Category Archives: LATINews

Alberto Iglesias Named to Oscars Short List in Best Original Score Category for “Parallel Mothers”

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Alberto Iglesias is still in the running for an Academy Award nomination…

The 66-year-old Spanish composer has been named to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Oscars shortlist in the Best Original Score category.

Alberto IglesiasIglesias is among the 15 in the hunt for an Oscar nod after earning rave reviews for his work on Pedro Almodovar’s Parallel Mothers.

Iglesias has been nominated three times for an Academy Award for his work on the films The Constant Gardener, The Kite Runner and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Germaine Franco, the first Latina to join the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, could earn her first Oscar nod.

Franco is still in the running for her work on Disney’s animated film Encanto.

Nominations voting begins on January 27 and wraps up on February 1, with noms for the 94th Academy Awards to be announced on February 8.

Here’s a look at the short list:

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
“Being the Ricardos”
“Candyman”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune”
“Encanto”
“The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun”
“The Green Knight”
“The Harder They Fall”
“King Richard”
“The Last Duel”
“No Time to Die”
“Parallel Mothers”
“The Power of the Dog”
“Spencer”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

Kid Cudi Makes Oscar’s Short List in Best Original Song Category for “Just Look Up” & “Guns Go Bang”

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Kid Cudi is thisclose to earning an Oscar nomination (or two)…

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has cut its Original Song Oscar category list to 15 songs that made the shortlist, with the 37-year-old half-Mexican American Grammy-winning singer/actor having two songs still in the running.

Kid Cudi x Ariana GrandeKid Cudi’s collaboration with Ariana Grande “Just Look Up,” co-written by the singers, from the film Don’t Look Up is still under consideration.

Meanwhile, Kid Cudi’s song “Guns Go Bang,” co-written with Jay-Z for the film The Harder They Fall is also still in the running for a nomination.

Lin-Manuel Miranda could also pick up another Oscar nod.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphentate, who earned a nomination in the Best Original Song category in 2016 for his Moana single “How Far I’ll Go,” is still in the running for his single “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney’s Encanto.

A total of 84 songs were eligible in the category this year.

Here’s the full shortlist, with final nominations to be announced February 8 ahead of the ceremony March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“So May We Start?” from Annette
“Down To Joy” from Belfast
“Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
“Automatic Woman” from Bruised
“Dream Girl” from Cinderella
“Beyond The Shore” from CODA
“The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
“Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
“Be Alive” from King Richard
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect
“Your Song Saved My Life” from Sing 2

Abner Benaim’s “Plaza Catedral” Makes Oscars Short List in International Feature Film Category

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Abner Benaim is celebrating a special first for Panama…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled its shortlist of 15 films that will advance to the next stage of voting in the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards, with the 50-year-old Panamanian filmmaker’s latest film making the cut.

Abner BenaimBenaim’s thriller Plaza Catedral becomes the country’s first film to make the short list.

Starring Ilse Salas, Xavier de Casta and Manuel Cardona, explores the relationship between a melancholy divorcee and a poor street child.

As a co-production between Panama, Mexico and Colombia, it’s Benaim’s second fiction feature film after his 2009 comedy Chance.

But Benaim’s Plaza Catedral isn’t the only Latin film making the short list…

Mexico’s Prayers For The Stolen, directed by Tatiana Huezo, and Spain’s The Good Boss, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, have also made the cut.

Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.

Nominations voting begins on January 27, 2022, and concludes on February 1, 2022. They will be announced on February 8, 2022 with the ceremony held on March 27.

Here’s the shortlist in full:

Austria: Great Freedom
Belgium: Playground
Bhutan: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Finland: Compartment No. 6
Denmark: Flee
Germany: I’m Your Man
Iceland: Lamb
Iran: A Hero
Italy: The Hand of God
Japan: Drive My Car
Kosovo: Hive
Mexico: Prayers For The Stolen
Norway: The Worst Person In The World
Panama: Plaza Catedral
Spain: The Good Boss

Almudena Amor Named to Variety’s International Breakout Stars of 2021 List

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Almudena Amor has had a break-out year… And, she’s being recognized for it.

The 27-year-old Spanish actress has been named to Variety’s International Breakout Stars of 2021 list.

Almudena AmorVariety’s international writers picked out a handful of global talents who had an incredible year, including Amor.

Amor had only appeared in a couple of shorts before this year, but 2021 saw the PR-grad-turned-actor cast by Spanish horror legend Paco Plaza as the lead in his San Sebastian competition film La Abuela.

Next, she was picked by Fernando León in what has proved to be her international break-out role, as a foil to Javier Bardem’s lead in the Spanish Oscar submission The Good Boss.

The role earned her a best new actress nomination at the Spanish Academy’s Goya Awards.

