Peruvian cumbia band Grupo 5 won Best Tropical Artist at the 2026 Premios HEAT in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Thursday, November 5, before performing on stage alongside fellow nominee Olga Tañón.
Lead singer Christian Yaipén and his brothers Andy and Elmer Yaipén sang and danced to their song Que se vaya with the Puerto Rican star during the ceremony, where the orchestra also presented one of the award categories. The band described the duet as a performance that would remain in their hearts.
The Best Tropical Artist victory marked the first time Grupo 5 has won a Heat Latin Music Award. The northern Peruvian orchestra prevailed in a category that also featured Olga Tañón, Carlos Vives, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos, Eddy Herrera, Elvis Crespo, Silvestre Dangond, Fonseca, and Los Ángeles Azules.
Christian Yaipén Acceptance Speech and Tribute to Elmer Yaipén
Brothers Christian, Andy, and Elmer Yaipén accepted the trophy together in front of recording industry figures and fellow artists. Speaking on stage, Christian Yaipén told the audience that the brothers were deeply moved to receive the honor as the second generation of a dream called Grupo 5, which now spans 53 years of musical history.
He sent a kiss to heaven for their late father, Elmer Yaipén, dedicating the trophy to him, to their families, and to the entire team that works with the band. He also thanked the public for voting for the group and expressed gratitude to their musical colleagues in the industry.
Known in their home country as Peru's Golden Group, Grupo 5 was founded in 1973 in Monsefú, a district in the Chiclayo province of northern Peru, by brothers Elmer and Víctor Yaipén. After co-founder Elmer Yaipén died in 1999, his sons took over leadership of the cumbia orchestra and built it into one of South America's leading tropical acts.
Olga Tañón Duet and Fan Reactions
Following their category win, the Yaipén brothers returned to the stage in the Mexican Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta to perform Que se vaya alongside Olga Tañón. Tañón, a Puerto Rican merengue and Latin pop singer known as the Woman of Fire, is a multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy winner who brought her trademark energy to the live routine.
Fans of the orchestra praised the collaboration on social media, with one supporter saying the band's achievement brought them to tears and another commending Christian Yaipén for showing charisma and strong stage command beside a major international star without appearing intimidated. Other commenters wrote that the brothers' late father would be proud in heaven watching his sons' success, while one viewer called the performance excellent but questioned the event organizers and production team for providing only one microphone for the two singers to share.
Peruvian Winners at Premios HEAT 2026 and Free Chiclayo Concert
Grupo 5's victory was part of a broader night of wins for Peruvian artists at the 2026 Premios HEAT, an annual awards ceremony created by the Latin music television network HTV to recognize popular acts across tropical, pop, rock, and urban genres through fan voting and industry awards. Fellow Peruvian musicians Gian Marco, a veteran singer-songwriter and three-time Latin Grammy winner, and salsa singer Brunella Torpoco also won in their respective categories.
Torpoco, who hails from the Peruvian port city of Callao, beat Panamanian salsa legend Rubén Blades and other genre veterans to claim her trophy. She broke down in tears while celebrating her win and said she could not believe the outcome.
In the Best Tropical Artist category, Grupo 5 topped an international field representing several Caribbean and Latin American musical traditions. Their fellow nominees included Colombian vallenato and tropipop stars Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond, and Fonseca, American bachata singers Prince Royce and Romeo Santos, Dominican and Puerto Rican merengue performers Eddy Herrera and Elvis Crespo, and the long-running Mexican cumbia ensemble Los Ángeles Azules.
After the awards show in Mexico, Grupo 5 will return to northern Peru to perform a free concert in Chiclayo on Sunday, November 8, 2026, in honor of their father, Elmer Yaipén.
