Luciano Luna to Receive SESAC Latina’s SESAC Legacy Award

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Luciano Luna’s legacy in Latin music is being celebrated…

The 42-year-old Mexican Latin Grammy-winning songwriter/producer will receive the SESAC Legacy Award during the SESAC Latina Music Awards Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on June 26.

Luna will be presented the award in honor of his illustrious career and significant contribution to Latin music.

“I am very grateful for this distinction; it motivates me to continue dedicating myself to writing stories with my songs and being a good example for new generations of songwriters,” Luna said in a press release.

The Sinaloa creator has recorded more than 250 productions, mostly in the regional Mexican music genre, with iconic acts such as Julión Álvarez, Gerardo Ortiz, Banda Los Recoditos, Banda MS, Régulo Caro and more.

As a co-author, his collaborations include Joss Favela, Edén Muñoz and others.

“We are thrilled to present the Legacy Award to one of the most distinguished songwriters of our generation, Luciano Luna, who has sustained a remarkable career throughout the years,” said Celeste Zendejas, senior vice president of SESAC Latina

This year marks SESAC Latina’s 30th anniversary of representing top-tier songwriters globally.

The event will recognize the exceptional talent and achievements of its affiliated songwriters and publishers, awarding honors such as song of the year, publisher of the year, and more.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the magnificent and vibrant talent within the Latin songwriting community,” remarked SESAC’s CCO, Sam Kling. “The SESAC Latina Music Awards always showcase exceptional songs and songwriters, making it an unforgettable evening.”

“SESAC Latina’s 30th anniversary is a celebration of continued growth, endless creativity, and the global success of the exceptional talent behind the music. On this milestone year, we honor all our incredible songwriters who continue to inspire us with their profound lyrics and soulful melodies,” added Zendejas.

She continued, “We are thrilled to present the Legacy Award to one of the most distinguished songwriters of our generation, Luciano Luna, who has sustained a remarkable career throughout the years.”

Carlos Vives Named Latin Recording Academy’s 2024 Person of the Year

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Vives is set to receive the highest honor from the Latin Recording Academy.

Twenty-five years after leading the list of nominees for the first edition of the Latin Grammys, the 62-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter and actor has been named the 2024 Person of the Year.

Vives — winner of 18 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards and a Billboard Latin Music Awards Hall of Fame inductee — “will be honored for his more than three-decade career as a multifaceted singer and composer, as well as for his continued commitment to environmental and social initiatives,” per the Latin Recording Academy.

“Carlos Vives is one of the most prolific and beloved artists of our time, whose commitment to Latin music and support for the new generations truly personifies the values of our Academy,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “We honor him as our Person of the Year for his vast contributions to our musical heritage and for his many philanthropic initiatives.”

“It’s still surprising to me,” Vives told Billboard Español this week in an exclusive interview. “It’s like a message that the Academy gives at the end, because 32 years ago I chose a path [that was unconventional]. To be successful, to be commercial, there was one way. This other path that’s cultural or has to do with your identity, that doesn’t work, [they would say].”

In Wednesday’s press release, he added: “I am honored and moved to have been chosen as the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. It is the reward for an authentic journey, for a wonderful team and, above all, it is the recognition of the musical spirits of our Latin American diversity. These spirits taught us to love and enrich our language, to take care of it and to respect it in order to exalt humanity with it.”

Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives is one of the most respected artists in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound, redefining traditional Colombian vallenato by incorporating to it pop and rock sounds. With No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts such as “Volví a Nacer,” “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta” with Shakira, among others, has become an ambassador of Colombian and Latin American culture around the world.

His commitment to good causes transcends the musical realm. In 2015, he created the Tras La Perla initiative to promote the sustainable development of Santa Marta and its ecosystem. In addition, he created the Escuela de Música Río Grande to offer artistic experiences to children and young people, and founded the record label Gaira Música Local to promote new Colombian talent. He’s also been a strong advocate and generous supporter of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation since its inception, the Latin Recording Academy highlights, and sponsored its annual Prodigy Scholarship in 2018.