In November, she also starred in an entry of Amazon’s acclaimed Spanish horror anthology series reboot Stories to Stay Awake.

But Amor isn’t the only Latina to make the list…

Milena Smit is being celebrated for remarkable run the last two years.

The 35-year-old Spanish actress’ debut feature performance came just last year when she starred alongside Mario Casas, one of Spain’s most marketable leading men, in the award-winning thriller Cross the Line.

She was quickly picked out with a Goya nomination for best new actress. This year, Smit’s talents went global as she starred with Penelope Cruz in Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, earning her another Goya nomination, this time for best supporting actress.

In 2022, she will feature in Netflix’s sci-fi horror series The Girl in the Mirror before returning to the big screen in Tin & Tina, one of Spain’s most promising indies of the coming year.

Here’s the complete list of global artists recognized:

Toheeb Jimoh (U.K.)
Keung To (Hong Kong)
Swamy Rotolo (Italy)
Ondina Quadri (Italy)
Almudena Amor (Spain)
Milena Smit (Spain)
Benjamin Voisin (France)
Don Lee (South Korea-U.S.)
Jung Ho Yeon (South Korea)
Adarsh Gourav (India)
Azmeri Haque Badhon (Bangladesh)

Anitta to Perform on Miley Cyrus’ New Year’s Eve Special “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party”

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Anitta is spending the New Year in Miami…

The 28-year-old Brazilian singer will perform in NBC’s Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted by Miley Cyrus & Pete Davidson.

Anitta

The New Year’s Eve special, hosted by Miley Cyrus and Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson, will also feature performances by Brandi Carlile, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, 24kGoldn and Kitty Ca$h, with the network promising more surprise guests.

The special airs live on NBC from Miami starting at 10:30 p.m. ET and also will be live-streamed on Peacock.

Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party succeeds NBC’s New Year’s Eve special hosted and produced by Carson Daly, which aired on the network from 2004 until last year (an NFL game pre-empted the 2017-18 special).

Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Hosted By Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson is executive produced by Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live, Cyrus and Lindsay Shookus.

Joe DeMaio directs.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Tops Billboard’s Two Global Charts

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Mariah Carey continues her global domination during the holiday season… 

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the biggest song in the world, as it tops both the Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts dated December 25.

Mariah CareyMariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds atop the Billboard Global 200, with 81.2 million streams and 14,800 sold (up 6% in each metric) worldwide in the December 10-16 tracking week. The 1994 modern holiday classic topped the chart for four weeks last holiday season and adds its second week at No. 1 this season for its sixth total frame upon the list’s highest bough.

The song returns to No. 1, from No. 2, on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, following its one-week reign last holiday season. It gained by 2% to 48.5 million streams and 5% to 7,300 sold in territories outside the U.S. in the Dec. 10-16 tracking week.

Billboard‘s two global charts, which began in September 2020 and recently marked their first year, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by MRC Data. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic Earns Brit Awards Nod for Best International Group

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Bruno Mars is a Brit Awards nominee this year…

The 36-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and his Silk Sonic group mate Anderson .Paak are among this year’s Brit Awards nominees.

Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic, Anderson .PaakMars’ Silk Sonic is nominated in the International Group category.

Mars has previously won three Brit Awards as a solo artist, including International Male Solo Artist in 2012 and 2014.

The nominations were announced on Saturday on an hour-long television special, The Brits Are Coming, which aired on ITV and ITV Hub.

The awards will be presented on February 8 at the O2 Arena in London.

Here’s the complete list of nominees.

Artist of the year
Adele, Columbia, Sony Music
Dave, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, Asylum, Warner Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal
Sam Fender, Polydor, Universal Music

Group
Coldplay, Parlophone, Warner Music
D-Block Europe, D-Block Europe, Universal Music
Little Mix, RCA, Sony Music
London Grammar, Ministry Of Sound, Sony Music
Wolf Alice, Dirty Hit 

Brits Rising Star (Panel of critics, influencers, writers and composers; in association with BBC Radio 1)
Winner: Holly Humberstone, Polydor, Universal Music
Bree Runway EMI, Universal Music
Lola Young, Island, Universal Music

