Known for celebrating diversity in the entertainment industry, LEJA commended Barraza for her humorously engaging and emotionally moving portrayal of Nana, the feisty and loving Mexican grandmother to Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle). Her scene-stealing performance resonated with audiences globally. The LEJA nomination not only recognizes Barraza’s exceptional talent but also acknowledges her significant impact as a Latina actress, paving the way for the Latino community in Hollywood.

The winners of the LEJA Awards will be announced virtually on Monday, February 12.

Barraza reflected on her nomination, stating, “I’m truly honored and thankful that the LEJA Awards have recognized me with this distinguished nomination. Being nominated is already a win for any actor, but to receive the nomination for this character of Nana, which I loved playing, means even more. My most important goal was to represent this beautiful part of the Latino community in the U.S., the brave women who immigrate to our beautiful country but work tirelessly to honor their roots.”

Adriana Barraza’s illustrious career has been marked by compelling performances, earning her accolades, including Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress in “Babel.” In addition to her role in “Blue Beetle,” Barraza starred in a heartwarming supporting role in the film “Monica” alongside Trace Lysette and Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson. The film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, receiving an 11-minute standing ovation. Barraza also captivated audiences in the lead role of Maestra Georgina in the Netflix original Mexican feature film “El Ultimo Vagón,” directed by Ernesto Contreras. The film achieved significant success on Netflix, holding the position of the #1 Spanish-language movie worldwide for six consecutive weeks and standing out as one of the most successful Netflix films of 2023. Barraza’s dedication to her craft and her ability to breathe life into unforgettable characters solidify her as a formidable presence in the entertainment industry.

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Joining the exclusive ranks of Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican trailblazer, and Lupita Nyong’o, today Oscar nomination of America Ferrera makes a notable dent in the lack of diversity for Latinos in Hollywood.

Ferrera’s nomination not only celebrates her exceptional talent but also symbolizes a positive shift in the industry’s recognition of Latinx performers. Known for her impactful roles in projects like Real Women Have Curves and Ugly Betty, Ferrera has consistently broken barriers and challenged stereotypes.

Ferrera’s journey reflects the increasing acknowledgment of diverse voices in the entertainment world. Her presence in the Oscar nomination list is a testament to the importance of representation and the ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity in the film industry.

In a landscape where Latinx representation remains a crucial topic, America Ferrera’s Oscar nomination stands as a beacon of inspiration, paving the way for more Latinx talent to be recognized and celebrated on the grand stage of the Academy Awards.

This year Latinos were also nominated in various categories either for individual statues, or as part of a team.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Colman Domingo
Rustin

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

America Ferrera
Barbie

AIMATED FEATURE FILM

Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Killers of the Flower Moon
Rodrigo Prieto

MUSIC (Original Song)

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren – Performed by Becky G

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Society of the Snow
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

The 96th Oscars will be broadcast on Sunday, March 10, 2024 on ABC. Those without access to ABC can still watch the Oscars live with streaming services that offer live television, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and FuboTV

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When she was in first grade, Annie Gonzalez would often stare into space in class. That got both her teacher and mother concerned. 

Asked what was the matter, the 7-year-old replied she imagined herself as an actress one day getting on a stage to pick up her Oscar and Tony awards. “I have wanted to be a performer since I was a little girl,” says Gonzalez. “I never saw myself doing anything else.”

Her mother encouraged little Annie to hit the books and pursue her dreams. Three years later, the little brown girl landed her first acting gig, playing a Guatemalan immigrant in the ABC police procedural drama television series Without a Trace. “I had to get a haircut for the role,” she recalls. 

That was the beginning of a long road in search of roles for the actress who identifies as a Chicana, an American woman who’s proud of her Mexican descent. She was one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids for the former WB Television Network and went on to other small roles in movies like Mitú’s Beauty School and 20th Century Fox’s Spies in Disguise and series like Showtime’s Shameless and Starz’s award-winning Vida. 

Those minor parts are of big importance for Gonzalez. “I’d say every single project has amalgamated the actress I am now,” she states.

Then came Gentefied, the Netflix series that gave Gonzalez her breakout role. Premiered right before the beginning of the pandemic in February of 2020, the show is about gentrification, family and dreams of a better life centered on three Mexican-American cousins in the East L.A. community of Boyle Heights. She has the role of Lidia Solis, the pregnant and highly educated girlfriend of Erik Morales, one of the central characters played by J.J. Soria. Gentefied is executive produced by America Ferrera (Superstore, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and created by Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chavez.

