Annual Latin music event slated for September 19th in Washington DC
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 19th, 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,” states RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier.
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. 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 and grandson, Sasha, became one of the first of its kind to combine three generations. Beyond the musical accolades, she is the 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 Max, earning the biggest audience for streaming-only film.
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: No. 1 Spotify Global & US debut albums chart, No. 1 Billboard Latin Streaming and No. 1 Latin Digital Songs chart placements for his music releases. 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 No. 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 No. 4 on YouTube and has accumulated more than 74 million views. It also reached No. 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. It was the first song performed at the Oscars in Spanish. Following a successful 78-date Dharma 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.
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.”