Song of the year
(Top 15 identified By peak eight weeks of sales in the U.K. Chart. Winner identified by voting academy. In association with Mastercard. Media Partner Global Media via Capital FM)
A1 & J1, “Latest Trends,” EMI, Universal Music
Adele, “Easy on Me,” Columbia, Sony Music
Anne-Marie/KSI/Digital Farm Animals, “Don’t Play Asylum”/BMG, Warner Music
Becky Hill & David Guetta, “Remember,” Polydor/Parlophone, Universal Music/Warner Music
Central Cee, “Obsessed With You,” Central Cee (Parlophone For Pinkpantheress), Central Cee/Warner Music
Dave featuring Stormzy, “Clash,” Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits,” Asylum, Warner Music
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart (Pnau Mix),” EMI/Warner Records, Universal Music/Warner Music
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves,” Polydor, Universal Music
Joel Corry/Raye/David Guetta, “Bed,” Asylum/Platoon/Parlophone, Warner Music
KSI, “Holiday,” BMG
Nathan Evans/220Kid/Billen Ted, “Wellerman,” Polydor, Universal Music
Riton X Nightcrawlers feat. Mufasa & Hypeman, “Friday” (Dopamine Re-Edit) Ministry of Sound, Sony Music
Tion Wayne & Russ Millions, “Body,” Atlantic, Warner Music
Tom Grennan, “Little Bit of Love,” Insanity, Sony Music

Best new artist
Central Cee, Central Cee, Warner Music
Griff, Warner Records, Warner Music
Joy Crookes, Insanity/Speakerbox Recordings, Sony Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal
Self Esteem, Fiction, Universal Music

Album of the year
Adele, 30, Columbia, Sony Music
Dave, We’re All Alone in This Together, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ed Sheeran, =, Asylum, Warner Music
Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Age 101/Awal
Sam Fender, Seventeen Going Under, Polydor, Universal Music

Producer of the year
(Independent panel; to be announced in January)

Songwriter of the year
(Independent panel; to be announced in January)

Genre categories
(The genre category winners will be decided by the public powered by TikTok)

Rock, alternative
Coldplay, Parlophone, Warner Music
Glass Animals, Polydor, Universal Music
Sam Fender, Polydor, Universal Music
Tom Grennan, Insanity, Sony Music
Wolf Alice, Dirty Hit

Hip-hop, grime, rap
AJ Tracey, AJ Tracey/Revenge Records
Central Cee, Central Cee, Warner Music
Dave, Dave Neighbourhood, Universal Music
Ghetts, Warner Records, Warner Music
Little Simz, Age 101/Awal

Dance
Becky Hill, Polydor, Universal Music
Calvin Harris, Columbia, Sony Music
Fred Again, Atlantic, Warner Music
Joel Corry, Asylum, Warner Music
Raye, Platoon

Pop, R&B
Adele, Columbia, Sony Music
Dua Lipa, Warner Records, Warner Music
Ed Sheeran, Asylum, Warner Music
Griff, Warner Records, Warner Music
Joy Crookes, Insanity/Speakerbox Recordings, Sony Music

International artist
Billie Eilish, Polydor/Interscope. Universal Music
Doja Cat, Ministry of Sound, Sony Music
Lil Nas X, RCA, Sony Music
Olivia Rodrigo, Polydor/Geffen, Universal Music
Taylor Swift, EMI, Universal Music

International group
ABBA, Polydor, Universal Music
BTS, Big Hit Entertainment/Polydor, Universal Music
Måneskin, Columbia, Sony Music
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars/Anderson. Paak), Atlantic, Warner Music
The War on Drugs, Atlantic, Warner Music

International song of the year (Top 15 identified by peak eight weeks of sales in the U.K.
chart. Winner identified by voting academy.)
ATB/Topic/A7S, “Your Love (9PM),” EMI/Positiva, Universal Music
Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever,” Polydor/Interscope. Universal Music
Ckay, “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah),” Parlophone, Warner Music
Doja Cat featuring SZA, “Kiss Me More,” Ministry Of Sound, Sony Music
Drake featuring Lil Baby, “Girls Want Girls,” Ovo/Republic Records, Universal Music
Galantis/Guetta/Little Mix, “Heartbreak Anthem,” Atlantic/RCA, Sony Music, Warner Music
Jonasu, “Black Magic,” 3 Beat, Universal Music
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay,” EMI/RCA, Sony Music/Universal Music
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” RCA, Sony Music
Lil Tjay & 6lack, “Calling My Phone,” Columbia/Polydor/Interscope, Sony Music, Universal Music
Måneskin, “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” Columbia, Sony Music
Olivia Rodrigo, “Good 4 U,” Polydor/Geffen, Universal Music
Polo G, “Rapstar,” Columbia, Sony Music
Tiësto, “The Business,” Atlantic, Warner Music
The Weeknd, “Save Your Tears,” Republic Records/XO, Universal Music

Library of Congress Selects Gregory Nava’s “Selena” Among 25 Films for National Film Registry for 2021

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Gregory Nava’s ode to la Reina de la Musica Tejana is being celebrated as an influential film…

The Library of Congress has unveiled its annual list of 25 films to make the cut for the National Film Registry, with the 72-year-old Mexican/Spanish American filmmaker’s Selena among this year’s selections.