“Playing Lidia has opened me up and matured me so much as an actress,” she says. “She is a woman anyone can relate to, who feels pain, has weaknesses, shows vulnerabilities, who has gone through so much and done a lot.” In Gentefied’s second season, which returned in early November, Gonzalez’s character becomes a mother, moves to Palo Alto and starts a new job at Stanford University. “I feel Lidia thinks she has to carry the world on her shoulders,” says the actress. “But she’s human and, like any human, she makes mistakes.”

The multilayered Lidia raised Gonzalez’s profile and may have helped her secure a starring role in the upcoming film Flamin’ Hot from Searchlight Pictures, which marks the directorial debut of actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame. The biopic tells the story of Ricardo Montañez, the Latino who reportedly created the popular snack Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and who is played by actor Jesse Garcia. Gonzalez’s role is Judy Montañez, the wife of the Cheetos’ inventor. Shot this past summer in New Mexico, the film’s release date is yet to be announced.

Gonzalez credits Longoria and other renowned actresses for opening up doors for new generations of Chicanos and Latinos in showbusiness. “I wouldn’t have been able to do my work without the predecessors paving the way for us, people like Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Linda Yvette Chavez and Rita Moreno,” Gonzalez states. “They all have shown us that beautiful brown girls can make it in Hollywood.”

One can expect to see more of Gonzalez in the near future. In addition to Flamin’ Hot, she’s been cast in Once Upon in Aztlan, a drama starring and exec produced by George Lopez that the comedian is currently developing for Amazon Prime Video. Gonzales also appears in The Edge of Her Mind Anthology: Her Movies Vol 1, an upcoming collection of independent drama shorts focused on women’s mental health. The Chicana stars in the short Cafe Abundance playing a woman who breaks down in the middle of a hip restaurant.

All those accomplishments earned Gonzalez to be the inaugural recipient of Latin Heat’s Rising Star Award this month. “It is no surprise Annie has booked three major roles in a span of just a little over two years,” says Bel Hernandez, the founder, and publisher of this trade publication that covers Latinos in Hollywood. “She is talented, authentic, and smart, qualities that make for a rising star.” Adds Hernandez, “In 30 years Latin Heat has covered many rising talents like Jennifer Lopez, Jay Hernandez and Salma Hayek on their journey to stardom. We feel Annie is on the same trajectory, and are honored to award her the Latin Heat Rising Star Award”.

Gonzalez has big hopes for her career in 2022 and the coming years. “I’d love to be able to do another two features and star in a comedy,” she says. “I want to demonstrate the full range of my acting chops. Also, I have a lot of stories to tell.”

Apparently, some fantasies of 7-year-old Annie, the first-grader from East Los Angeles, have been coming true. Maybe the major awards she dreamt off could arrive soon, as well. 

Featured Photo: Annie Gonzalez (Photo: Juan Veloz)

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This year, the National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP) named Latin Heat Entertainment’s Bel Hernandez as Publisher of the Year for her demonstrated excellence in publishing and service to the Latino community in the entertainment industry. The recognition couldn’t be more timely as it coincides with Latin Heat Entertainment’s 30th year anniversary.

On the occasion of the 30 year anniversary, Latin Heat, an online trade publication, is launching the Latin Heat Rising Star Award which will be awarded to a talent who is stepping into the spotlight in a major way. This year, actress Annie Gonzalez is the recipient of the Rising Star Award. Gonzalez’s breakout role came in Netflix’s Gentefied, which led to landing a starring role in Eva Longoria’s directorial feature film debut Flamin’ Hot.  And Gonzalez’s star continues to rise and is shining brighter than ever as she recently landed the starring role in George Lopez’s Once Upon a Time in Aztlan! Presently, Gonzalez can be seen in season 2 of Gentefied currently streaming on Netflix.

Credited with expanding the coverage of Latinos in Hollywood, Hernandez was dubbed “The Godmother of Latino Hollywood” by MovieMaker Magazine. Throughout her 30 year career in the entertainment industry, she has received several accolades and has forged many alliances, including with her mentor and the former publisher of The Hollywood Reporter to promote the “crossover” coverage of Latinos. Most recently, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that produces the Golden Globe Awards, appointed Hernandez to the HFPA Credentials Committee.

