For the 19th edition of its annual Media Summit, NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) is celebrating some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific Latino and Latin American talent as part of its Latino Media Awards to take place in the heart of Hollywood on Saturday, June 23.
The most exciting announcement by far is that Mexican actor, director, producer, overall mensch, and iconic figure in Latin American cinema, Diego Luna, will receive the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Film Award.
To list some of his most notable accomplishments: he’s been in a Star Wars movie (Rogue One); he’s worked with Hollywood royalty like Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, and Gus Van Sant; he directed a movie about Chicano hero Cesar Chavez; and he is one half of one of the greatest Latin American bromances ever in tandem with Gael Garcia Bernal. The two also head up La Corriente del Golfo, a Mexico City-based production company to foster film, TV, and theater projects in their home country.
Though it hasn’t yet been revealed who will present Luna with the award, we hope it’s someone that has played a significant role in his emblematic career. A best friend perhaps? Someone he grew up with and starred alongside in several movies, maybe?
Another heavy hitter being recognized by the Latino entertainment community this year is unparalleled Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla. The two-time Academy Award winner has been in charge of scoring acclaimed pictures such as Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful; Ang Lee’s gay drama Brokeback Mountain, Walter Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries, and more recently Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales. He will be the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his indelible contributions to the art of film.
Propelled to a new level of exposure thanks to the critical success of Starz’s Vida, which has just been deservingly renewed for a second season, actress Mishel Prada will accept this year’s Outstanding Achievement in Television Award. Her performance as Emma in Tanya Saracho’s breakout show shifts the narrative around Latinas on screen and queer representation of characters of color with a nuanced portrayal that defies stereotypes.
The youngest honoree this year, 16-year-old Peruvian-American actress Isabela Moner will follow in the footsteps of talented young thespians such as Aubrey Plaza and Tony Revolori when she receives the Lupe Ontiveros Award. Her promising career took off last year with her part in Michael Bay’s blockbuster Transformers: The Last Knight. Later this month audiences will be able to see Moner star in Sicario: Day of the Soldado opposite Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro. She has also been cast in the lead role of the upcoming Dora the Explorer live-action adaptation slated for released in 2019.
Working behind the scenes in an extremely influential role, Argentine-born Victoria Alonso has helped shaped Marvel Studios’ box-office empire as either a co-producer or an executive producer on every single one of the studios’ movies including Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Taking advantage of her rare position as a Latina with decision-making power in a billion-dollar franchise, Alonso has repeatedly spoken about the urgent need for more female voices in Hollywood. NALIP will bestow the Tech Arts Innovator Award upon her.
This strong lineup of awardees serves as an emblematic sample of the growing Latino presence across all media.
Get your pass for NALIP’s annual Media Summit (June 21-24) and tickets to the Latino Media Awards Gala here.