MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Latin Recording Academy® announced its 2024 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees. The program, created eight years ago, honors and recognizes professional and socially conscious women in the arts and Latin entertainment fields who have made significant contributions and inspired future leaders.
This year’s honorees are:
- Vivir Quintana, singer/songwriter and social activist for women’s rights in Mexico
- Diana Rodríguez, CEO and founder of Criteria Entertainment, a music management and marketing firm, and Mercado Negro, a boutique management agency and label
- Ana Rosa Santiago, Senior Vice President of Latin Music & LatAm for Universal Music Publishing Group
- Julieta Venegas, singer/songwriter, eight-time Latin GRAMMY® Award winner
“It is a privilege to present this year's Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees, an exceptional group of women who have distinguished themselves through their successful careers as well as for their continued fight for gender equity,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “Our honorees are so much more than a representation of excellence; they are a group that has significantly contributed to the empowerment and growth of other women.”
The private event celebrating this year’s class will take place in Miami on November 11, during Latin GRAMMY® Week, with Amazon Music as the Presenting Sponsor. In addition, Amazon Music will be making their first ever donation to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®’s Scholarship Fund in support of future Latin music makers. Baptist Health South Florida and Espolón Tequila will also join as Official Sponsors of the celebration.
“Our industry is powered by incredible women, both in front of the mic and behind it, which is why we’re thrilled to team up with Leading Ladies of Entertainment to celebrate this year’s fantastic honorees,” said Rocío Guerrero, Head of Music, Latin/Iberia, Amazon Music. “Championing female talent at all stages of their career, and celebrating their impact on the success of Latin music globally, is extremely important to us so we can continue to have a thriving music industry. The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s Scholarship Fund is a brilliant way of doing this.”
Paying-it-forward and forging opportunities for future generations is a core pillar of this initiative, and the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Connect TogetHER Mentorship program has once again partnered with She Is The Music—an international nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in music. This year, the collaborative program led by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation will be sponsored by AARP.
This year’s class along with past honorees are invited to become mentors, with the goal of fostering the next generation of women in the industry. Applications for the mentorship program are now open until November 22, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For program guidelines and to apply, please visit https://lgcf.smapply.io/. For any questions, email lgcf@grammy.com.
ABOUT VIVIR QUINTANA:
Mexican singer/songwriter Vivir Quintana is one of her generation's most beautiful and powerful voices. Her songs blend folk, regional and ranchera music with lyrics full of freedom, love and poetry. Millions of women have adopted her “Canción Sin Miedo” as a global feminist anthem, making it one of the most translated protest songs in the world. Her music has been featured in films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). In 2023, she was named a Spotify EQUAL ambassador, Forbes included her among the 100 most creative Mexicans, and Rolling Stone considers her "one of the most recognized female figures in Mexico." Following her first album, Te Mereces Un Amor; she is working on a follow up: a collection of corridos chronicling the tales of women incarcerated for standing up to their abusers.
ABOUT DIANA RODRÍGUEZ:
A pioneer in the music industry, Diana Rodríguez is the CEO and founder of Criteria Entertainment, a creative service and music marketing company, and Mercado Negro, a boutique management agency and label under the Criteria umbrella. Through these entities, she oversees the careers of Latin GRAMMY® winners, such as Enrique Bunbury, Mon Laferte and Diamante Eléctrico, among others. In 2009, she became the first woman to lead a multinational Latin record label in the United States. In her 32-year music career, Rodríguez has held senior positions at Phillips, Polygram, Universal Music, EMI Music, and Capitol Latin, catapulting the careers of artists like Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra and Francisca Valenzuela. Billboard and El Tiempo Colombia have recognized her in their lists of powerful women.
ABOUT ANA ROSA SANTIAGO:
Ana Rosa Santiago is the Senior Vice President of Latin music for Universal Music Publishing Group in the U.S. and Latin America. She leads the A&R and Sync departments, developing talent and creating global opportunities for UMPG songwriters. She has signed artists such as Ivan Cornejo, Feid, Romeo Santos and Yahritza y Su Esencia. During her 18-year tenure at ASCAP, she signed artists like Kany García, Farruko, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, among others. With over 25 years in the music industry, she is a dual member of The Latin Recording Academy and the Recording Academy, serves on the board of She Is The Music, and is the Assistant Vice President of Events for the Miami chapter of Women In Music.
ABOUT JULIETA VENEGAS:
Singer/songwriter Julieta Venegas, an eight-time Latin GRAMMY®-winner and GRAMMY® recipient, is one of Latin pop's foremost exponents and icons. Known for hits like "Limón Y Sal," "Me Voy" and "Lento," Venegas' versatility, coupled with the authenticity that permeates her creations, has made her the most listened-to female artist on Spotify in Mexico. Her collaboration with Tainy and Bad Bunny won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Reggaeton Performance in 2022. Her album Tu Historia won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album a year later. In 2024, she performed before 80,000 people in Mexico City's Zócalo and 85,000 at Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Mexico and an ambassador for COMMCA.
ABOUT SHE IS THE MUSIC:
She Is The Music (SITM) is a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in music and transform the gender landscape of the industry. Operating as a unifying network for the music business and beyond, SITM provides resources and support for female-focused initiatives, both through its own programs as well as external efforts worldwide. A first-of-its-kind collaboration, SITM is powered by industrywide representation: creators, publishers, record labels, talent agencies, management companies, industry groups, think tanks, media companies, streaming services and more. Entertainment Industry Foundation serves as a partner. For more information, visit sheisthemusic.org.
ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Latin Recording Academy® is an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, The Biggest Night in Latin Music®, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for the music community through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.
ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:
The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy®, with the vision of becoming a global champion of music education and empowering communities through Latin music and culture. In 2024 the Foundation will celebrate its 10-year anniversary, and during the last decade it has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music and celebrate its rich cultural heritage. To date, the Foundation has donated nearly $10 million dollars with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information, or to donate, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook.