“Looking back, I reflect on where we were back then as a creative community, it was the independent Latino directors creating the opportunities for Latinos. Gregory Nava (Selena, El Norte), Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Desperado), Miguel Arteta (Star Maps), Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver, American Me) and others”, reflected Hernandez. “Fast forward 30 years and now there is a cadre of Latino creatives who continue to cast authentically and create the future stars of Hollywood who happen to be Latino”.   

In celebration of Latin Heat’s 30th Anniversary, an invitation-only industry event will take place on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 where NAHP’s founding president, Kirk Whisler, will present the Publisher of the Year Award to Bel Hernandez. The celebrity red carpet event is sponsored by Neft Vodka and will benefit Brighter Future Charity, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to enriching and empowering the lives of youth, adults and families within the Autism community.

Under her purview as CEO of Latin Heat Media (LHM), a multi-media company whose mission is to create content by Latinos and about Latinos for universal audiences, LHM produces TheTRENDTalk Show and is co-founder of LATINAFest, a festival that celebrates all things Latina.

In addition to running her own media company, Hernandez believes in giving back to the community. She serves on the Advisory Boards for Farmworker Justice and the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation. Hernandez has also been recognized by the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Latina Style Magazine, Hispanic Lifestyle, National Hispanic Health Foundation, National Hispanic Media Coalition, the City of Los Angeles, and the Women in Theater Festival and has received a Mujeres Destacadas Award from La Opinión and an ALMA Award for her journalist endeavors. 

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Bronx-born actress Eileen Galindo has enjoyed a varied career, working in live theater, television, film, including working in the lucrative world of voiceovers. All her work has lead to some interesting projects this year.

At an early age, Galindo yearned to be “part of something” in show business. However, her family, who had emigrated from Cuba by way of Miami, had no connections whatsoever to the entertainment industry.

After working and studying in New York, Galindo became involved in the non-traditional casting movement putting herself on the picket lines to encourage Broadway producers to endorse diversity in casting. She also took up writing and did two one-woman shows Off-Broadway, one of them directed by Wynn Handman.

Moving to Los Angeles, Galindo landed in the Mark Taper Forum repertory company. “We did some wonderful work at the Forum when Gordon Davidson was running the joint,” she recalled. “I was in The House of Bernarda Alba, starring Chita Rivera and Culture Clash‘s Chavez Ravine in 2003. In 2010, Galindo was nominated for the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Performance in The Clean House at International City Theatre in Long Beach.

Currently, Galindo is part of the Oscar buzz euphoria.  She co-starred in the short film The Letter Room which has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Ex Machina’s Oscar Isaac plays the lead in the short, which is directed and executive produced by Elvira Lind, Isaac’s wife, and collaborator.

The Letter Room is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room. “I play Irene, the prison’s warden,” Galindo explains. “Elvira was inspired to write the film when she reflected on the isolated, single 40-something-year-old men she came in contact with while in Denmark,” she goes on to explain. “These men lived solitary lives. They never married and never had children. The film does go into the loneliness that exists in these facilities.”

The Letter Room was filmed at the Arthur Kill Correctional facility in Staten Island, a decommissioned prison with all the required “barbed wire, the cells, everything,” Galindo recalled.

The film screened at various film festivals around the U.S. to critical acclaim and In March 2021 they learned it had been nominated for an Oscar. “As we all know, getting features made in Hollywood is not an easy thing, especially by a woman,” Galindo explained.  “So Elvira decided to start with a short, if that graduates to something bigger and better, that would be great.”

Galindo exudes a refreshing optimism, especially in light of the current restrictive times. “Well, I’ve been working,” she laughs. She is currently recurring on the second season of the CBS All Access hit series Why Women Kill, created and produced by Marc Cherry. He also created Desperate Housewives and Devious Maids. Galindo plays Isabel, Rita’s maid, played by series regular Lana Padilla. “I am encouraged because All Access has morphed into a more significant, better thing called Paramount Plus, a streaming network that doesn’t just include CBS programming but also has Paramount content, Nickelodeon, MTV, all sorts of things.

Why Women Kill is an anthology series, and each season does not pick up from the previous season left off. Galindo clarifies. “This year, it takes place in 1949 Hollywood, exploring the façades people hide behind and the lengths they go to to be accepted and be part of something.” We’re all doing double-duty. As for now, we are Why Women Kill. David Warren is our producing director. Lana, a Puerto Rican and Italian from Brooklyn, is a joy to work with.”

