Hollywood Luminaries Gather to Recognize Outstanding Latino Talent at Annual Gala
Pasadena, CA. – The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) will present its 15th Annual Impact Awards Gala on Friday, February 24th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The annual fete celebrates outstanding Latino performances, as well as recognizes exceptional service and commitment to the Latino community. “Recognizing the positive portrayal of Latinos in the media is a social justice matter. Latinos make up 16.5% of America. We need and deserve to see uplifting reflections of our community onscreen. NHMC is very proud of the career achievements of this year’s awardees and most honored to celebrate them with our community,” said Alex Nogales, President/CEO of NHMC. The annual black-tie event will once again attract the best and brightest from the entertainment industry. This year’s honorees include:
Cesar Millan: Outstanding Reality Show. Millan is a media entrepreneur and best-selling author for his popular and iconic series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. Dog Whisperer is National Geographic WILD’s flagship series and airs in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Michelle Rodriguez: Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture. Rodriguez’s career was launched when she starred in the critically acclaimed indie film Girlfight. Michelle has since starred in many franchise hits such as the adrenaline-charged The Fast and the Furious and the action-horror film Resident Evil. Michelle will reprise her roles in both franchises this coming year. She was last seen in Machete and Battle: Los Angeles.
Michelle Rodriguez
Benjamin Bratt: Outstanding Performance in a Television Series. Bratt will be recognized for his role as “Dr. Jake Reilly” on the hit ABC primetime series Private Practice. He garnered an Emmy Award nomination for his role on NBC’s hit drama Law & Order. Bratt’s distinguished film career includes Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, which received five Academy Award nominations. Other film credits include Miss Congeniality and Love in the Time of Cholera.
Christopher Weitz: Outstanding Direction in a Motion Picture. Director, producer, and writer Chris Weitz garnered attention worldwide with his work on such films as American Pie, The Golden Compass, and About a Boy, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination in 2003 for best adapted screenplay. In 2009, Weitz directed The Twilight Saga: New Moon, based on the popular book series and most recently directed A Better Life – a poignant, multi-generational story about a father’s love and sacrifice to build a better life for his child. Since the film’s June 2011 release, it has been selected by the National Board of Review as one of the “Top Ten Independent Films” of the year.
Aubrey Plaza
Impact Awards will also be presented to: Efren Ramirez, Outstanding Performance in an Animated Television Series, for his captivating voice performance in the animated series, Napoleon Dynamite on FOX, to comedienne and actress Aubrey Plaza, Outstanding Performance in a Television Series, for her deadpan- style portrayal of “April Ludgate” on the hit NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. And an Impact Award for Outstanding Advocate for the Latino Community will be presented to musician and actor Jaime Gomez, best known by his fans as Taboo, for sharing his success by supporting several charities, as well as stirring advocacy for the Latino community, avidly speaking out against racism.
(For sponsorship or ticket information, please call Nilda Muhr at (626) 792-6462/www.nhmc.org)
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