RIAA Honors Gloria Estefan, Sebastián Yatra, Emilio Estefan & More

Latin music is turning up the volume and getting fans on their feet nationwide, becoming the fast-growing genre in the U.S. On Tuesday, September 19, the Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA) will recognize artists, label executives and policymakers driving this rise across American music, culture and society.

The annual celebration from RIAA's state-of-the-art performance space in the heart of the nation's capital will highlight the incredible achievements and breakthrough careers of Icon Gloria Estefan, Artist of the Year Sebastián Yatra, Industry Trailblazer Emilio Estefan, Executive of the Year Maria Fernandez (EVP & COO of Latin Iberia at Sony Music Entertainment) and Policymakers of the Year U.S. Representatives Veronica Escobar and María Elvira Salazar.

“As advocates for the music community and fans ourselves, the RIAA is so grateful to acknowledge superstars and leaders who have used their voices and platforms to change the culture and break the creative mold.

RIAA Honors is a special moment to stop and acknowledge those forging ahead for future generations and making waves in their own right. Latin music has lit up the charts and filled playlists across the U.S. this year and we are thrilled to celebrate Gloria Estefan, Sebastián Yatra, Emilio Estefan, Maria Fernandez and Representatives Veronica Escobar and María Elvira Salazar,” said RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier.

RIAA HONOREES:

Gloria Estefan (Icon) – International Superstar, Gloria Estefan, is a Grammy award-winning singer, actress, songwriter, author of two New York Times best-selling children's books, philanthropist and humanitarian. She is considered one of the world's most recognizable and beloved performers and the most successful Latin crossover artist in music history, per Billboard Magazine. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Estefan has garnered eight Grammy Awards and an Oscar-nominated performance for the song “Music Of My Heart.” She also received an American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and has been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame (the first Hispanic woman in June 2023) and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, plus she received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. In 2015, President Obama honored Emilio & Gloria Estefan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the United States, to world peace, and cultural endeavors. Emilio & Gloria Estefan also serve as Executive Producers ON YOUR FEET!, the TONY Award-nominated Broadway musical based on their lives and remarkable rise to global superstardom. In 2017, Gloria was the first Cuban-American singer-songwriter to receive The Kennedy Center Honors. Released in 2022, the 'Estefan Family Christmas' album featuring Gloria alongside her daughter, Emily (27) and grandson, Sasha (10) became one of the first of its kind to combine three generations. Beyond the musical accolades, she is founder of the Gloria Estefan Foundation whose mission is to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and empower young people through education and opportunity. As an actress, Gloria voiced the character Marta in Netflix's critically acclaimed animated film “Vivo” and last summer, starred in 'Father of the Bride' opposite Andy García airing on HBOMAX, earning the biggest audience for streaming-only film.

Sebastián Yatra (Artist of the Year) – The versatility of Sebastian Yatra's musical genius has enabled the bilingual pop-polymath to achieve multi-platinum certifications around the world, scoring the singer-songwriter: #1 Spotify Global & US debut albums chart, #1 Billboard Latin Streaming and #1 Latin Digital Songs chart placements for his music releases. Billboard aptly reported, “Sebastián Yatra has been on a winning streak” and NPR 'Weekend Edition' continued, “Sebastian Yatra can kind of do it all."  Yatra's 2023 kicked off with a Grammy nomination for his album “Dharma” and “Dharma+” deluxe. The singer, songwriter and creative composer's current smash single “VAGABUNDO”  is RIAA certified Latin Platinum® in the U.S. and it also reached #1 on Billboard's Latin airplay chart. It's 3x Platinum® in Spain and holds multiple Gold® certifications across Latin America with over 239 million combined streams. It trended #4 on Youtube and has accumulated more than 74 million views. It also reached #37 Billboard Hot Latin chart. Yatra received his first two Latin Grammys (for 8x platinum “Tacones Rojos” and 11.7 Billion streamed Dharma), a first American Music Award win, a nomination at the People's Choice Awards, and this year continues with two more Latin Billboard Award nominations. Yatra's RIAA certified Gold® moving ballad “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney's Encanto received an Oscar nomination and he performed the song at the 2022 Academy Awards – watch here! It was the first song performed at the Oscars in Spanish. Following a successful 78-dateDharma world tour that wrapped last year; this summer, Sebastián performed to sold-out international festival crowds, leading in sing-alongs to his summer hit's “na-na-na-na-na” melody. The 28-year-old genre-bending multi-hyphenate has amassed 35.7 Billion combined streams and over 28 million monthly listeners on Spotify where he is a Top 200 most streamed artist. His music leads with passion, his words evoke emotions and his mellifluous voice melts hearts across the globe

