| WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 – Live from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., Univision Noticias’ UNIVISIONARIOS empowered, motivated, and thrilled audiences by recognizing Hispanic community leaders, exciting performances, and creating memorable moments all throughout the evening.
The celebration began with the opening act that included JOSS FAVELA, AIDA CUEVAS, JOSE MANUEL FIGUEROA, and CHIQUIS RIVERA. The opening act’s esteemed and inspiring voices honored the legacies of ARMANDO MANZANERO, JUAN GABRIEL, JOAN SEBASTIAN, and JENNI RIVERAwith a medley of music.
To recognize the Hispanic community leaders that UNIVISIONARIOS brought together to celebrate, the hosts and presenters awarded UNIVISIONARIOS honorees with $10,000 and a Sam Kirk art piece for their role in helping their communities thrive. Among the honorees, DADDY YANKEE was recognized as this year’s ICONO (Icon) for his role in leaving an important mark on the Hispanic community. DADDY YANKEE has stood out by his role in strengthening the communities of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where he established his soup kitchen, “Daddy’s House” which serves a number of youths. Further, DADDY YANKEE has maintained a strong alliance with the Habitat for Humanity foundation, where he has managed to build houses in Puerto Rico.
In addition to honoring DADDY YANKEE’s impact, UNIVISIONARIOSposthumously recognized ROBERTO CLEMENTE, an iconic Puerto Rican baseball player; CLEMENTE was the first Caribbean and the first Latin-American player to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. ADRIANA MONSALVE, sportscaster and journalist on TUDN and ORLANDO “EL DUQUE” HERNANDEZ, former baseball pitcher, presented the recognition to CLEMENTE’s son, LUIS ROBERTO CLEMENTE.
Below is the summary of the other UNIVISIONARIOS honorees and recipients.
Innovadores (Innovators)
- Host TERESA RODRÍGUEZ presented MÓNICA RAMÍREZ with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to her foundation, Justice for Migrant Women (Justicia para Mujeres Migrantes). RAMÍREZ’s organization helps migrant women raise awareness about the issues they face – ranging from sexual assault to labor inequality.
- MARÍA ANTONIETA COLLINS, co-anchor on DESPIERTA AMERICA EN DOMINGO, presented SISTER NORMA PIMENTEL with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to the Caridades Católicas del Valle Rio Grande(Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley) organization, where SISTER PIMENTEL is Executive Director. The organization helps immigrants on the border between Matamoros, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas; to date, it has helped over 100,000 migrants.
Pioneros (Pioneers)
- RAUL DE MOLINA, co-host of EL GORDO Y LA FLACA and CLAUDIA MARTIN, actress starring on TelevisaUnivision’s LOS RICOS TAMBIEN LLORAN, presented AMARILIS GONZÁLEZ with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to her organization, Techos Pa’ Mi Gente. GONZÁLEZ’s organization installs roofs for homes that need them, especially after Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico’s housing. To date, over 70 homes have been assisted with the support of more than 700 volunteers.
- Opening act performers, CHIQUIS and JOSE MANUEL FIGUEROA, presented ELIA CHINÓ with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to her organization Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social (FLAS/Latin American Foundation of Social Action). CHINÒ’sorganization delivers health services to Latino communities in Houston, Texas; the organization was founded to offer preventative services and information about HIV, but later expanded services to provide mental health resources and family support. Since launching over 28 years ago, FLAS has helped more than 1 million residents in Houston.
Maestros (Educators)
- ILIA CALDERÓN, anchor on NOTICIERO UNIVISION and AQUÍ Y AHORA, presented MARÍA GARZA with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP). ECMHSP, where GARZA is CEO, supports children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. To date, over 3,000 children have benefited through the organization’s programs; ECMHSP has over 48 centers across the United States.
- KATYA ECHAZARRETA, the first Mexican-born woman to travel into space and BORJA VOCES, anchor, and presenter on NOTICIERO UNIVISION EDICION DIGITAL, NOTICIAS UNIVISION 24/7 MEDIODIA, and PRIMER IMPACTO presented JOSÉ M. HERNÁNDEZ with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to his organization, Reaching for the Stars Foundation. HERNÁNDEZ’s organization is focused on empowering Latino youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The organization offers courses to students between 7th and 12th grade, in addition to providing summer camp opportunities and a scholarship fund.
Emprendedores (Entrepreneurs)
- TONY DANDRADES and PAMELA SILVA, presenters on PRIMER IMPACTO, presented JORGE PLASENCIA with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to his foundation, Amigos for Kids Foundation. The organization aims to prevent childhood abuse in Latino families in Miami, Florida. Presently, approximately 120 children are receiving support.
- SANDRA ECHEVERRÍA, actress, playing ‘Maria Felix’ on MARÍA FÉLIX: LA DOÑA on ViX+, presented CATALINO TAPIA the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to his foundation, the Catalino Tapia Scholarship Foundation. The foundation has helped hundreds of young people with limited resources. To date, nearly 350 students have received scholarships through the foundation.
- Opening act performer, AIDA CUEVAS, presented SALVADOR RUIZ with the Sam Kirk art piece and the donation to his organization, Moving Arts Española; the organization helps deliver food, necessities, and scholarship opportunities.
Ending the evening, UNIVISIONARIOS host, ALEJANDRA ESPINOZA recognized IVÁN CLEMENTE as this year’s MiUnivisionario. The finalist, presented with the Sam Kirk art piece and $10,000 to his foundation, El Comedor de la Kennedy, was selected by the Univision Noticias’ audience. CLEMENTE’s organization is focused on eradicating food insecurity in Puerto Rico, especially for children, elderly populations, and indigenous communities. In the last year, El Comedor de la Kennedy has fed over 2,000 older adults and has distributed over 1.5 million pounds of food to nearly 1 million people, primarily children; approximately 2,000 are helped per week.
UNIVISIONARIOS aired live on Univision at 8 p.m. ET; it was the first live event on Hispanic television that was completely accessible to Spanish-language audiences by featuring a Second Audio Program (SAP) and detailed closed captions for the visually and hearing impaired.
The highly anticipated celebration continued to feature fan-favorite performances from inspiring and talented artists including:
- MAU Y RICKY – Venezuelan Latin pop and reggaeton duo formed by singer-songwriter siblings, MAURICIO ALBERTO “MAU” REGLERO RODRIGUEZ AND RICARDO ANDRÉS REGLERO RODRIGUEZ, both sons of RICARDO MONTANER. The GRAMMY-nominated artists were chosen by YouTube Music as the only Hispanic artists to be part of “Artist on the Rise” in 2019. MAU Y RICKY performed “Llorar y Llorar.”
- SEBASTIAN YATRA – Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor known for his romantic lyricism with modern reggaeton influences. YATRA performed “Un Año” from Chicago.
- MARIACHI HERENCIA DE MEXICO – GRAMMY-nominated musical group of young musicians that have released highly acclaimed music honoring the historic tradition of mariachi music. The band members are CARLOS ROJAS, MELANIE JUÁREZ, RUBÉN NUÑEZ, ISAÍAS LÓPEZ, ARTURO GARZA, MARCO A. VILLELA, BRYANA MARTÍNEZ, IVÁN GARZA, LEONEL HERRERA, SAMUEL VILLEGAS, RAFAEL DÍAZ, JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ, CARLOS GONZÁLEZ, and FERNANDO LÓPEZ. The band performed “El Galivan.”
- JOSS FAVELA – Award-winning songwriter and artist who brings forth Mexican folk traditional music such as banda and norteño. Favela was the youngest to win a Composer of the Year award from ASCAP and has been nominated for several LATIN GRAMMYs. FAVELA performed “Algo Transitorio.”
- PEDRO CAPÓ – GRAMMY-award-winning Puerto Rican singer known for his Latin pop, pop rock, and dance-pop discography. CAPÓ performed “Gracias.”
The show was hosted by trailblazing journalist TERESA RODRIGUEZ; model, TV presenter, and first winner of Univision’s beauty contest, NUESTRA BELLEZA LATINA, ALEJANDRA ESPINOZA; actor, comedian, and host of TelevisaUnivision’s DE NOCHE PERO SIN SUEÑO, ADRIAN URIBE. |
