MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Latin Recording Academy® announces El Consorcio (Mocedades), Eugenia León, Ricardo Montaner, Ednita Nazario, and Piero as recipients of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Carlos Mejía Godoy, Nelson Motta, and Rafael Solano Sánchez will receive the Trustees Award. The honorees will be celebrated during a private ceremony on Nov. 16 at Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas as part of the weeklong 17th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® festivities.
"It is with immense pleasure The Latin Recording Academy acknowledges and commends such a diverse group of honorees with this year's Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr, Latin Recording Academy President/CEO. "Each honoree's individual work in the Latin music industry has proven to be timeless. Undoubtedly the 2016 class will continue to be an inspiration to our culture and community, while contributing to create a priceless artistic legacy day after day for Latin music."
Lifetime Achievement Award: This Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording during their careers.
Vocal group El Consorcio were founded in 1993 in Bilbao, Spain, by the late Sergio Blanco; siblings Amaya, Estíbaliz, Iñaki Uranga, and Carlos Zubiaga—all former members of the folk super group famously known around the world as Mocedades. Their collective music output reached all corners of Latin America, Spain and even non-Spanish markets with hits such as "Eres Tú," "Tómame O Déjame," and "El Vendedor." With a catalogue boasting more than 40 years of music, El Consorcio/Mocedades has built a large fan base worldwide.
Since beginning her solo career in 1982, vocalist Eugenia León has become a revered Mexican cultural icon and an international sensation. Born in Mexico, Leon has built a catalog of more than 25 albums over her 35-year career, many of which have sold several million copies. In September 1985, two days after the Mexico City earthquake, León delivered her country a victory when she won the OTI Festival, an international singing competition. With an incredible repertoire, the Latin American music icon has performed on numerous stages around the globe. Today, León continues to promote national folklore while pairing traditional songs with contemporary composers.
Admired by millions around the world, iconic Argentine singer/songwriter Ricardo Montaner's colorful career spans more than four decades and is still going strong. Montaner has released more than 20 albums, including 1997's Es Así, 2001's Sueño Repetido, and 2002's Suma, which all earned RIAA platinum certification. Montaner has also dedicated his life to helping others. In 2005 he launched "LaVentana De Los Cielos" (The Window of Heaven) foundation in Miami, which provides therapy for children with Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy. Montaner continues to tour as he has done for the past 40 years, bringing love and happiness to millions of fans.
The great diva of Puerto Rico, Ednita Nazario, became a national star by age 14 with her variety show. She has released more than 20 albums, including 2002's Acústico and 2002's Por Tí, which both earned Latin GRAMMY nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Album and RIAA platinum certification. Her hit songs include "La Prohibida," "Eres Libre," "Quiero Que Me Hagas El Amor," and "De Todos Modos." Nazario has also appeared on Broadway with Marc Anthony and Rubén Blades in the musical The Capeman, earning her a Theater World Award for her performance.
Italian-born Argentine singer/songwriter Piero (Piero De Benedictis) has dedicated more than a decade of his career to speaking against impoverishment and political repression in Argentina. With more than 3 million records sold, Piero has written songs in Italian and Spanish, touching on social, economic and spiritual topics and other themes he holds close to his heart. Songs such as "Mi Viejo," "Llegando Llegaste," and "Los Americanos" demonstrate he is a true singer/songwriter. Piero has also recorded children's music, including Sinfonía Inconclusa En La Mar, which was previously nominated for a Latin GRAMMY® for Best Latin Children's Album. As a man with moral rectitude, Piero has dedicated his later years to social work through his foundation, Fundación Buenas Ondas—improving the lives of impoverished at-risk children.
Trustees Award: This Special Award is presented by vote of The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording during their careers.
Carlos Mejía Godoy is known in Nicaragua as a voice of the people. With a life influenced by the oppression of the government, Godoy used the radio as his weapon of choice and started his career as Corporito on the station Radio Corporación, where he composed songs ridiculing politicians with a biting sense of humor. After gaining some international notoriety with his debut album, Cantos A Flor De Pueblo, Godoy would go on to be the best known voice for Nicaraguan folklore with hits such as "Son Tus Perjúmenes Mujer" and "Quincho Barrilete."
Born in 1944 in São Paulo, Brazil, Nelson Motta made his claim to fame through work as a journalist, critic, lyricist, producer, writer, and creative designer. In addition to an impressive catalog of more than 300 compositions, Motta worked as an artistic director for Warner Music, produced for PolyGram, wrote box office phenomenon musicals, and was a newspaper columnist. He can be considered one of the first multimedia concept translators in Brazil. He wrote the book Noites Tropicais, which covers contemporary Brazilian music.
Rafael Solano Sánchez is a man with a big heart and a love for music. Born in 1931 in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, he was considered a child prodigy wowing audiences on instruments such as violin and cello. Credited with a catalog of more than 100 original songs, he has composed music in many genres, including classical, folk, choral, religious, ballads, and merengue. As a television producer in the '60s and '70s, Solano helped push Dominican music forward by shining a light on emerging artists of the time. Arguably, his most acclaimed song, "Por Amor," has been performed by artists such as Niní Cáffaro, Gloria Estefan, Marco Antonio Muñiz, and Jon Secada.
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community either directly or through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow us at: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Periscope, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr.