With a heavy heart and profound sense of nostalgia, The Latin Recording Academy® mourns the passing of Alberto Aguilera Valadez, our beloved Juan Gabriel. He left us at an early age, but after almost five decades of enormous creativity. His musical legacy is much more than one or hundreds of songs; he composed philosophy. In addition, he carried out heartfelt philanthropy with orphans of his Ciudad Juárez. He broke taboos, devoured stages and conquered diverse audiences. In 2009, the Latin Academy named him Person of the Year, and honored him for his career and social work during a star-studded gala. The voice of the Mexican icon will resonate forever in all those who knew him, as we continue to dance to his music and appreciate his art. Rest in peace, Juan Gabriel.
 
Gabriel Abaroa
President/CEO
The Latin Recording Academy

For the first time, the four-year scholarship towards a bachelor's degree and wrap around services will be sponsored by a record label

Additional scholarships are available to music students with financial limitations from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Gil Family Foundation and Gibson Gives

Deadline to apply is April 10, 2025

MIAMI (DECEMBER 20, 2024) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced that Warner Music Latina will sponsor its Prodigy Scholarship toward a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music. The scholarship will cover tuition and room and board for the 2025 fall semester, as well as wrap around services provided by the Foundation. Warner Music Latina—a powerhouse in Latin music with a legacy of discovering and developing groundbreaking artists across genres— brings its industry-leading expertise and deep commitment to nurturing emerging talent to this partnership. It is the first time in the scholarship’s decade long history that it will be sponsored by a record label.

“This partnership embodies one of our core values: to cultivate intellectual and artistic potential by removing barriers that often impede exceptional musicians from realizing their vision. Through strategic educational support we're not just investing in individual careers, but in the broader cultural landscape of musical innovation,” said Alejandro Duque, President of Warner Music Latin America. Roberto Andrade, Managing Director, Warner Music Latina, added, “At Warner Music Latina, we’re proud to support young talent through this scholarship. By empowering aspiring musicians, we’re investing in the voices that will shape tomorrow’s soundtrack. This is more than an opportunity – it’s a commitment to creativity, talent and the future of music.”

“The support of our donors makes the fulfillment of our mission to provide educational opportunities that advance Latin music and its heritage a reality,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful to Warner Music Latina, Frost School of Music, Gibson Gives and the Gil Family Foundation for hosting these scholarships, providing opportunities to aspiring Latin music creators in need of financial aid to pursue their dreams.”

In addition, several scholarships are available for music students between the ages of 17 and 25 with a passion for Latin music and financial limitations:

Two (2) Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $120,000 each will be awarded to students to cover tuition costs towards a four-year bachelor's degree in music and wrap around services starting next fall as follows:

• The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami will award one scholarship to a student interested in pursuing a program at the highly acclaimed music school, for up to $120,000 including wrap around services over four years. Sharing a mission to shape the future of music and transform lives, the Frost School and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation joining forces has been a long time coming, and most recently, the school hosted the Foundation's 10-year celebration on its Miami campus at the brand-new Knight Center for Music Innovation.

• Gil Family Foundation will also offer a scholarship for up to $120,000 for tuition and wrap around services for a student to attend the music institution of their choice.

Also, several other Tuition Assistance Scholarships offering up to $12,500 each for tuition and wrap around services over one year will be awarded to students to attend or who are attending the music institution of their choice. These are one-time awards.

Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of the iconic American instrument brand Gibson, will offer three (3) Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $12,500 each to be awarded to students who study guitar as their principal instrument. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition and wrap around services for the music institution of their choice and includes the gift of a Gibson guitar.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is now accepting applications for all 2025 scholarships until April 10, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Click here to review 2025 guidelines and apply. The application includes two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

To date, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded 427 scholarships, investing more than $10 million over the last decade. The Prodigy Scholarship was created 10 years ago, and has been co-sponsored by iconic Latin music creators including Sebastián Yatra (2024), Nicky Jam (2023), Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

For information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation website at: www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org

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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 more than $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 or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

Six talented researchers, musicologists, non-profit organizations and educational institutions will receive a total of $60,000 for research and preservation of Latin music, sponsored for the first time by PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos

MIAMI (DECEMBER 19, 2024) — The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced the six winners of its Latin Music Research and Preservation Grants program. This marks the second time this year that winners have been awarded for this program.

In celebration of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, and in partnership with PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos, it launched six additional grants increasing the individual grant amounts from $5,000 to $10,000 each, for a total of $60,000 distributed amongst projects for this group.