His latest album, Escalona: Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, earned him his 18th Latin Grammy when it was crowned best cumbia/vallenato album in 2023. This year he was also recognized with the ASCAP Founders Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Vives will be feted as Person of the Year at a special star-studded gala and tribute concert where an array of artist and friends will perform renditions of his renowned repertoire. Details of the event, to be presented in November during the 2024 Latin Grammy week in Miami, will be announced at a later date.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honors musicians and their artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts.

Past honorees are Laura Pausini (2023), Marco Antonio Solís (2022), Rubén Blades (2021), Juanes (2019), Maná (2018), Alejandro Sanz (2017), Marc Anthony (2016), Roberto Carlos (2015), Joan Manuel Serrat (2014), Miguel Bosé (2013), Caetano Veloso (2012), Shakira (2011), Plácido Domingo (2010), Juan Gabriel (2009), Gloria Estefan (2008), Juan Luis Guerra (2007), Ricky Martin (2006), José José (2005), Carlos Santana (2004), Gilberto Gil (2003), Vicente Fernández (2002), Julio Iglesias (2001) and Emilio Estefan (2000).

Kali Uchis to Receive Billboard Latin Women in Music’s Rising Star Award

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Kali Uchis’ star is on the rise…

The 29-year-old Colombian American singer and songwriter will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music program, per Billboard and Telemundo.

This celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see Uchis receive the Rising Star award.

Uchis “has quickly climbed the charts since releasing her first album in 2018,” the statement continues, “earning her this year’s Rising Star honor, a recognition and celebration of an emerging talent’s success in growing their musical prowess and solidifying their place in the industry.”

The singer, songwriter and record producer has successfully alternated between English and Spanish-language projects, while defying music genres with music that blends elements of R&B, neo-soul, pop, and Latin rhythms.

Her smash hit “telepatía” has amassed over 2 billion streams and is the Billboard Hot 100 longest-running Spanish song by a solo act this decade with a 23-week streak.

Uchis joins a list of previously announced honorees for this year that include Camila Cabello, Gloria Estefan (Legend), Ana Bárbara (Lifetime Achievement), Ángela Aguilar (Musical Dynasty) and Kany García (Spirit of Change).

In the coming weeks, additional honorees and details will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, which will be hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.

The Billboard Latin Women in Music program will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9:00 pm ET, and will be simultaneously available on the Telemundo app and Peacock.

Selena Gomez & “Emilia Perez” Co-Stars Earn Best Actress Honors at Cannes Film Festival

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez and her Emilia Perez cast mates are celebrating a special prize.

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon have been awarded the Best Actress award as an ensemble at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for their performances in the musical crime comedy film written and directed by Jacques Audiard.

Saldaña stars as Rita, a Mexico City lawyer hired by the cartel kingpin Manitas to help him flee Mexico for gender confirmation surgery. This turns out to be the beginning of a relationship that will continue between Rita and Emilia Perez (Gascón). Emilia returns years later, posing as Manitas’ sister, to stay close to her children who are living with her ex-wife (Gomez).

Gomez, who was not present at the ceremony shared the moment that she learned about the win on social media.

In an Instagram story, Selena shared a video of herself getting a call from Zoe, who informed her of their big accomplishment. In the clip, the star appears to be outside enjoying a picnic and is clearly ecstatic about the news.

“We did it, we did it,” Zoe shouts as Selena responds, “I’m so excited!”

The film, which also won the Jury Prize and Best Soundtrack, earned one of the longest standing ovations during the fesical when it was presented last weekend.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Palme d’Or
Anora, dir: Sean Baker

Grand Prize
All We Imagine as Light, dir: Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize
Emilia Perez, dir: Jacques Audiard

Best Director
Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour

Special Prize
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Actor
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress
Emilia Perez ensemble: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez

Best Screenplay
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Camera d’Or
Armand, dir: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Special Mention
Mongrel, dir: Chiang Wei Liang

Short Film Palme d’Or
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir: Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Special Mention
Bad For a Moment, dir: Daniel Soares

Camila Cabello to Receive Billboard Latin Women in Music’s Global Impact Award

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is being recognized for her global impact.

