale, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy stood on stage next to Jason Mraz and his partner Daniella Karagach, anxiously awaiting the news on who’d eked out the victory. Just as host Alfonso Ribeiro was about to announce the victors, he instead cut to a final commercial — prompting a loud groan from the audience.

“The whole night was special. I keep saying it feels bittersweet because, for us, every week that we had a great performance felt like exactly like this feeling. Truly, every time we got called safe, we felt like we were winning. So tonight, it felt like that times 100.”

Here’s the list of the DWTS winners of Hispanic descent:

Season 5: Hélio Castroneves (Brazilian) and Julianne Hough
Season 13: J.R. Martinez (Salvadoran American) and Karina Smirnoff
Season 23: Laurie Hernandez (Puerto Rican) and Val Chmerkovskiy
Season 32: Xochitl Gomez (Mexican American) and Val Chmerkovskiy

Christina Aguilera Among Celebrities Urging U.S. Senators to Stop Gun Violence Now

Christina Aguilera is calling for politicians to take action on the issue of gun reform

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer has joined a roster of celebrities who’ve signed an open letter to U.S. Senators urging them stop gun violence now.

Christina Aguilera

Five years ago, amidst a string of deadly attacks at live music venues including the horrific mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016, the cover of Billboard‘s July 2016 issue featured an open letter to U.S. Congress signed by 200 artists and music industry executives calling for gun reform.

Unfortunately, the need for reform has only grown stronger as shootings have continued around the country at a terrifying rate.

So now, five years later, as venues prepare to reopen after their pandemic shutdown and music fans ready to return to concerts and festivals, we stand again with the music community to ask lawmakers to take swift action to stop the violence. — Hannah Karp, Billboard editorial director

An Open Letter to Senators: Stop Gun Violence Now

As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.

Music always has been celebrated communally, on dance floors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences — going to school or church or work — continues to be threatened, because of gun violence in this country.

The one thing that connects the tragedies like the shootings in Boulder, El Paso, Las Vegas, Parkland and so many other places in America, to the one that happened in Orlando five years ago this June, is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.

We call on the Senate to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than 100 Americans every day and injures hundreds more: Take action on background checks.

Billboard and the undersigned implore you — the people who are elected to represent us — to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music fans, and all of us, at risk.

Sincerely,

Christina Aguilera, Tori Amos, Sara Barielles, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Tony Bennett, Selim Bouab, Rob Bourdon, Scooter Braun, Cortez Bryant, Michael Bublé, Vanessa Carlton, Joseph Carozza, Steve Cooper, Tom Corson, Lee Daniels, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Delson, Diplo, Mike Easterlin, John Esposito, Melissa Etheridge, Fletcher, Luis Fonsi, Becky G, Kevin Gore, Julie Greenwald, Josh Groban, Horacio Gutierrez, Joe Hahn, Halsey, Billy Joel, Craig Kallman, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Carole King, Elle King, Adam Lambert, Cyndi Lauper, Kevin Liles, Dre London, Jennifer Lopez, Macklemore, Zayn Malik, Carianne Marshall, Ricky Martin, Paul McCartney, Julia Michaels, Guy Moot, Jason Mraz, Gregg Nadel, Yoko Ono, Mark Pinkus, Gregory Porter, Prince Royce, Bonnie Raitt, Dawn Richard, RMR, Paul Robinson, Maggie Rogers, Kelly Rowland, Mike Shinoda, Sia, Matt Signore, Britney Spears, Rob Stevenson, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Justin Tranter, Sir Trilli, Sharon Van Etten, Aimie Vaughn-Fruehe, Eddie Vedder, Andrew Watt.

If you’re interested in signing the letter, you can email guncontrol@billboard.com.

Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” Enters Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time in 50 Years

Jose Feliciano is making chart history with his holiday classic…

The 75-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer’s “Feliz Navidad” moves up from No. 16 to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, dated December 19, hitting the top 10 for the first time, 50 years after its original 1970 release. It previously reached No. 12 last holiday season.

Jose Feliciano

The holiday classic sports gains of 6% to 23 million in radio airplay audience, 15% to 18.5 million U.S. streams and 34% to 3,000 sold, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Feliciano adds his second Hot 100 top 10, after his debut entry, his cover of The Doors‘ “Light My Fire,” hit No. 3 in August 1968. (The Doors‘ original ruled for three weeks in the summer of 1967.) He has charted 11 total Hot 100 entries, as well as 16 titles, including eight top 10s, on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

The legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist is celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Feliz Navidad” this year. He performed on NBC‘s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and CBS Sunday Morning last week and, among other festivities, has a livestream scheduled for December 20.

