FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2015 file photo, Alejandro Sanz reacts after winning the award for best contemporary pop vocal album for "Sirope" at the 16th annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Sanz will be honored as Person of the Year on Nov. 15, 2017 in Las Vegas, on the eve of the Latin Grammys. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK - If he could travel back in time, Alejandro Sanz says he would stop and enjoy the moment when his career started taking off two decades ago.

"Maybe I would ask life for a little more consciousness during those years so I could have realized all the things that I was living without thinking about what was going to happen the next day, to live more in the moment," Sanz said in a recent phone interview with The Associated Press.

"There is no way to stop time, but there's a way for time to travel by your side and not always ahead of you."

Sanz has a chance this week to savour a special moment: He's being honoured as Person of the Year at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas. A concert was scheduled Wednesday night where David Bisbal, Camila Cabello, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Jesse & Joy, Juanes, Mon Laferte and other Latin stars were to sing versions of his biggest hits. On Thursday night at the 18th Latin Grammys, he was expected to go onstage to accept the honour. The show was to air on Univision (8 p.m.-11 p.m. Eastern).

Sanz, who is celebrating two decades since the "Mas" album launched him to international stardom, was named the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year 2017 for his achievements in music and his philanthropic contributions to organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Greenpeace.

"To me it is very nice to have this little milestone, because it recognizes the career but also the relevance and your commitment with society," he said with evident excitement.

Sanz made his debut in 1991 with "Viviendo Deprisa." He has sold more than 25 million records and has collaborated with stars such as Alicia Keys, Shakira, Destiny's Child, Juanes, Marc Anthony and Tony Bennett. All 15 of his CDs have gone multiplatinum in Spain, Latin America or the United States. In December he's releasing "+Es+", a CD/DVD of the concert he gave last summer at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid for the 20th anniversary of "Mas."

Sanz says he's been receiving "a lot of love" since it was announced that he was selected Person of the Year.

Everybody insists that this is the most important Grammy ... because it doesn't go to one album or one song but to one artist, who is selected unanimously. So this is very beautiful, really," he said.

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News from © The Associated Press, 2017