The Latin Recording Academy®, in partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, will celebrate the honoree at the Special Awards Presentation during the 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY Week in Las Vegas
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MIAMI (OCTOBER 28, 2025) — The Latin Recording Academy®, in partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, is proud to announce Luciana Ortega of the Instituto Santa María de San Carlos, in Chile, as the inaugural recipient of the Latin Music Educator Award. This new distinction honors an exceptional educator from the global music community who is making a significant impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum. Ortega has been teaching music for over 10 years, and she currently leads more than 400 high school students in a holistic music curriculum that extends beyond simply playing instruments.
As part of the award, Ortega’s school’s music program will receive a $10,000 instrument donation to support continued music education. Additionally, she will receive an all-expense paid trip to attend the Special Awards Presentation where she will be honored during the 26th Annual Latin GRAMMY Week in Las Vegas.
“We are proud to honor Luciana Ortega with the first Latin Music Educator Award,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “Her daily commitment to music students brings to life our mission to honor, celebrate, nurture and elevate Latin music and those that ensure its enduring legacy.”
“This recognition transcends my name; it reflects a collective history we have woven with love, perseverance, and meaning. My family, my students, and music have been the pillars of a transformation that goes far beyond the classroom,” shared Ortega. “In every note, the memory of our people, the strength of our roots, and the hope for a more humane future vibrate. I understand that educating through music goes beyond teaching sounds, and is also about awakening consciousness, healing wounds, and sowing identity. This recognition honors that journey: that of those of us who believe that art can transform life and reconcile humanity with its land. Music has taught us to listen to the world with tenderness and to transform reality with love; and that, more than an achievement, is a form of transcendence.”
Ortega’s teaching approach aims to establish a deep connection with cultural identity, ingenuity and using music to transform challenges into creative opportunities, or as she puts it “El alma de la música como motor de aprendizaje” (The soul of music as an instrument for learning). She was selected from a highly competitive pool of international applicants through a rigorous process led by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, with evaluations by a distinguished committee of music educators and academic experts and voting coordinated by The Latin Recording Academy’s Awards Department. The Board of Trustees of The Latin Recording Academy made the final selection.
This recognition marks a full circle milestone for Ortega, whose passion for music was ignited as a student at the very same school where she now teaches. As a music educator, she is committed to creating new learning experiences for her students, understanding the intrinsic value of music and the arts in their lives and society.
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ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Latin Recording Academy® is a 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.
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 celebrated 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 $13.9 million 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 Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACT:
The Latin Recording Academy
Nathalie Alberto
Nathalie.alberto@grammy.com