Selena, Jennifer Lopez

This year’s list, considered among America’s most influential motion pictures, features titles spanning from 1902-2008.

The movies have been selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.

Several, including Nava’s Selena, explore stories from diverse communities that often carry universal themes.

Selena, the 1997 biographical film of Tejano Music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez starred Jennifer Lopez in her first major movie role.

Co-star Edward James Olmos told the Library of Congress that Selena “will stand the test of time… (It’s) a masterpiece because it allows people to learn about themselves by watching other peoples’ culture.”

Sylvia Morales’ 1979 film Chicana was also selected to be part of the registry this year.

The film traces the history of Chicana and Mexican women from pre-Columbian times to the present. It covers women’s role in Aztec society, their participation in the 1810 struggle for Mexican independence, their involvement in the US labor strikes in 1872, their contributions to the 1910 Mexican revolution and their leadership in contemporary civil rights causes. Using murals, engravings and historical footage, Chicana shows how women, despite their poverty, have become an active and vocal part of the political and work life in both Mexico and the United States

Three films on this year’s list directly addressed one of the most pressing issues of the day: racially-motivated violence against people of color. The Murder Of Fred Hampton (1971), Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) and Requiem-29 (1970) told stories of violence against Black, Asian and Hispanic Americans, respectively.

Requiem-29 documents the chilling inhuman treatment of 50,000 Chicanos by police and the death of L.A. Times journalist Ruben Salazar.

The 2021 roster of titles brings the total number in the registry to 825.

Said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, “Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity — and show us new ways of looking at ourselves — though movies haven’t always been deemed worthy of preservation. The National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year. The Library of Congress will work with our partners in the film community to ensure these films are preserved for generations to come.”

Select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the National Screening Room.

Films Selected for the 2021 National Film Registry (chronological order)

Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)
Jubilo (1919)
The Flying Ace (1926)
Hellbound Train (1930)
Flowers and Trees (1932)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Evergreen (1965)
Requiem-29 (1970)
The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Sounder (1972)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Cooley High (1975)
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
Chicana (1979)
The Wobblies (1979)
Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
Selena (1997)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
WALL-E (2008)

Sony Acquires Rights to Gabino Iglesias’ Novel “The Devil Takes You Home”

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Gabino Iglesias’ devilish work will be brought to life…

Sony has reportedly picked up the Latino author/filmmaker’s novel The Devil Takes You Home in a competitive situation, a project that Cuban filmmaker Alejandro Brugués will adapt and direct.

Gabino Iglesias

Brugués is a director on El Rey’s From Dusk Till Dawn series and recently helmed the thriller The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy starring Peyton List, Rachel Nichols and Austin Stowell.

Iglesias’ novel follows Mario who has but no choice, but to be a hitman to cover his family’s bills, especially his daughter’s medical tab. He’s presented with an offer: One last score that will either pull him out of poverty forever or put a bullet in the back of his skull. A man named Juanca needs help stealing $2 million dollars from a drug cartel. Together, they begin a journey to an underworld where unspeakable horrors happen every day.

The project and its storyline are still in early development.

Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic living in Austin, TX. He wrote the critically-acclaimed and award-winning novels Zero Saints and Coyote Songs, which racked up nominations for the Bram Stoker Award, the Locus Award and the Wonderland Book Award.

Coyote Songs was lauded with the Wonderland Book Award. Iglesias has also served as a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and the Millions Tournament of Books.

Brugués’ feature directing credits include the segment “The Thing in the Woods” from 2018’s Nightmare Cinema, Juan of the Dead and Personal Belongings.

Alex Rosario is the executive on the project at Sony.

Karol G to Perform During ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”

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Karol G will be ringing in the New Year in the Big Apple…

The 30-year-old Colombian singer is set to perform at this year’s 50th anniversary edition of ABC’s holiday staple Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. 

Karol G

Karol G will perform from Manhattan, alongside new additions to the bill Rock Hall of Famers Journey and R&B singer Chlöe.

LL Cool J will play a pre-midnight set in Times Square, and Emmy-winning Pose alum Billy Porter with perform a medley aboard the riverboat Louis Armstrong on the Mississippi River as part of the annual NYE show.

They join previously announced performers including Daddy Yankee in Puerto Rico and a Los Angeles bill that includes Ciara, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Big Boi, OneRepublic and French Montana.

Ryan Seacrest will host New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for a 17th year from Times Square, joined by rookie co-hosts Porter from New Orleans, Liza Koshy in NYC and Roselyn Sanchez in Puerto Rico — the inaugural destination for the show’s first Spanish-language countdown.

ABC’s 50th annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest starts at 8:00 pm on December 31.