Looking towards the future, Galindo is wrapping up her work on Why Women Kill and looking forward to its premiere within a few months. However, the 93rd Academy Awards is what she is anxiously waiting for.  April 25 will be the date she can finally say (or not) she worked in an Academy award-winning film. As Galindo often says, “Well see.”

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Artists Linda Ronstadt, Bad Bunny, Fito Paez, Natalia Lafourcade, Grupo Niche, and Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra won Grammys at the 63rd annual awards ceremony that recognizes musical achievements.

Ronstadt took home the gilded gramophone to Best Music Film for Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, an award shared with video directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and video producers Michele Farinola and James Keach. The prize recognizes concert and performance films or music documentaries.

The documentary about the legendary singer chronicles Ronstadt’s life and career from her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, through her successful decades-long career in many music genres, film, television and theatre, to her retirement a decade ago due to Parkinson’s disease. An independently-minded artist, she recorded any style of music she wanted including Mexican music in honor of her heritage. In 1987 Ronstadt released the acclaimed mariachi album Canciones de Mi Padre that went on to win the Grammy for best Mexican/Mexican-American album.

Also in the running for Best Music Film were Beastie Boys’s Story, Beyoncé’s Black Is King,  Freestyle Love Supreme’s We Are Freestyle Love Supreme, and ZZ Top’s That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.

Bad Bunny received the award for best Latin pop or urban album, a category that for the first time included the urban genre. The Puerto Rican singer won the honor with YHLQMDLG, an acronym that stands for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana, or I do whatever I want. YHLQMDLG was the first of three albums released by the rapper and reggaeton singer during the pandemic, reaching number 2 on Billboard–the highest-ranked Spanish-language album at the time. Released singles from the album included Vete, Ignorantes, La Difícil, and Yo Perreo Sola.

Bad Bunny was nominated along two fellow Puerto Ricans, Kany Garcia with Mesa Para Dos and Ricky Martin with Pausa, as well as Spanish singer Camilo with Por Primera Vez and L.A.-based Costa Rican performer Debi Nova’s with 3:33.

Fito Paez won the best Latin rock or alternative album with La Conquista del Espacio. The Argentinian rocker defeated Argentinian-Uruguayan band Bajofondo’s Aura, Chilean singer Cami’s Monstruo, Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética’s Sobrevolando, and Colombian-Canadian Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia. Again, this was the first time this category did not include the urban genre, which instead joined pop music in another category.

In the best regional mexican music album category, which includes Tejano, the prize went to Lafourcade for Un Canto por México, Vol. 1. The Mexican singer prevailed over the work of some compatriots that included Alejandro Fernandez’s Hecho en México, Lupita Infante’s La Serenata, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez’s Bailando Sones y Huapangos con Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, and Christian Nodal’s Ayayay!

For their part, Colombian salsa band Grupo Niche won the Grammy for best tropical Latin album with 40. Vying for the honor in this category were: Cuban singer José Alberto El Ruiseñor’s Mi Tumbao, Puerto Rican Edwin Bonilla’s Infinito, Colombian Jorge Celedon’s Sigo Cantando al Amor, and Puerto Rican Víctor Manuelle’s Memorias de Navidad.

The Grammy for best Latin jazz album went to Mexico’s Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for Four Questions. This category recognizes recordings that blend jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music. Competing this year were Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra’s Tradiciones, Brazilian composer Chico Pinheiro’s City of Dreams, Cubans Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Aymée Nuviola’s Viento y Tiempo-Live at Blue Note Tokyo, and Mexican-American Poncho Sanchez’s Trane’s Delight.

In other awards with Latino connections, Panamanian musician Danilo Pérez won a gramophone for best jazz vocal album for his collaboration with Kurt Elling in Secrets Are the Best Stories.

Hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, the 63rd Grammy Awards took place Sunday in and around the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Featured Photo: Bad Bunny receiving award Photo Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2021 CBS

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Taylor-Joy stands out as one of two actresses with double nominations of the prestigious Golden Globes this year.

The 24-year-old actress of Argentine descent competes in the best actress in a comedy feature category for her leading role in Emma, where she faces off against Oscar-nominated and past Golden Globe winners Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) and Kate Hudson (Music).

Taylor-Joy is also nominated for best actress for the limited television series The Queen’s Gambit, facing off against Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America) and Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), both multiple Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning stars.

Taylor-Joy is a first-time nominee for a Golden Globe.

