Billboard’s Leila Cobo, “Despacito”songwriter Erika Ender are among the women to be celebrated at the new Latin Grammy week event.
The Latin Recording Academy will honor the accomplishments of women working in the Latin music industry with a ceremony recognizing “The Leading Ladies of Entertainment.” Billboard’s Leila Cobo, Executive Director of Content and Programming for Latin Music and Entertainment, will be one of the honorees during the inaugural event, to take place on Tuesday (Nov. 14) at Mastro’s Ocean Club in Las Vegas.
Recording engineer Marcella Araica, singer and “Despacito” songwriter Erika Ender, Rebeca Leon, CEO and Founder of Lionfish Entertainment; Gabriela Martinez, General Manager Warner Music Latina and SVP Marketing Warner Music Latin America; and Univision’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jessica Rodriguez will also be honored as 2017’s “Leading Ladies.”
The new Latin Grammy week event will precede the 18th annual awards, which will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday (Nov. 16).
“It is my pleasure to welcome this new event to Latin Grammy Week, where we will have another opportunity to celebrate talented and inspiring individuals,” said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., Latin Recording Academy President/CEO, said in a statement. “Women face a myriad of difficulties in the entertainment industry, but despite those obstacles, the women we are honoring have continually demonstrated perseverance, fortitude, and grace under pressure.”
Davina Aryeh, Chief Marketing Officer of The Latin Recording Academy, pointed out that the gender gap in the music industry “is more pronounced for Latinas.”
“We want to empower and inspire women,” she added. “Not only through the symbolic importance of the event…but also through the tangible financial contribution it will have as we donate proceeds back to our Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation in the form of scholarships for young women interested in studying music.”
The Leading Ladies ceremony is sponsored by Walmart, Google, and Nielsen.
Source: Billboard