Last month, Amazon Music Lat!n revealed a special 50th anniversary reimagining of Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic, featuring 30 artists including CNCOJon Secada, Frankie JJencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr.Jason MrazGloria GaynorPatricia Manterola and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

José Feliciano Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Feliz Navidad” with “The Tonight Show” Performance

José Feliciano’s classic Christmas song is celebrating a major musical milestone…

The 75-year-old Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer’s “Feliz Navidad” turns 50 this year, with no signs of age.

Jose Feliciano

The classic Christmas song is one of the top 10-performing hits in the decade-plus history of Billboard‘s Holiday 100 chart, and one of the most popular Latin songs of all time.

Recorded in 1970, “Feliz Navidad” is a marvel in many ways.

“It just came to me; there’s no rhyme or reason,” he recently told Billboard. “The first lyric came to me, then I put the English lyric into it, not realizing I had made it the only bilingual Christmas song ever in the world. I created a monster.”

Feliciano stopped by The Tonight Show earlier this week to perform his timeless hit.

Last month, Amazon Music Lat!n revealed a special 50th anniversary reimagining of Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic, featuring 30 artists including CNCOJon Secada, Frankie JJencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr., Jason MrazGloria GaynorPatricia Manterola and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Jesse y Joy Release Latin Rendition of the Holiday Classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for Amazon Music Lat!n

Jesse y Joy are hoping to get you into the holiday spirit…

Amazon Music LAT!N has launched a wave of festive content to get music lovers in the holiday spirit, from themed playlists to video interviews, and beyond, including an Amazon Original song from the Mexican Latin Grammy-winning brother & sister duo.

Jesse & Joy

Kicking off this weekend, customers can enjoy Jesse y Joy’s Amazon Original song “Te Deseo Muy Felices Fiestas,”a Latin rendition of the holiday classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

The Mexican duo is also teaming up with Amazon and its “Delivering Smiles” holiday campaign to give back to charitable organizations and the communities they serve this season.

Lele Pons gives the timeless song “Let It Snow” a Spanglish tropical twist in “Let It Snow (Navidad, Navidad, Navidad).”

“Lele Pons and Jesse & Joy are incredibly talented artists who are chart-toppers in their respective genres, so we knew they would create something very unique, exciting, and fresh- and they also share our passion for the holidays,” says Rocio Guerrero, global head of Latin Music at Amazon Music. “Their bilingual takes on classic tunes will delight fans.”

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jose Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic “Feliz Navidad,” 30 artists including CNCO, Jon Secada, Frankie J, Jencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr., , Jason MrazGloria Gaynor, Patricia Manterola, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have joined forces for a special anniversary edition.

“Jose Feliciano’s ‘Feliz Navidad’ has been part of our holiday celebrations for generations! The opportunity to bring fans a fresh take on this beloved classic in honor of the song’s 50th Anniversary was a joy,” Guerrero says.

“Christmas is such a special time and we as a team were so excited to bring reimagined holiday favorites for our fans to enjoy,” Guerrero adds. “To bring fans extra holiday joy, we worked on exclusive holiday-themed content to go along with each song, as well as playlists to get fans through the season.”

According to Guerrero, Amazon does not plan on releasing more original Latin holiday songs, but fans will be able to enjoy the exclusive Christmas-themed content throughout the season. Listen and watch it here.

Pitbull to Perform on “The Real Change Project: Artists for Education” Special

Pitbull will be singing for real change…

The 32-year-old Cuban American rap superstar will appear in the upcoming one-hour television charity special, The Real Change Project: Artists for Education, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Pitbull

 

The special is set to air at 7:00 pm on April 23 on CBS and other syndicated networks, two weeks before National Teacher Appreciation Week.

Miley Cyrus, Lady Antebellum, LMFAO‘s Redfoo and SkyBlu, Jason Mraz, Quincy Jones and Glee‘s Matthew Morrison will also take the stage.

The Real Change, produced in association with Adopt a Classroom, combines celebrities with philanthropy and includes musical performances, interviews and more.

The special will see the musicians — who will sponsor classrooms — go back to their hometown schools, introduce the teachers who inspired them and surprise deserving students and organizations.