Emilio Estefan (Industry Trailblazer) – Emilio Estefan is a world-renowned music, television, and film producer who has been instrumental in shaping, developing, and directing the careers of his superstar wife, Gloria, as well as Shakira, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Jon Secada among many others. Emilio has achieved incredible success throughout his career, boasting more than 40 years of industry-leading achievements, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame just to name a few. Emilio has served as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and has produced a wide array of historical musical events at the White House. In 2009, President Barack Obama tapped him to serve on the committee to create the first National Museum of the American Latino. In 2022, he was tasked by President Biden to produce the inaugural ceremony of The Summit of the Americas. With a resume that includes 19 GRAMMY Awards, Emilio has experimented and pushed the envelope of blending Latin, pop, and world rhythms creating a unique style and personality that has created chart-topping worldwide hits. It is this vision that transcends the music field and spills over into film, television, hotels, and restaurants, among other business endeavors including serving as the Executive Producer of the Tony-Award, nominated smash Broadway musical, On Your Feet! Most recently, the Library of Congress honored Emilio and Gloria with the distinguished Gershwin Prize for Popular song. His passion and ability to keep alive his Latin roots have made Emilio Estefan's vision a global brand, and a symbol of credibility and prestige among the World's Greatest Leaders; a man that through sheer talent, tenacity, and extraordinary vision, has earned his rightful place in history.

Maria Fernandez (Executive of the Year) – As Executive Vice President, COO, Latin Iberia at Sony Music Entertainment, Maria Fernandez not only runs operations, but she also negotiates major deals and spearheads mergers and acquisitions. Since joining Sony Music Entertainment in 2007, she has been integral to sealing partnerships with everyone from the second largest ticketing company in the world EVENTIM to Walter Kolm Entertainment, management company for Maluma and Carlos Vives among others. Recently she has been a key member of the evaluation and negotiation team in the acquisition of Som Livre, largest independent company in Brazil, and is leading its integration process. At the same time, Fernandez remains committed to giving back as she actively devotes as much time as possible to mentoring both, colleagues within the company and young individuals interested in the music industry. Growing up in Venezuela, she developed a lifelong passion for music. She launched her career in Venezuela at Disney in the consumer products division. Throughout a decade at Disney, she worked out of offices in Caracas, Miami and Buenos Aires before joining DirecTV Latin America in Fort Lauderdale. As an entrepreneur, she split her time between owning a franchise Huntington Learning Center and holding down a job in voice over IP telecommunications, raising $12 million in funds for a startup. In 2008, Fernandez become Senior Director of Finance at Sony Music Entertainment before becoming Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer in 2012 and eventually Executive Vice President and COO in 2018. Fernandez also joined the board of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. in 2022, a company with a rich history, a culture of innovation and a service mindset.

Rep. Veronica Escobar D-TX-16 (Policymaker of the Year) – a third generation El Pasoan who made history as the first woman elected to represent El Paso and the first of two Latinas from Texas to serve in Congress, Congresswoman Escobar proudly represents Texas' 16th Congressional District. The only Texan in leadership in both the House and the Senate in both parties, she was elected as one of three co-chairs of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) while also serving on the prestigious House Judiciary Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Ethics Committee as well as being a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Pro-Choice Caucus. Congresswoman Escobar has established herself as the voice of the border and as a national leader on gun safety, healthcare, reproductive justice, and immigration. She also worked to make El Paso County a leader in expanding access to healthcare by working with the University Medical Center of El Paso to build primary care clinics and the El Paso Children's Hospital, the only children's hospital on the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar R-FL-27 (Policymaker of the Year) – Proudly representing Florida's 27th Congressional District, Congresswoman Salazar passionately serves the people of South Florida. She currently serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as the House Committee on Small Business. The five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who is the only US Spanish-language journalist to ever interview Cuban dictator Fidel Castro one-on-one, was born in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, the daughter of Cuban exiles. Congresswoman Salazar is committed to acting tirelessly in defense of individual rights and liberties, spearheading economic development & job training efforts, and promoting environmental resiliency in her community. She is well-known for her advocacy for Human Rights and democracy around the world, especially for the people of Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, as well as for her unabashed support of our global & regional partners such as Israel, Colombia, and Taiwan.

With Latin music revenues in the U.S. exceeding $1 billion for the first time and growing significantly faster than the broader industry, the genre is clearly connecting. RIAA SVP of State Public Policy & Industry Relations, Rafael Fernandez Jr noted, “this sustained expansion speaks to an openness to new artists, music and ways of listening. It's also perfect timing to salute Latin Music champions during the first week of National Hispanic Heritage Month. RIAA Honors' epic music-filled celebration adds to the excitement as other festivities and recognitions continue throughout the coming weeks.”

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