The Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA), the nation’s longest running active arts advocacy organization for Latino actors, is pleased to announce that it will honor film and television star Luis Guzmán, singer-actor-humanitarian Rubén Blades and broadcast/cable journalist Natalie Morales of “The Today Show”, who began her anchor career here at News 12, The Bronx. The Twelfth Annual HOLA Awards Gala and Benefit is sponsored in part by NBCUniversal. The Awards Gala and Benefit will take place on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 6:30pm at The Battery Gardens on the waterfront in New York’s scenic Battery Park (opposite 17 State Street). Sponsorships slots are still available and range from $10,000 for a silver sponsorship to $50,000 for the Presenting Sponsor. A limited number of individual tickets are available at $150.
Luis Guzmán will be honored with the organization’s inaugural HOLA Excellence in Film Award. Guzmán currently stars in the HBO program “How To Make It in America,” and was most recently seen on the big screen in Arthur starring Russell Brand. His distinguished career spans decades across the small and big screen. Rubén Blades will receive the Raúl Juliá HOLA Founders Award. Blades’ career across the disciplines of music, politics and acting make him one of the Latino community’s most compelling and iconic figures. In addition to the wide breadth of his artistic accomplishments, HOLA is singling out for recognition his many accomplishments and contributions resulting from his humanitarian efforts. Natalie
Morales of NBC’s “The Today Show” will receive the HOLA Excellence in Media Award. On May 9, 2011 NBCUniversal announced that she would permanently replace Ann Curry as the show’s news anchor. Her prominent new position is a true accomplishment and one that HOLA is proud to recognize and applaud. HOLA will also honor the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) with a Special Recognition Award for their remarkable achievements in promoting the work of Latino filmmakers and actors throughout their distinguished history as the premier urban Latino film event in the country. HOLA has also chosen Heineken as the inaugural recipient of the HOLA Award for Distinction in Corporate Arts Philanthropy. This award honors those corporations whose philanthropic endeavors serve to further and promote Latino arts and artists. HOLA is happy to laud and highlight Heineken’s efforts to create opportunities for Latino actors, in particular through its Voces Grant held in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Institute.
Go to hellohola.org for more information.