“Teachers are often the unsung heroes, while actors, musicians and pro athletes get all the praise. I’m willing to bet, though, that each one of us has had at least one teacher who changed our lives forever,” said Liam Murphy, founder and CEO of Real Change Productions. “The goal of our show is to not only honor these teachers but to also inspire Americans to adopt a classroom and support those who are shaping the minds of tomorrow by providing the supplies that enable them to keep making a difference today.”

Adopt a Classroom is a group that empowers teachers with the resources they need for their classes and increases their students’ chances for success. Teachers can participate by registering on the LiveRealChange.com website. Once they are selected, teachers can use the funds to improve their classrooms.

Rodriguez Helps the Obamas Light the National Christmas Tree

Rico Rodriguez is helping the first family ring in the holiday season in Washington, DC…

The 14-year-old Modern Family star participated in the annual White House Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, alongside James Taylor, Babyface, Jason Mraz and Phillip Phillips.

Rico Rodriguez & Michelle Obama

Neil Patrick Harris hosted the annual ritual on the Ellipse adjacent to the White House, welcoming to the stage President Barack Obama, the first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Sasha and Malia. Shortly before 6:00 pm ET, the president led a countdown from five and pressed the button to light the large Christmas tree, complete with a yellow star on top.

Rodriguez later joined first lady Michelle Obama for a reading of the classic poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (aka “The Night Before Christmas“). The actor joked that he hoped to join the Obama family in Hawaii for their holiday vacation.

The president noted that the White House has had three separate trees in the last three years.

“A longstanding tree was lost in a storm, then the replacement didn’t take hold — just goes to show nobody’s job is safe in Washington,” said Obama . “I feel good about this one. It was planted just days before Hurricane Sandy, and it made it in one piece.”

An estimated 17,000 people attended the event, according to the U.S. National Park Service.

Aguilera to Have “A Very Special Christmas”…

It may be August, but Christina Aguilera is already getting into the holiday spirit…

The 31-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer and The Voice coach will be lending her voice to a holiday themed song that will appear on a special 25th anniversary “A Very Special Christmas” album series aimed at raising money for the Special Olympics.

Christina Aguilera

Two albums will be released October 16 to celebrate Special Olympics partnership, which has raised more than $100 million for the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

A Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary” will be released on Big Machine Records and Word Records will issue “A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace on Earth.”

The albums have become the largest single source of funding for the Special Olympics and its athletes, according to Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Tim Shriver.

“This 25th anniversary will be the biggest year in the history of this series,” he said. “This is music that continues to sell. People buy it. They enjoy it. They think it’s just great Christmas music, but it’s more than that. It’s changing the world.”

No word yet on which song Aguilera—who released her own holiday themed album, My Kind of Christmas, in 2000—will sing on the album.

Other artists involved in the project include Michael Buble, Train, Jason Mraz, Amy Grant, Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry.

Pitbull Added to Today’s Summer Concert Series Lineup

Prepare to dance! Pitbull is bringing his hip-shaking music to  morning television next month…

The 31-year-old Cuban American rap superstar will be taking part in the Today show’s 17th annual Summer Concert Series, the NBC morning show’s weekly morning live concerts. Pitbull is scheduled to take the outdoor Today stage on Friday, May 25.

In addition to Mr. Worldwide, this summer’s concert series will include appearances by Justin Bieber, Usher, Chris Brown, Hot Chelle Rae, Maroon 5 and Train.

Fans can catch the concerts for free on a first-come, first-serve basis outside Today‘s window-on-the-world studio, located at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Fans should arrive by 6 a.m. for best viewing, according to MSNBC.

And this year, Today is partnering with Pandora to extend the life of the concert series beyond the Plaza and into the web. Pandora will create three Today Summer Concert Series stations: NBC Today Rock, NBC Today Country and NBC Today Pop, featuring each of the artists appearing in the series throughout the summer.

Here’s the full line-up so far:

May 18: Usher

May 25: Pitbull

May 31: American Idol winner and runner-up (special Thursday performance)
June 1: The Band Perry
June 8: Chris Brown
June 15: Justin Bieber
June 22: Kenny Chesney
June 29: Maroon 5
July 
6: Flo Rida
July 13: Zac Brown Band
July 20: Hot Chelle Rae
August
24: Train
August 31: Jason Mraz with special guest Christina Perri  

More acts and guest appearances are expected to be announced throughout the season.