The Latin Recording Academy will honor the accomplishments of women working within the arts and Latin entertainment with a ceremony recognizing “The Leading Ladies of Entertainment.” After two years of virtual celebrations due to the pandemic, the event returns live in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Nov. 15, as part of Latin Grammy week.
The inaugural event will recognize Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and six-time Latin Grammy-winner Kany García; Rocío Guerrero, global head of Latin at Amazon Music; Rosa Lagarrigue, founder and CEO of Spain’s RLM; and Janina Rosado, pianist, musical director, Juan Luis Guerra’s co-producer, and nine-time Latin Grammy-winner as “Leading Ladies” of 2022.
“We are proud to celebrate this amazing group of women and their many contributions to the Latin music and entertainment worlds,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy. “While there continues to be a sizeable gender gap in the industry, we continue to make inroads, with initiatives like the Leading Ladies of Entertainment platform, as we shine a light on the necessary work that needs to be done in order to create equity and gender parity.”
To help combat those issues, the program is once again partnering with She Is The Music — a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in music — on a collaborative mentorship program, in which former “Leading Ladies” will be invited to work alongside a She Is The Music mentee. The partnership will build on last year’s Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER mentorship program.
Rebeca León, a She Is The Music Board member and “Leading Lady” from 2017, added: “I am proud to be part of the She is the Music mentorship program with Leading Ladies of Latin Music. The most important thing we can do is lift women up and put them in situations where they can learn and grow. It’s no longer about a seat at the table; it’s about giving women the tools to own the building that the tables are in.”
Applications for the Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER mentorship program are now open, through Nov. 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The link to apply and guidelines are available at Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER.
The Latin Grammy week event will precede the 23rd annual awards show, set to broadcast live on Univision from the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on November 17.
City National Bank and Noteable, By Spotify for Artists return as co-sponsors for the event with Noteable making a scholarship donation to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s Scholarship Fund in support of future Latin music makers.
