Lin Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, & More to Be Honored at Critics Choice's Celebration of Latino Cinema

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, Olga Merediz, Gloria Estefan and more will be honored by Critics Choice at the 2021 Celebration of Latino Cinema!

Lin Manuel-Miranda, Gloria Estefan, and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire will be honored for the animated Netflix film Vivo. Miranda is being awarded the Film Music Award for the film's score, to be presented by actor Andy Garcia.

Actor Robin de Jesús, star of the tick, tick...BOOM! film adaptation and In the Heights on Broadway, will also present Miranda with the Visionary Award.

Tony-nominee Olga Merediz will receive the Actress Award for her critically acclaimed portrayal of 'Abuela Claudia' in the film adaptation of In the Heights. She will be awarded the prize by the film's director, John M. Chu.

The legendary Rita Moreno of West Side Story will receive the Icon Award, to be presented by Gloria Estefan & Emilio Estefan.

Critics Choice Association's Claudia Puig and Clayton Davis, co-programmers of the Celebration of Latino Cinema said of the honorees, "We are deeply honored to be presenting these awards to such a distinguished group of iconic artists and are thrilled to be celebrating Latino Cinema for this inaugural awards event. We applaud the Critics Choice Association for showcasing the innumerable contributions of these Latino standout performances."

The virtual celebration will take place on December 9, 2021, hosted by comic Cristela Alonzo.

A Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, and actor, Lin-Manuel is the creator and original star of Broadway's Hamilton and In the Heights, and the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award and 2018 Kennedy Center Honors. He has been an active supporter of relief efforts in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. He lives with his family in NYC.

Moreno's career has spanned over 70 years; her notable acting work includes supporting roles in the musical films Singin' in the Rain (1952), The KING and I (1956) and West Side Story (1961), as well as a 1971 to 1977 stint on the children's television series The Electric Company, and a supporting role as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the HBO series Oz from 1997 to 2003. She can be seen in Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaption of West Side Story.

Gloria Estefan has sold over 100 million records and sold out stadiums around the world. Emilio and Gloria Estefan together have won 26 GRAMMY Awards® - but their music is only half the story. From the heart of Havana to the streets of Miami came a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the music industry had ever seen. ON YOUR FEET! is the new Broadway musical that follows the Estefans' journey to superstardom, set to their chart-topping, smash hits, including "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," "Conga," "1-2-3," "Get On Your Feet," "Mi Tierra," Don't Want To Lose You Now," and "Reach," in addition to an original song written by Gloria and her daughter Emily Estefan.

Olga Merediz was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for her work in In the Heights, a part she reprised in the 2020 film version. Other Broadway credits include Mamma Mia! (Rosie), RECKLESS (Trish), Man of La Mancha, Les Misérables, The Human Comedy. Film: Fugly, Mr. Popper's Penguins, One for the Money, Changing Lanes, K-P AX, Music of the Heart, Evita, Center Stage, Isn't She Great, Apartment #5C, City of Hope, Angie. TV: "Past Life" (FOX), "Royal Pains" (USA), "Au Pair III (Fox)," "Hope & Faith," "The Jury," "The Sopranos," "The George Lopez Show," "Law & Order," "L&O: SVU," "L&O: CI," "The Job," "100 Centre Street." Off-B'way: In the Heights (Drama Desk Award), The Taming of the Shrew (NYSF), The Blessing, El Grande de Coca-Cola, El Bravo!, Thornhill.

Alex Lacamoire won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for HAMILTON. He served as the Music Director, Orchestrator and Co-Arranger for HAMILTON. He has won a Tony and a Grammy for his work on In the Heights and a Tony for Dear Evan Hansen. For Hamilton, he was awarded an Obie and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Select credits: Bring It On, Wicked, 9 to 5 (Drama Desk and Grammy nominations), Bat Boy, Godspell (2001 national tour), High Fidelity, Annie (2011 Broadway revival), Fly (Dallas Theater Center), Working (59E59), The Wiz (City Center), Legally Blonde, Dear Even Hansen (Arena Stage). He is an Emmy-nominated composer for "Sesame Street."