The event celebrates the achievements of professional women excelling in the fields of arts and entertainment
The third annual Leading Ladies of Entertainment Connect TogetHER Mentorship Program, in partnership with She Is The Music and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®, is now open for applications
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MIAMI (AUGUST 29, 2023) — The Latin Recording Academy® announced today its 2023 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees—an initiative created seven years ago to honor and recognize professional and socially-conscious women within the arts and Latin entertainment fields who have made significant contributions and inspired the next generation of female leaders. The private ceremony and luncheon will be held in Sevilla (Andalucía), Spain, on Monday, November 13, as part of the marquee events for Latin GRAMMY® Week.
This year’s honorees are:
Róndine Alcalá, founder of RondenePR, a music and entertainment public relations firm
Mon Laferte, singer/songwriter, multiple Latin GRAMMY® winner and GRAMMY® nominee
Simone Torres, GRAMMY®-nominated engineer and vocal producer
Ana Villacorta López, SVP Marketing and Promotion at Sony Music Entertainment México
“This diverse group of outstanding and successful women have made great contributions to Latin music,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “We are proud to celebrate them with this and other initiatives that seek to promote gender parity and honor the important role women play in the entertainment industry.”
The private ceremony and luncheon will be held in Sevilla (Andalucía), Spain, on Monday, November 13, as part of the marquee events for Latin GRAMMY® Week. Moira Noriega will serve as executive producer of the event, working under the direction of The Latin Recording Academy’s production team led by Ayleen Figueras.
In addition, El Corte Inglés, Viñas Familia Gil and Noteable by Spotify for Artists join the celebration as official sponsors; and the Consejería de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, with co-financing from Fondos Europeos, joins as institutional partner. Furthermore, for the third year, Noteable will be making another special scholarship donation to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®’s Scholarship Fund in support of future Latin music makers.
Paying-it-forward and forging opportunities for future generations is a core pillar of the program, and Leading Ladies of Entertainment has partnered with She Is The Music —a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in music— and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on a collaborative mentorship program. Past Leading Ladies honorees will be invited to mentor a She Is The Music mentee. The partnership will build on last year’s Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER Mentorship Program.
Applications for the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Connect TogetHER Mentorship Program are now open through Friday, September 29, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The link to apply and guidelines are available at https://lgcf.smapply.io/. If you have additional questions, email us at lgcf@grammy.com.
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ABOUT RÓNDINE ALCALÁ:
Róndine Alcalá, founder and owner of Rondene PR, started her career in public relations while working for international artist Luis Miguel in 1999 on his “Amarte Es Un Placer” world tour. Shortly after that she worked as senior publicist for a renowned PR firm in Los Angeles, where she developed and managed campaigns for superstars such as Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, Maná, Robi Draco Rosa, Enrique Iglesias, Ricardo Arjona, Sin Bandera, Alejandro Fernández and Julieta Venegas. Originally from Venezuela, Alcalá has contributed to the careers of global artists such as Ricky Martin, Juan Luis Guerra, Laura Pausini, Los Temerarios, Luis Fonsi, Soraya, Natalia Lafourcade, Pablo Alborán, Jesse & Joy and Camilo, as well as served corporate clients, at her own firm.
ABOUT MON LAFERTE:
Inside Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte also lives singer-songwriter and visual artist Mon Laferte. She began her career performing popular songs in the streets of Viña del Mar, on the central Chilean coast, during her adolescence. This growth continued in Mexico, a country that welcomed her with open arms and where she was able to independently release her first two albums, Desechable and Tornasol. A few years would pass before the arrival of the acclaimed Mon Laferte Vol.1, an album with which she conquered not only an increasingly loyal, affectionate and large audience, but also several Latin GRAMMY® nominations. New songs continued to appear over the years, until the 2021 release of the GRAMMY®-nominated 1940 Carmen, her seventh album, as well as its predecessor Seis. Mon Laferte is an artist with a vision that goes beyond genres and ways of making music. This experimentation, overcoming the fear of trial and error, perseverance and, of course, her talent, have made her one of the most beloved and influential Latin American female artists in the world.
ABOUT SIMONE TORRES:
GRAMMY® and Diamond Award-nominated engineer and vocal producer Simone Torres has worked on records for artists like Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Becky G and Anitta. Some notable accomplishments include vocal producing Normani’s “Motivation” and engineering Cardi B’s “I Like It” and “Be Careful.” Recently she’s worked with Becky G on multiple records including her latest single “La Nena.” She believes that her role is to help bridge the gap between the technical and the creative aspects of making music. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Torres is known for her deft touch when it comes to vocal production. Beyond the studio, she works with organizations to create safe spaces that foster young women and gender expansive folks seeking music careers.
ABOUT ANA VILLACORTA LÓPEZ:
Ana Villacorta López joined the music entertainment industry in 1981. After a brief stint at RCA, she worked for over a decade at EMI, primarily as Director of International Development in Spain. In 1993 she assumed the position of Regional Marketing Director at EMI and moved to Mexico. Five years later she joined BMG as Marketing Director of Ariola. After the merger with Sony, she took over as Marketing Director, and in 2015 she returned to Mexico as Senior Vice President. She has accompanied many artists in their careers, including Rocío Durcal, Julio Iglesias, Héroes del Silencio, Thalía, Fito Páez, Tony Bennett, Maná, One Direction, Vicente Fernández, Joaquín Sabina, Joan Manuel Serrat, Reik, Carlos Rivera and Camila.
ABOUT SHE IS THE MUSIC:
She Is The Music (SITM) is a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in music and transform the gender landscape of the industry. Operating as a unifying network for the music business and beyond, SITM provides resources and support for female-focused initiatives, both through its own programs as well as external efforts worldwide. A first-of-its-kind collaboration, SITM is powered by industrywide representation: creators, publishers, record labels, talent agencies, management companies, industry groups, think tanks, media companies, streaming services and more. Entertainment Industry Foundation serves as a partner. For more information, visit sheisthemusic.org.
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.
ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:
The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy® in 2014 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 $9.3 million with the support of The Latin Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information or to make a donation, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.com or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on X and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT:
The Latin Recording Academy
Nathalie Alberto
