Juanes Holding Back Tears Receiving the Person of the Year Award From His Idol Had Me in Tears!

Who would've thought 20 years ago when Juanes released his first solo single, "Fíjate Bien," that he would eventually become the Latin Grammys' Person of the Year? While he emerged in 2000, it was 2001 that solidified him as the artist we know, when, in the second-ever Latin Grammys, he received seven nominations, winning best new artist, best rock solo vocal album, and best rock song.

He began a beautiful journey that left us with modern classics to fit any occasion. Songs like "Nada," "Mala Gente," "A Dios le Pido," "Fotografía" (with Nelly Furtado), "Es Por Tí," "Un Día Normal," "Nada Valgo Sin tu Amor," "La Camisa Negra," "Para Tu Amor," "Me Enamora," and many more have become the soundtrack of this generation, and during the 20th annual Latin Grammys, he took us on a ride through his past, present, and future.

As any recipient of the Person of the Year award, Juanes performed some of his hits before receiving his trophy. He began with "Fíjate Bien," honoring the song that put him on the musical map, followed by his beautiful tune "Querer Mejor" with Alessia Cara, who came on stage to do her part and captivate us with her sweetness; "A Dios Le Pido"; "Bonita," for which he brought in his parcero Sebastián Yatra; and finished with "La Camisa Negra."

To his surprise, one of his idols, Lars Ulrich, drummer and cofounder of Metallica, showed up to present him with the award. "Buenas noches, I'm Lars, and on behalf of Metallica, I'm extremely honored to be here with everybody tonight," he said.

"I had the pleasure of first meeting Juanes years ago while performing in Mexico, and I've keenly watched his music, creativity, and radiant humanity storm this beautiful planet. Then I learned he was a Metallica fan, and tonight, we've come full circle. I proclaim myself a Juanes fan." At this point, Juanes was in total disbelief, and you could see he was holding back tears of joy.

Seeing Juanes so conmovido only made the next moment even sweeter, when Lars called him his "brother in rock," and "mi amigo, mi parcero," which sent the crowd into a wild frenzy. After Juanes hugged him and collected his award, he went on to thank Lars. "First of all, I want to tell you something, man. One of the reasons why I'm making music is because of you guys," Juanes said. "Thirty years ago I was in Medellín listening to your music, man, and you changed my life. You guys changed my life. Thank you so much!"

He then turned to the audience and thanked them, too, admitting his heart was "so big, so full of love," then adding, "I can't thank you enough." Scroll through to see the best moments of Juanes's performance and the surprise that left him holding back tears.