The 27-year-old Mexican & Cuban singer will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music, Billboard and Telemundo have announced.

The celebration, which highlights the efforts of Latin women musicians who are “proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry,” will see Cabello receive the Global Impact award.

“Singer-songwriter Camila Cabello’s success and contributions have earned her the honor of Global Impact, which recognizes female artists who have an exceptional ability to connect with audiences worldwide, not only through their music but also by positively influencing popular culture, as well as serving as ambassadors of Latin culture on a global scale,” reads the official press release, noting that the singer of “Havana” and “Señorita” has used her voice not only to create great hits worldwide, but to promote important issues that she is passionate about such as immigration, diversity, mental health and female empowerment.

Among other projects, Cabello has partnered with This Is About Humanity and Miami Freedom Project to host community events for new immigrant families in Miami, and has raised half a million dollars with Equality Florida and Lambda Legal to combat harmful legislation in Florida targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

She also launched the Healing Justice Project to provide mental health resources to BIPOC organizers across the country advancing racial, immigrant, and environmental justice.

The Billboard Latin Women in Music show will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9:00 pm ET, and will be simultaneously available on the Telemundo app and Peacock.

Gloria Estefan to Receive Legend Award at Billboard Latin Women in Music Event

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is set to receive a legendary recognition…

The 66-year-old Cuban superstar will be honored at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music event, which will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, June 9, at 9:00 pm ET.

The special will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.

Estefan will be honored with the Legend Award, which is given to outstanding artists who have left a “unique and immeasurable legacy and have significantly impacted the industry throughout their careers with their musical work.”

The “Conga” and “Mi Tierra” hitmaker is renowned globally as a multi-talented singer and composer, celebrated for seamlessly blending her Cuban roots with mainstream music and paving the way for Latin musicians in the global arena. Billboard has hailed her as the most successful Latin “crossover” artist ever, underscoring her transformative impact on music and culture.

She has sold more than 100 million records. Her many honors include three Grammy Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2019, the latter award in tandem with her husband Emilio Estefan.

Meanwhile, Ángela Aguilar will also be honored with the Musical Dynasty Award.

The title is given to artists who “keep a familial artistic legacy alive and honor the musical dynasty to which they belong.”

The Mexican singer is part of the esteemed Aguilar family, and, at 20 years old, she has carved out her own successful career with her talent while preserving the traditions of her family heritage.

With various hits under her belt, such as “Dime Como Quieres” with Christian Nodal at No. 8 on Hot Latin Songs and three No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the Grammy-nominated singer is a force to be reckoned with. She was also featured in Billboard’s 21 under 21 in 2022 and 2023.

Other Latin Women in Music recipients include Kany García, who will be given the Spirit of Change Award, and Ana Bárbara with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In the coming weeks, additional honorees will be announced for the second annual Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, hosted by actress Jacqueline Bracamontes.

Cristina Rivera Garza Wins Pulitzer Prize for Her Memoir “Liliana’s Invincible Summer”

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Cristina Rivera Garza is celebrating a special prize…

The 59-year-old Mexican author and professor has won the Pulitzer Prize for memoir or autobiography for her acclaimed memoir, Liliana’s Invincible Summer.

The book is a genre-bending account of the author’s 20-year-old sister, who was murdered by a former boyfriend, It mixes memoir, feminist investigative journalism and poetic biography stitched together with a determination born of loss.

Rivera Garza is the University of Houston’s MD Anderson professor in Hispanic Studies and the director of the Creative Writing Program in Hispanic Studies.

She’s a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and an award-winning author of six novels, three collections of short stories, five collections of poetry and three non-fiction books.

The writer and professor was born in Tamaulipas, Mexico. She emigrated to the U.S. in 1989 and earned her Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of Houston.

Medar de la Cruz, a contributor for The New Yorker, won the Pulitzer for illustrated reporting and commentary for The Diary of a Rikers Island Library Worker in The New Yorker, which offers a rare glimpse of life inside the jail system through de la Cruz’ artistic eye.

