Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican-Heritage Super Bowl Halftime Show Just Earned a Record 9 Emmy Nominations
· Thought Catalog
Updated 3 minutes ago, July 8, 2026
Bad Bunny headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026, turning the biggest stage in American television into a celebration of Puerto Rico. He staged a traditional casita at the center of the field, opened the set on a sugarcane field, and performed almost entirely in Spanish, a first for the halftime show.
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is from Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a 6-time Grammy winner who took Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammys and one of the most streamed artists in the world.
His selection had been contested. After the NFL named him the headliner in September 2025, conservative politicians and commentators criticized the choice, pointing to the primarily Spanish-language set and to his vocal opposition to ICE.
On July 8, 2026, that same performance was nominated for 9 Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live). No Super Bowl halftime show had ever been nominated for more.
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