However, the drama about an orphaned, chess prodigy is not the only Latino-led episodic competing this year for the coveted award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 

Disney’s The Mandalorian, starring Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal, is also nominated for best television drama series. The sci-fi western episodic from the Star Wars universe competes against The Crown, Lovecraft Country, Ozark, and Ratched.

Hamilton, the film that captured the live performance of the acclaimed Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda featuring the original cast, also received two nominations, for best musical or comedy motion picture. The feature about America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton competes against Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Music, Palm Springs, and The Prom. Miranda, who stars in the film, is also a contender for best actor, along with Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), James Corden (The Prom), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), and Andy Samberg (Palm Springs).

This will be Miranda’s third Golden Globes nomination. His first two nominations were for best original song for the animated series Moana and later for his acting in Mary Poppins Returns.

In the foreign language film category, the Spanish-language horror flick La Llorona from Guatemala competes against Denmark’s Another Round, Italy’s The Life Ahead, France’s Two of Us, and U.S.A.’s Korean-language dramedy Minari.

La Llorona is a supernatural drama about an aging war criminal facing death and ghosts of his past. Directed by Jayro Bustamante (Temblores), the film is also Guatemala’s official entry for the Oscars this year.

The 78th edition of the Golden Globes will take place on Feb. 28 and air on NBC. Hosting the awards will be comedic actresses Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Inside Out) repeating that feat for the fourth time. Fey will be live from New York, and Poehler will be live from Beverly Hills. Nominees will join in live from various locations around the world.

Check out the complete list of Golden Globe nominees:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Father (Trademark Films; Sony Pictures Classics)
Mank (Netflix; Netflix)
Nomadland  (Highwayman / Hear/Say / Cor Cordium; Searchlight Pictures)
Promising Young Woman (Luckychap Entertainment / Filmnation Entertainment; Focus Features)
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Marc Platt Productions / Dreamworks Pictures; Netflix)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama
Viola Davis    Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day    The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby    Pieces Of A Woman
Frances Mcdormand    Nomadland
Carey Mulligan    Promising Young Woman

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama
Riz Ahmed    Sound Of Metal
Chadwick Boseman    Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins    The Father
Gary Oldman    Mank
Tahar Rahim    The Mauritanian

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Four By Two Films; Amazon Studios)
Hamilton (Walt Disney Pictures / Radicalmedia / 5000 Broadway Productions / Nevis Productions / Old 320 Sycamore Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Music (Pineapple Lasagne Productions / Landay Entertainment; Vertical Entertainment / Imax)
Palm Springs (Party Over Here / Limelight Productions; Neon / Hulu)
The Prom (Netflix / Dramatic Forces / Storykey Entertainment; Netflix)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Maria Bakalova    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Kate Hudson    Music
Michelle Pfeiffer    French Exit
Rosamund Pike    I Care A Lot
Anya Taylor-joy    Emma.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
James Corden    The Prom
Lin-manuel Miranda    Hamilton
Dev Patel    The Personal History Of David Copperfield
Andy Samberg    Palm Springs

Best Motion Picture – Animated
The Croods: A New Age (Dreamworks Animation; Universal Pictures)
Onward (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Over The Moon (Netflix / Pearl Studio / Glen Keane Productions; Netflix)
Soul (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon / Melusine; Apple / Gkids)

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Another Round (Denmark) (Zentropa Entertainments; Samuel Goldwyn Films)
La Llorona (Guatemala / France) (La Casa De Producción / Les Films Du Volcan; Shudder)
The Life Ahead (Italy) (Palomar; Netflix)
Minari (Usa) (Plan B; A24)
Two Of Us (France / Usa) (Paprika Films; Magnolia Pictures)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Glenn Close    Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman    The Father
Jodie Foster    The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried    Mank
Helena Zengel    News Of The World

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya    Judas And The Black Messiah
Jared Leto    The Little Things
Bill Murray    On The Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr.    One Night In Miami…

Best Director – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell    Promising Young Woman
David Fincher    Mank
Regina King    One Night In Miami…
Aaron Sorkin    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao    Nomadland

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell    Promising Young Woman
Jack Fincher    Mank
Aaron Sorkin    The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton    The Father
Chloé Zhao    Nomadland

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat    The Midnight Sky
Ludwig Göransson    Tenet
James Newton Howard    News Of The World
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross    Mank
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste    Soul