The program provides grants to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists and researchers around the world who are enhancing and preserving Latin music heritage. This year, a diverse array of institutions and scholars will benefit from this support. The six grants are dedicated to a range of initiatives. Research Grants focus on projects that highlight historical and anthropological studies, as well as the documentation of traditions and Latin folklore, while Preservation Grants are designed to fund the archiving and safeguarding of Latin music and its distinctive cultural practices.

“Research and Preservation Grants are essential for preserving the legacy of Latin music and fostering the next generation of creators. We are grateful to PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos for their unwavering support and continued passion to celebrating Latin music and its cultural heritage,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “Together, we are able to broaden our reach and provide support to even more deserving projects in alignment with our mission.”

Awarded Research Grants:

Dr. Manuel Sevilla, Colombia – Archivos y festivales: Aprendizajes de dos casos en Colombia (Archives and Festivals: Learnings from Two Cases in Colombia) delves into the rich cultural heritage of Colombia, analyzing innovative practices in archive creation, the roles of key stakeholders, and the ways archives are utilized to strengthen musical ecosystems. This initiative focuses on two celebrated festivals: the Festival de Música del Pacífico Petronio Álvarez (The Pacific Music Festival Petronio Álvarez) in Cali and the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival) in Valledupar. Both festivals honor musical traditions recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting their significance in preserving and celebrating Colombia’s vibrant cultural legacy.

Jorge Benavides, Honduras – Dügü Inaudito: Salvaguardia del Legado Ancestral Garífuna (Inaudible Dügü: Safeguarding the Ancestral Garífuna Legacy) is an initiative dedicated to revitalizing the Garífuna language, music, and dance—proudly recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO, these practices face significant risks due to discrimination and the declining transmission of the Garífuna language. This project, developed in collaboration with Tambor Negro, will document the Dügü, an ancestral ceremony that embodies the essence of Garífuna intangible heritage. The findings will contribute to the broader Indigenous Languages Project led by the CCET and will also be integrated into the MUSIDANSE Institute at the University of Paris 8, ensuring global recognition and preservation of this invaluable cultural legacy.

Caio de Souza, Brazil – Sonic Transductions: Revisiting Lorenzo Dow Turner’s Radioscape in Bahia (1940-1941), an innovative project that seeks to shed light on artistic production, cultural and social fabric, and historical context by bringing to life the groundbreaking recordings made by African-American linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner in Salvador, Bahia, during 1940 and 1941. Through these rediscovered audio treasures, the project will offer fresh perspectives on the artistic production of Bahia’s capital, extending beyond the renowned figures of this pivotal era. The initiative will culminate in a six-episode podcast series, providing an in-depth exploration of these recordings and their enduring significance, inviting listeners to engage with a rich and multifaceted chapter of Brazil’s cultural history.

Awarded Preservation Grants:

Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos, Bolivia – The Orquesta Experimental de Instrumentos Nativos (OEIN) (Experimental Orchestra of Native Instruments) has launched an ambitious initiative to preserve and celebrate the country’s indigenous musical heritage. Preservación, Digitalización y Geolocalización de los Registros de Música Indígena Boliviana de Alain Thirion (Preservation, Digitization, and Geolocation of Alain Thirion's Records of Bolivian Indigenous Music) focuses on the preservation, digitization, cataloging, and geolocation of a remarkable collection of recordings made by Australian researcher Alain Thirion in the 1990s. These recordings capture the rich musical traditions of various indigenous communities from Bolivia’s highlands and valleys—many of which face the risk of extinction due to migration, generational shifts, and the pressures of globalization. Through this initiative, the OEIN aims to safeguard and share this invaluable cultural legacy with future generations, ensuring it remains a vibrant part of Bolivia’s national identity.

Andrew Skinner, Daniel Zanessi and Antonio Leguiza, together with the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National University of Cuyo, Argentina – The project Creación de "Archivo de Música Cuyana y Popular Argentina" en La Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Creation of the 'Archive of Cuyana and Popular Argentine Music' at the National University of Cuyo) is focused on establishing the first public archive of Cuyano and Argentine Popular Music. It aims to recover, preserve, and promote a vast collection of musical recordings that are of immense importance to the Cuyano, Argentine, and Latin American cultures. To form the archive, they have based their efforts on the audio collection of the historic Zanessi Studio, culminating years of preservation projects and institutionalizing the care of this valuable material. From this foundation, they are creating a public space where musicians and their families can contribute their materials to this Creative Commons collection, ensuring its preservation at the National University of Cuyo. As a first contribution, they will present the already digitized audio collection as part of the "Zanessi Collection" project, funded by The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s Latin Music Research and Preservation Grant program in 2023. Among the many musical archives, it will include the complete works of Tito Francia, a founding member of the Nueva Canción movement, who collaborated with Mercedes Sosa, Armando Tejada Gómez, Oscar Matus, and revolutionized the aesthetic of Cuyano music, extending his influence across Latin America.