He won the award for his visually-driven story set inside Rikers Island jail using bold black-and-white images that humanize the prisoners and staff through their hunger for books.

de la Cruz, a comics artist also who works in New York City jails as a library assistant for the Brooklyn Public Library, takes readers through snippets of his work serving detained New Yorkers and recognizing their humanity in an inhumane setting.

“Phones and cameras aren’t allowed on Rikers, but I’m an illustrator,” de la Cruz wrote in the piece. “Sometimes I saw things that I felt compelled to draw from memory later.”

Brandon Som won the Pulitzer for poetry for Tripas: Poems from Georgia Review Books.

It’s a A collection that deeply engages with the complexities of the poet’s dual Mexican and Chinese heritage, highlighting the dignity of his family’s working lives, creating community rather than conflict.

For a complete list of 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, visit the awards website.

Ellen Ochoa to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ellen Ochoa has earned a special presidential honor…

The 65-year-old Mexican American engineer, former NASA astronaut and former director of the Johnson Space Center is among the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. The White House last held a ceremony in July 2022.

In 1993, Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Ochoa became director of the center upon the retirement of the previous director, Michael Coats, on December 31, 2012. She was the first Hispanic director and the second female director of Johnson Space Center.

But Ochoa isn’t the only Hispanic person recognized this year.

Teresa Romero is also being honored.

The Mexican immigrant and activist is the president of the United Farm Workers and the first Latina to become president of a national union in the United States.

She has secured key victories to improve the lives of the workers who feed and fuel our nation.

Other honorees include Phil Donahue, Michelle Yeoh, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), former Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry and former senator Elizabeth Dole. Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, also will be honored.

Others on the list include Clarence B. Jones, the civil rights activist and lawyer who helped draft Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech; swimmer Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky; educator and activist Opal Lee; astronomer Jane Rigby; and LGBT activist Judy Shepard.

Being honored posthumously will be Medgar Evers, former senator Frank Lautenberg and multi-sports legend Jim Thorpe.

Esperanza Spalding Among Recipients of 2024 Doris Duke Artist Awards

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Esperanza Spalding’s record of achievement has landed her a special prize…

The 39-year-old part-Mexican American Grammy-winning jazz artist is among the six recipients of the 2024 Doris Duke Artist Awards, which come with a significant monetary reward.

The Doris Duke Artist Award, established in 2012, recognizes artists for their record of achievement within the disciplines of contemporary dance, jazz and theater.

Each of the six honorees is being awarded $525,000 in unrestricted funds and up to $25,000 in retirement funds. It’s billed as the largest prize in the U.S. specifically dedicated to individual performing artists.

But Spalding isn’t the only Latin jazz artist to be honored.

Miguel Zenón, a 47-year-old Puerto Rican alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, music producer and educator, has also been named as an award recipient.

This year’s four other honorees are Nataki Garrett and Chay Yew (both from theater) and Shamel Pitts and Acosia Red Elk (both from dance).

The unrestricted nature of the award allows artists to use the funds for either personal or professional needs and enjoy the freedom to pursue projects of their choosing. Last year, the foundation doubled the amount of the award. Including the 2024 recipients, the foundation to date has provided 135 artists with $38.8 million through the Doris Duke Artist Award program.

On Friday April 26, the Doris Duke Foundation will host a symposium in New York about the future of the performing arts entitled Creative Labor, Creative Conditions: A Symposium and Celebration of the Doris Duke Artist Awards.

The foundation will also inaugurate an annual retreat for Doris Duke Artist awardees at Duke Farms, its 2,700-acre environmental center. This year’s retreat runs from April 29 to May 2.

Spalding, who has won five Grammys, is a bassist and singer who famously won best new artist in 2011, prevailing over a red-hot field that also included Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence + the Machine and Mumford and Sons. She has since won three Grammys for best jazz vocal album for Radio Music Society, 12 Little Spells and Songwrights Apothecary Lab and one for arrangement accompanying vocalist(s) for “City of Roses.”