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Fight For You” — Judas And The Black Messiah
Music By:    H.E.R., Dernst Emile Ii
Lyrics By:    H.E.R., Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice” — The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Music By:    Daniel Pemberton
Lyrics By:    Daniel Pemberton, Celeste Waite
“Io Sì (Seen)” — The Life Ahead
Music By:    Diane Warren
Lyrics By:    Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi
“Speak Now” — One Night In Miami…
Music By:    Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
Lyrics By:    Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
“Tigress & Tweed” — The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Music By:    Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq
Lyrics By:    Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq

Best Television Series – Drama
The Crown – Netflix (Left Bank Pictures / Sony Pictures Television)
Lovecraft Country – Hbo (Hbo / Afemme / Monkeypaw / Bad Robot / Warner Bros. Television)
The Mandalorian – Disney+ (Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Ozark – Netflix (Mrc Television)
Ratched – Netflix (Fox21 Television Studios)   

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Olivia Colman    The Crown
Jodie Comer    Killing Eve
Emma Corrin    The Crown
Laura Linney    Ozark
Sarah Paulson    Ratched

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Jason Bateman    Ozark
Josh O’connor    The Crown
Bob Odenkirk    Better Call Saul
Al Pacino    Hunters
Matthew Rhys    Perry Mason

Best Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Emily In Paris – Netflix (Darren Star Productions / Jax Media / Mtv Studios)
The Flight Attendant – Hbo Max (Hbo Max / Berlanti Productions / Yes, Norman Productions / Warner Bros. Television)
The Great – Hulu (Hulu / Civic Center Media / Mrc)
Schitt’s Creek – Pop Tv (Not A Real Company Productions / Canadian Broadcast Company / Pop Tv)
Ted Lasso – Apple Tv+ (Apple / Doozer Productions / Warner Bros. Television / Universal Television)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Lily Collins    Emily In Paris
Kaley Cuoco    The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning    The Great
Jane Levy    Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Catherine O’hara    Schitt’s Creek

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy
Don Cheadle    Black Monday
Nicholas Hoult    The Great
Eugene Levy    Schitt’s Creek
Jason Sudeikis    Ted Lasso
Ramy Youssef    Ramy

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Normal People – Hulu (Hulu / Bbc / Element Pictures)
The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix (Netflix)
Small Axe – Amazon Studios (Bbc Studios Americas, Inc / Amazon Studios)
The Undoing – Hbo (Hbo / Made Up Stories / Blossom Films/David E. Kelley Productions)
Unorthodox – Netflix (Studio Airlift / Realfilm)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Limited Series, Anthology Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Cate Blanchett    Mrs. America
Daisy Edgar-jones    Normal People
Shira Haas    Unorthodox
Nicole Kidman    The Undoing
Anya Taylor-joy    The Queen’s Gambit

Best Performance By An Actor In A Limited Series, Anthology Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television
Bryan Cranston    Your Honor
Jeff Daniels    The Comey Rule
Hugh Grant    The Undoing
Ethan Hawke    The Good Lord Bird
Mark Ruffalo    I Know This Much Is True

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Supporting Role
Gillian Anderson    The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter    The Crown
Julia Garner    Ozark
Annie Murphy    Schitt’s Creek
Cynthia Nixon    Ratched

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Supporting Role
John Boyega    Small Axe
Brendan Gleeson    The Comey Rule
Daniel Levy    Schitt’s Creek
Jim Parsons    Hollywood
Donald Sutherland    The Undoing

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CODA, the family drama starring Emilia Jones and Eugenio Derbez, and Jockey’s Clifton Collins Jr. took top awards at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

Under the direction of Sian Heder, CODA took four awards, including the most coveted U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. It also won the Directing Award and the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast of a dramatic film. 

Sundance, the preeminent independent film fest which usually takes place in Park City, Utah, was held Jan. 8 through Feb. 2 with virtual screenings due to the COVID pandemic and in-person screenings in dozens of American cities where permitted by local health regulations.

Derbez took to social media to share the news about CODA. “!Viva México!” he posted on Twitter responding to congratulatory tweets in Spanish. He also noted in a video post that CODA is a “small independent film produced with a low budget” and “based on true stories.” Derbez praised the professional deaf actors featured in the film, in which Derbez plays the music teacher to a young woman whose parents are deaf. 

CODA was acquired by Apple for $25 million, a record amount paid for a Sundance film. This is Heder’s second full feature. Her first, Tallulah, screened at Sundance two years ago. CODA was produced by the U.S.’s Vendome Pictures and Picture Perfect Federation along with Switzerland’s Pathé Films.