Miguel Díaz y Nicolas Ramirez Salaberry, Paraguay – The Creación de la Fonoteca Memoria Histórica de la Radio Nacional del Paraguay (Creation of the Historical Memory Sound Archive of the National Radio of Paraguay) aims to rescue, safeguard, and promote the preservation of vinyl records from the former radio station's archive. This invaluable collection was discovered during a research project conducted in 2023 by Mg. Nicolás Ramírez Salaberry and Dr. Miguel Díaz Antar, with financial support from the National Secretariat of Culture of Paraguay. Initially, the researchers sought to create an updated inventory of the Radio Nacional del Paraguay's archive for musicological studies. However, they found that no such collection existed. The few remaining and rare records that had survived media changes were scattered and poorly preserved. Through interviews with former staff and directors, it was revealed that much of the archive's material had been looted and disappeared in connection with events surrounding the fall of dictator Alfredo Stroessner in 1989, and the subsequent erasure of files related to the dictatorship. The investigation resulted in the recovery of 120 vinyl records that belonged to the old sound archive and constitute the primary safeguarding material for the current project.

A committee of experts from Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the United States selected the recipients among numerous qualified candidates. Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than $255,000 in grants to support projects, one of which received a Latin GRAMMY® and GRAMMY® Award.

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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 celebrates 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 more than $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 or our Facebook  page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

305.428.3476

The recordings feature music and conversations between 10 renowned artists,

and are available exclusively on Facebook

For additional images click here

MIAMI (DECEMBER 18, 2024) – The Latin Recording Academy® announced its Latin GRAMMY® Sessions: 25 Años as a culmination of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Latin GRAMMYs® in 2024. This digital piece features conversations between five renowned artists with long-standing music careers and younger musicians who they have a special admiration for and who they invited to collaborate on one of their iconic songs.

The featured artists are part of a diverse group that is representative of The Latin Academy’s membership body and reflect its growth and evolution over the last 25 years. Each of the five duets feature brand new arrangements of classic songs from the iconic artists.

“As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we wanted to create a project that aligns with our mission of transcending generation, geography, gender and genres,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “We are grateful to these artists who shared their time and artistry with us to help elevate Latin music around the world and support the next generation of Latin music creators.”

The featured artists for the Latin GRAMMY Sessions: 25 Años are:

• Gilberto Gil, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2003 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™, and Latin GRAMMY nominee João Gomes singing “Palco”, recorded at Gil’s Rio de Janeiro studio under the musical direction of Bem Gil and Daniel Mendes.

• Juanes, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™, and Latin GRAMMY nominee GALE singing “Es Por Ti”, recorded at Juanes’ studio in Miami under the musical direction of Emmanuel Briceño and Juanes.

• Carlos Vives, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™, and Goyo, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2023 Leading Ladies honoree, singing “Volví A Nacer”, recorded at Vives’ studio in Bogotá under the musical direction of Andrés Leal and Vives.

• Chucho Valdés, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2018 Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and Latin GRAMMY nominee Cimafunk (and his band La Tribu) singing “Mambo Influenciado”, recorded at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami during Latin GRAMMY Week, under the musical direction of Raúl Zapata a.k.a Dr. Zapa.

• Mon Laferte, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2023 Leading Ladies honoree, and Latin GRAMMY nominee Bruses singing “Amor Completo”, recorded at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami during Latin GRAMMY Week under the musical direction of Manú Jalil and Raúl Zapata a.k.a Dr. Zapa.

The project was executive produced by Laura Dergal, Head of Marketing & Content Development at The Latin Academy, along with Fine and Dandy Films.

The project also closes the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Latin GRAMMYs which featured a series of events including exhibits, concerts and tributes in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, México City, Málaga, San Juan and Miami, as well as official merchandise, tribute ads, and an expansive outdoor marketing campaign in Miami, which hosted the 25th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®.

The full-length Latin GRAMMY Sessions: 25 Años will be available exclusively via The Latin GRAMMYs Facebook channel, and the individual performances are available as Instagram Reels on The Latin Recording Academy and artists’ Instagram accounts.

