Univision rarely ranks No. 2 for the night among the six major broadcast networks in any demographic, let alone on a Thursday, the most competitive night of the week, and it almost never does so during sweeps.

But the network did just that last Thursday among kids 2-11 thanks to “Premio Lo Nuestro 2007,” a Latin music awards show that boosted Univision above all the networks except “American Idol”-fueled Fox.

“Premio” averaged a 2.2 2-11 rating from 8 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 22, well behind Fox’s 4.1 but 0.4 ahead of second-place CBS.

The show drew more Hispanic kids than the Academy Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes and Grammys combined, and it ranked higher for the night among kids than in any other demographic. It placed third for the night among teens and adults 18-24.

It faced tough competition, too. “Premio” aired opposite CBS’s “Survivor” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” which were both top 10 shows among 2-11s last week on broadcast. And it faced Fox’s dominant “Idol,” which more than doubled “Survivor’s” rating. It did not beat any of those shows individually.

But Univision was the only network to average a 1.9 or above every hour of the night, including Fox. That steadiness led it to its only second-place nightly finish of the week.

“Premio” benefited from the presence of English-Spanish crossover singers like Marc Anthony, who received male artist of the year in the tropical music category, and his wife, Jennifer Lopez, who presented video of the year.

The show also likely pulled a more ethnically diverse group of Hispanics than usually watches the Mexican-dominant network. “Premio” award winners included a Dominican group and a Puerto Rican singer as well as several popular Mexican acts, and a Colombian singer was among the performers.

Finally, as most awards shows do these days, “Premio” received lots of online exposure leading up to the show, which often helps boost ratings. Univision.com also posted behind-the-scenes “Premio” features, celebrity gossip and footage of winners both during and after the show as well.

Meanwhile, in other younger viewer ratings for the week ending Feb. 25:

Among teens 12-17: Fox was first with a 4.1 rating and 14 share, followed by ABC at 2.3/8, Univision and CW at 1.5/5, CBS at 1.3/4, NBC at 1.2/4, Telefutura at 0.3/1, Telemundo at 0.2/1, and Azteca at 0.0/0.

Among kids 2-11: Fox led with a 3.5/12, followed by ABC and Univision at 1.4/6, CBS at 1.0/4,  the CW at 0.9/3, NBC at 0.7/3, Telemundo and Telefutura at 0.2/1, and Azteca at 0.0/0.

The top five shows among kids 2-5: 1. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 7:30 p.m.); 2. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 7 p.m.); 3. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 8 p.m.); 4. “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (Disney, Saturday 9 a.m.); 5. “Wonder Pets” (Nickelodeon, Monday 11 a.m.)

The top five shows among kids 6-11: 1. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 8 p.m.); 2. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 7:30 p.m.); 3. “American Idol” (Fox, Tuesday 8 p.m.); 4. “American Idol” (Fox, Wednesday 8 p.m.); 5. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 7 p.m.)

The top five shows among tweens 9-14: 1. “American Idol” (Fox, Tuesday 8 p.m.); 2. “American Idol” (Fox, Wednesday 8 p.m.); 3. “American Idol” (Fox, Thursday 8 p.m.); 4. “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (Disney, Friday 7:30 p.m.); 5. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Nickelodeon, Monday 8 p.m.)