Collins Jr. took home the top acting honor for his starring role in director Clint Bentley’s drama Jockey.   Collins Jr. plays an aging horse jockey dreaming to win one last championship when suddenly his life is unsettled by the arrival of a young man claiming to be his son.

Jockey is the first full feature film by director Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the story with Greg Kwedar and shares producing credits with Kwedar and Nancy Schafer. Brazilian filmmaker Adolpho Veloso did the cinematography. The film was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for worldwide distribution.

Collins Jr. has also gone by the artistic name of Clifton Gonzalez-Gonzalez in honor of his grandfather Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a Mexican-American actor from Texas. Collins Jr. is a seasoned actor whose credits include the Oscar-winning films Traffic and Capote and blockbusters like Star Trek and Pacific Rim. His performance in the TV series Thief earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2006. He was also guest starred in the episodes ofThe Event and most recently in Westworld.

Other award-winning Latino at Sundance.

Natalia Almada received the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary for Users, which follows a mother who feels she is competing with computers, electronic cribs, and other technologies in raising her son. This is Almada’s second Sundance prize in the same category—the first one was for El General in 2009.

Puerto Rican-born and raised filmmaker Rebecca Adorno shared the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award  U.S. Documentary for Homeroom, which centers on teens coming of age at an Oakland high school as part of the class of 2020 in such a traumatic year. Adorno shared the award with her co-producing colleague Kristina Motwani. The doc was directed by Peter Nicks, who also co-produced with Sean Havey.

Early on during the festival, there were other awards that went to Latinos. 

Nicole Salazar took the Amazon Studios Producers Award for Nonfiction for the documentary Philly D.A. which follows a Philadelphia district attorney determined to progressively revolutionize that city’s criminal justice system. The doc is directed by Yoni Brook and Ted Passon.

And the Mexico-USA co-production Hijo de Monarcas (Son of Monarchs) won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for portraying a scientist in a major role. It tells the story of a New York-based lepidopterist who, upon his grandmother’s death, returns to his natal Mexican town nestled in the monarch butterfly forests of the state of Michoacan. Directed by French-Venezuelan filmmaker and biologist Alexis Gambis (The Color of Time), the drama stars Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Narcos: Mexico, Tigers Are Not Afraid).

Featured Top Photo: Clifton Collins Jr. the lead actor in Jockey by Clint Bently. (Photo by Adolpho Veloso/Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

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The Journey of Monalisa, a documentary about a former sex worker in New York striving to become a transgender performer, won the award for best Latinx film. It is directed by Nicole Costa, a Chilean filmmaker based in the Big Apple. The American doc was co-produced with Chile.

U.S.’S BEST
Costa’s film topped Cinema Tropical’s List of Best Latinx Films of 2020, a roster of six American entries announced late last year. All selections competed for the award of the best Latinx film. The other features were: Born to Be by Tânia Cypriano, De lo Mío by Diana Peralta, The Garden Left Behind by Flavio Alves, La Leyenda Negra by Patricia Vidal Delgado, and Mucho, Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado by Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch.

Check out the trailer of The Journey of Monalisa:

The winning film was selected by a jury that included Kiko Martinez, film editor at the website Remezcla, filmmaker Michèle Stephenson, and Barbara Vásconez, program manager at New York Women in Film & Television and co-director of the Ecuadorian Film Festival New York.

LATIN AMERICA’S BEST
Among a roster of films which included selections from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, the Mexican documentary La Mami won the Cinema Tropical Best Film Award in a field of 25 full features that had already earned the distinction of being on Cinema Tropical’s List of Best Latin American Films of 2020.

La Mami follows a tough but motherly woman who looks after young female dancers at a Mexico City nightclub. It is directed by Laura Herrero Garvín, a Spanish filmmaker who lives in Mexico City. “This is huge!,” announced the film’s Facebook page. “We are so happy that La Mami won Best Movie at Cinema Tropical Awards!” La Mami is a co-production of Mexico and Spain.

ADDITIONAL HONORS
The 25 Latin American full features also vied for two other prizes. Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz received the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Director for Invisible Life (A Vida Invisível) while the Chilean documentary film Night Shot (Visión Nocturna) by filmmaker Carolina Moscoso won the award for best first film. 

Created in 2010, the Cinema Tropical Awards honor excellence in Latin American filmmaking, according to organizers. This was the awards’ 11th annual edition, which took place online due to the pandemic.

