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awards

There are several Latino award shows that have been created to honor Latino stars in the film, television and music industries.  These award shows provide a venue for acknowledging Latinos’ achievements in the entertainment industry, and reveal the progress that society has made in recognizing Latinos’ talent  and hard work. Three of the largest award shows that we will focus on are the ALMA Awards, Latin GRAMMY Awards and Billboard Latin Music Awards.

 

American Latino Media Arts Awards

The ALMA Awards were created in 1995 by the national Council of La Raza, and were previously known as the Bravo Awards.3 This award show is dedicated to promoting fair, accurate, and balanced portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry by awarding them for their achievements within the realms of film, television and music.4 The interesting thing about this award show is that it is not just an excuse for celebrities to get dressed up and watch their colleagues perform; the NCLR uses the award show as "A television entertainment special with a cause - to show the nation how diversity strengthens our country and how inclusion strengthens the entertainment industry."4

The 2007 Alma Awards, which were hosted by Eva Longoria on June 5th, were especially momentous for two reasons. First, the NCLR created a white ribbon campaign to promote comprehensive immigration reform. At the show, white ribbons were distributed to the guests and many of the celebrities in attendance were wearing them on their clothing to show their support. In addition, the NCLR took the celebration of artists to other elements of the show. Eva Longoria showcased various Latino designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, as she switched from one gorgeous gown to the next. By the end of the night she had worn twelve different dresses, as well as shoes and jewelry that were made by Latinos.5

Lastly, Latino art was incorporated in the stage design and featured pieces that were on loan from Patssi Valdez, who is the designer of the ALMA Award, and by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The inclusion of all of these elements made the show a celebration of not only actors and musicians, but designers and artists.

Latin GRAMMY Awards

The Latin GRAMMY Awards, which were created by the Latin Recording Academy , were launched in 2000 as the first primarily Spanish language prime-time program carried on an English-language television network. In just eight years, the award show has come to represent the height of achievement in Latin music recording as it recognized artistic and technical excellence in the recording arts and sciences.8

The awards show is formatted similarly to the Grammy Awards and winners are elected by peer vote. However, there are two minor differences between the two shows: the membership is international and the music releases that are eligible for awards are issued both inside and outside of the United States. Because the award show is an international event it is arguably the most high-profile celebration of Latin culture ever on the domestic airwaves.9 This allows the event to impact more than 100 international markets and has enabled the Latin Recording Academy to do some great things for the Latino community. For example, the Academy set up educational outreach programs which educate students about the Latin recording industry and teach them how to be successful in the field.

Billboard Latin Music Awards

The Billboard Latin Music Awards honor the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music, which are determined by actual music sales and radio airplay. Therefore, these awards reflect the opinions of Latino viewers and are televised only on Telemundo, which is unlike the other two award shows discussed above. The Billboard Latin Music Awards don't just recognize the top Latin albums and songs but include prestigious discretionary awards as well. Two examples of this are the Spirit of Hope award for humanitarian contributions, and the Lifetime Achievement award.  Furthermore, Telemundo presents its Estrella award to a top superstar in the industry, and the People's choice award.

The Billboard awards show is part of the larger Latin Music Week, which features various presentations and performances. Parties, educational sessions and networking events surrounding the awards show help to make it one of the most prestigious award shows  in the music industry.16

 

 

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