For the latest news, visit the official Latin Recording Academy site at LatinGRAMMY.com. Follow us o Facebook (LatinGRAMMYs), X (@LatinGRAMMYs), Instagram (@LatinGRAMMYs), and the Latin GRAMMYs WhatsApp Channel, and use #LatinGRAMMY on all popular social media platforms. The official Latin GRAMMY app is also available on iOS (Apple) and Android (Google Play).

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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.

MEDIA CONTACT:

The Latin Recording Academy

Nathalie Alberto

Nathalie.Alberto@grammy.com

For images, click here 

MIAMI (NOVEMBER 14, 2024) — Last night, The Latin Recording Academy® celebrated its 2024 Person of the Year Gala honoring Carlos Vives, with moving renditions of some of Vives’ renowned repertoire, featuring past and current Latin GRAMMY® nominees including Edgar Barrera, María Becerra, David Bisbal, Rubén Blades, Martina Camargo, Camilo, Pedro Capó, Silvestre Dangond, Emilia, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Fonseca, Luis Fonsi, Kany García, Vicente García, Gente De Zona, Goyo, Grupo Frontera, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Carín León, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Víctor Martínez, Niña Pastori, Antonio Rey, Arturo Sandoval, Alejandro Sanz, Tato, Tonada, Julieta Venegas, Wisin and Sebastián Yatra.

Vives, a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY® winner, was honored for his more than three-decade career as a multifaceted singer and composer, as well as for his continued commitment to environmental and social initiatives.

The star-studded gala and tribute concert — which marked the 25th anniversary of the recognition — was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, where six previous Person of the Year honorees kicked off the festivities with exhilarating opening numbers: Rubén Blades (2021) and Juan Luis Guerra (2007) performed “Dejame Entrar”; Gloria Estefan (2008) sang “Mil Canciones,” accompanied by Emilio Estefan (2000) on the conga; Alejandro Sanz (2017) performed “Un Pobre Loco,” accompanied by Arturo Sandoval on the trumpet; and Juanes (2019) performed a version of “La Gota Fría”.

The evening’s other eagerly awaited musical performances also featured an international group of artists across a variety of genres, creating unexpected musical moments that aligned with Vives’ style, which often fuses styles but always maintains a focus on musical roots and authenticity. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs performed “Carito”; Julieta Venegas and María Becerra sang a folk version of “Cumbiana,” with Venegas on the accordion; Carín León, Grupo Frontera and Edgar Barrera performed “Volví A Nacer”; Wisin, Emilia and Goyo showcased an urban medley of “Tu Amor Eterno,” followed by Wisin and Luis Fonsi with a version of “Bailar Contigo”; Niña Pastori and guitarists Antonio Rey and Víctor Martínez performed a flamenco rendition of “La Cumbia De Todos,” accompanied by the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music students; Pedro Capó and Vicente García performed a reggae/blues version of “Santa Marta-Kingston-New Orleans”; Kany García performed “Voy A Olvidarme De Mí”; Martina Camargo, Tonada and Tato performed “Rosa”; David Bisbal and Gente De Zona performed “Fruta Fresca”; and Vives closed the show with his songs “Pa’ Mayte” and “La Tierra Del Olvido,” followed by a medley of “Quiero Verte Sonreir,” “El Amor De Mi Tierra,” “Amor Sensible,” “El Cantor De Fonseca,” and “La Cañaguatera,” along with Camilo, Silvestre Dangond, Fonseca and Sebastián Yatra.

The highly-anticipated gala preceded the 25th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, which will air live from the Kaseya Center in Miami on November 14 via Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

Latin Academy Senior Vice President of Production Ayleen Figueras and Macarena Moreno served as executive producers of the gala, with Latin GRAMMY-nominees Janina Rosado as Musical Director, and Daniel Flores as Musical Supervisor.

As a first ever multi-year sponsorship for The Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year Gala, Live Nation served as co-presenting sponsor with the Gary Nader Art Centre.

Net proceeds from the 2024 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Gala will go toward the charitable work of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, whose mission is to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world's culture. The Foundation provides college scholarships, educational programs and grants for the research and preservation of its rich musical legacy and heritage, and to date has donated more than $10 million with the support of Latin Recording Academy members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. 

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 visitLatinGRAMMY.com.
 
MEDIA CONTACT:
 
The Latin Recording Academy
Iveliesse Malavé
Ive@grammy.com