The other Latin American contenders were:
–Bacurau by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, Brazil/France
–The Cordillera of Dreams (La Cordillera de Los Sueños) by Patricio Guzmán, Chile/France
-Corporate Accountability (Responsabilidad Empresarial) by Jonathan Perel, Argentina
–The Dove and the Wolf (La Paloma y el Lobo) by Carlos Lenin, Mexico
–Ema by Pablo Larraín, Chile
–The Fever (A Fevre) by Maya Da-Rin, Brazil/France
–I Never Climbed the Provincia (Nunca Subí el Provincia) by Ignacio Agüero, Chile
–Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares) by Fernanda Valadez, Mexico/Spain
–No Longer Here (Ya No Estoy Aquí) by Fernando Frías, Mexico/USA
–Isabella by Matías Piñeiro, Argentina/France
–La Fortaleza by Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela/France/Netherlands/Colombia
–La Llorona by Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France
–La Vida en Común by Ezequiel Yanco, Argentina
–Los Conductos by Camilo Restrepo, Colombia/France/Brazil
–The Mole Agent (El Agente Topo) by Maite Alberdi, Chile
–Night Shot (Vision Nocturna) by Carolina Moscoso, Chile
–Once Upon A Time in Venezuela (Érase Una Vez en Venezuela) by Anabel Rodríguez Ríos, Venezuela/United Kingdom/Brazil/Austria
–One in a Thousand (Las Mil y Una) by Clarisa Navas, Argentina/Germany
–Panquiaco by Ana Tejera, Panama
–Song Without A Name (Canción Sin Nombre) by Melina León, Peru/Spain/USA
–The Tango of the Widower and Its Distorting Mirror (El Tango Del Viudo y Su EspejoDeformante) by Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento, Chile
–Window Boy Would Also Like to Have a Submarine (Chico Ventana También Quisiera Tener Un Submarino) by Alex Piperno, Uruguay/Argentina/Brazil/Netherlands/Philippines
–Workforce (Mano de Obra) by David Zonana, Mexico

Cinema Tropical is a non-profit media arts organization that presents Latin American cinema in the United States. The awards are presented in partnership with The Latino Network, an employee resource group at The New York Times.

Check out the trailer of La Mami:

—Cesar Arredondo

Top Featured Photo: Award winner The Journey of Monalisa (Photo: Cinema Tropical)

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By Latin Heat News Services

Actress Roselyn Sánchez  and singer Carlos Rivera will return as co-hosts of the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards on Thurs., Nov, 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT)

Rivera previously joined as emcee during the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, while Sánchez returns for the fifth time, after hosting the 16th, 17th, 18th and 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

The Latin Recording Academy has also announced the roster performers for the awards ceremony that includes Latin Grammy current nominees and past winners Bad Bunny, Pedro Capó, Alejandro Fernández, Karol G, Kany García, Los Tigres del Norte, Christian Nodal and Fito Páez. 

Other confirmed performers for the Thursday, Nov. 19 event are current nominees Anuel AA, Calibre 50, Julio Reyes Copello, Alex Cuba, Guaynaa, Víctor Manuelle, Ricardo Montaner, Debi Nova, Nathy Peluso, Raquel Sofía, and Sebastián Yatra.

Co-host Sánchez of Without a Trace fame returns for the fifth time, after hosting the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 20th annual Latin Grammy Awards. Mexican singer Rivera, who rose to fame as the winner of the third generation of the television contest La Academia, previously joined as emcee during the awards’ 18th edition.

With the theme “Music Makes Us Human,” the telecast will be anchored from Miami, featuring performances from multiple cities around the world. “The show will be a celebration of musical excellence and the power of music to bring us together, through diverse stories of hope, community and a renewed sense of purpose,” said the Academy in a press release.

The Latin Grammy Awards will air on Univision on Thurs., Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT). The broadcast will also air on the cable channel TNT in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and on Televisa on Channel 5.

The Latin Grammy Award show, in which the majority of the categories are awarded, will precede the telecast. This long-established ceremony will be a virtual production, featuring remote performances and the ability for all nominees to participate.

Due to the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards will not have a live audience or a red carpet. The Latin Recording Academy, Univision and its production teams will adhere to strictest safety guidelines and protocols, according to the awards’ organizers.

Featured Photo Credit: Roselyn Sanchez Facebook

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