This is a list of notable events in Latin music (i.e. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking music from Latin America, Latin Europe, and the United States) that took place in 2006.

• November 3 — The 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.^[1]
  • Shakira is the biggest winner receiving four awards including Album of the Year for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "La Tortura" featuring Alejandro Sanz.
  • Calle 13 wins Best New Artist.

• List of number-one singles of 2006 (Spain)
• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2006
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Songs of 2006

• 2006 Premio Lo Nuestro
• 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards
• 2006 Latin Grammy Awards
• 2006 Tejano Music Awards

• February 1 – Horacio Buscaglia [es], 62, Uruguayan singer and composer^[4]
• February 17 – Ray Barretto, 76, American-born Latin jazz percussionist and bandleader, heart failure.^[5]
• March 23 – Pío Leyva, 88, Cuban musician (Buena Vista Social Club), heart attack.^[6]
• March 25 – Rocío Dúrcal, 61, Spanish singer and actress, uterine cancer.^[7]
• May 10 – Soraya, 37, Colombian-American songwriter, guitarist, arranger, record producer, and singer, breast cancer.^[8]
• June 1 – Rocío Jurado, 61, Spanish singer and actress, pancreatic cancer.^[9]
• June 6 – Hilton Ruiz, 54, American jazz pianist, injuries from a fall.^[10]
• July 1 – Israel Kantor, 56, Cuban singer^[11]
• July 11 – Oscar Moro, 58, Argentine drummer^[12]
• July 13 – Jesús Caunedo "La Gruya", Cuban alto sax musician^[13]
• August 6:
  • Miguel "Angá" Díaz, 45, Cuban conga player, heart attack.^[14]
  • Moacir Santos, 80, Brazilian composer and arranger.^[15][16]

• October 14 – Freddy Fender, 69, American singer ("Before the Next Teardrop Falls"), lung cancer.^[17]
• November 6 – Miguel Aceves Mejía, 90, Mexican singer and actor known as "the king of the falsetto", bronchitis.^[18]
• November 25 – Valentín Elizalde, 27, Mexican banda singer, shot.^[19]
• November 26 – Raúl Velasco, 73, Mexican television presenter (Siempre en Domingo), hepatitis C.^[20]
• December 14 – Sivuca, 76, Brazilian accordionist and composer, cancer.^[21][22]