Zenón, 47, won his first Grammy this year for best Latin jazz album for El Arte del Bolero, Vol. 2, a collaboration with Luis Perdomo. The alto saxophonist had previously gone 0-11 at the Grammys, so this year’s win was a breakthrough.

Duke, a tobacco heiress, socialite and philanthropist, died in 1993 at age 80. Her philanthropic work in AIDS research, medicine, and child welfare continued into her old age. Her estimated $1.3 billion fortune was largely left to charity.

The Doris Duke Foundation is one of only two foundations to have received the National Medal of the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts. The foundation’s mission “is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future by investing in artists and the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, child well-being and greater mutual understanding among diverse communities,” according to a statement.

Visit www.dorisduke.org to learn more.

J.A. Bayona’s “Society Of The Snow” Named Best Feature at This Year’s Platino Awards

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

J.A. Bayona’s most recent project is still picking up awards…

Society Of The Snow, the Spanish filmmaker’s survival drama for Netflix, dominated the top honors at the eleventh Platino Awards on Saturday evening.

Bayona’s Society Of The Snow closed last year’s Venice Film Festival. Based on the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, first published in 2008, the film charts the story of the 45 people who, on October 13, 1972, boarded Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 from Montevideo to Chile. There were five crew members on board and 40 passengers, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby team.

Tragedy struck when the pilot began his descent too early, crashing into the Andes and killing 12 immediately. The survivors clung to the belief that help was coming, but none did. After weeks of hunger, having exhausted everything in the plane’s hold, they were forced to do the unthinkable and eat the flesh of those who had died.

The story was told by Frank Marshall in the 1993 film Alive. The film was Spain’s pick for the Best International Feature Oscar race.

The Ibero-American award show took place this year at the El Gran Tlachco theater in Xcaret Park, Riviera Maya.

Bayona claimed the award for best director for Society Of The Snow, which won Best Feature.

20,000 Species Of Bees, the debut film by Basque filmmaker Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren won Best Screenplay and Best First Feature.

The film is set during a summer in a village house linked to beekeeping and follows an eight-year-old and her mother experiencing revelations that will change their lives forever.

Elsewhere, Robot Dreams won Best Animated Feature and Under Therapy by Gerardo Herrero took Best Comedy, capping off a good night for Spain in Mexico, with all main film awards bar Best Documentary (The Eternal Memory by Maite Alberdi of Chile) going to Spanish filmmakers.

Here’s the full list of 2024 Platinos winners:

Film
Best Fiction Film: Society of the Snow (Spain)
Best Fictional comedy: Bajo Terapia (Spain)
Best Director: J. A. Bayona (Spain)
Best Screenplay: Estibaliz Urresola for 20,000 Species of Bees (Spain)
Best original music: Alfonso de Vilallonga for Robot Dreams (Spain)
Best Male Performance: Enzo Vogrincic for Society of the Snow
Best Female Performance: Laia Costa for Un amor (Spain)
Best Supporting Male Performance: Jose Coronado for Cerrar los ojos (Spain)
Best Supporting Female Performance: Ana Gabarain for 20,000 Species of Bees (Spain)
Best Animated Film: Eagle and Jaguar: Robot Dreams (Spain)
Best documentary film: The Eternal Memory by Maite Alberdi (Chile)
Best Ibero-American first feature film: 20,000 Species Of Bees
Best Editing: Jaume Marti, Andres Gil for Society of the Snow (Spain)
Best Art Direction: Rodrigo Bazaes for El Conde (Chile)
Best Director of Photography: Pedro Luque for Society of the Snow (Spain)
Best Sound Direction: Oriol Tarragó, Marc Orts, Jorge Adrados for Society of the Snow (Spain)

Series
Best film miniseries or television series: Barrabrava
Best Male Performance: Andy Chango for El amor después del amor
Best female performance: Carmen Machi for Las Mesias
Best supporting male performance: Alfredo Castro for The Thousand Days of Allende
Best Supporting Female Performance: Lola Dueñas for Las Mesias
Best creator of a film miniseries or television series: Daniel Burman for Iosi, the Regretful Spy

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Category Archives: Awards