Friday night, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) hosted its annual Impact Awards Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
MC’ed by writer, actor, and comedian Al Madrigal alongside actress, writer, and producer Jessica Marie Garcia, the evening celebrated the outstanding individuals in the entertainment industry who are making strides towards an accurate and positive portrayal of the Latino community and creating a more inclusive society.
The 2025 NHMC Impact Awards Gala Honorees and presenters included:
- Acapulco - Authentic Storytelling Impact Award
Accepted by Camila Perez & Enrique Arrizon
Presented by Isabella Gomez
- Cobra Kai - Ensemble Impact Award
Accepted by Xolo Maridueña
Presented by David Castañeda
- Cris Abrego - Leadership Impact Award
Presented by Rep. Joaquin Castro
- Daniella Pineda - Outstanding Performance Impact Award
Presented by Cynthia Addai-Robinson
- Isabela Merced - Next Generation Impact Award
Presented by Gabriel Luna & Young Mazino
- Phil Lord - Visionary Impact Award
Presented by Gloria Calderón Kellett
- Rey Mysterio - Legend Impact Award
Presented by Francia Raísa
The evening also included special appearances from Annie Gonzalez (Actress), Belissa Escobedo (Actress), Bobby Soto (Actor), Cara Jade Myers (Actress), Chelsea Rendon (Actress), Curly Velasquez (Creator), Fabrizio Guido (Actor), Harvey Guillén (Actor /2024 Impact Awards Gala Honoree & Visionary Alliance Member), Janae Collins (Actress), José Velazquez (Actor), Julia Garcia (Actress), Laura Patalano (Actress), Linda Yvette Chavez (Writer), Lisa Vidal (Actress/Visionary Alliance Member), Lorena Perez Batista (Composer), Melissa Fumero (Actress), Mishel Prada (Actress), MJ Actosta-Ruiz (Sports Host), Moises Zamora (Writer), Moriah Brown (Actress), Sol Rodriguez (Actress), Summer Bishil (Actress), Yissendy Trinidad (Producer) and many more.
The 2025 NHMC Impact Awards highlights included:
The Last of Us cast members Gabriel Luna & Young Mazino presented co-star Isabela Merced with the Next Generation Impact Award, to which Merced expressed her gratitude for her community: “(Being part of this community) feels like everyone's win does not mean somebody else's loss. This community has always been supportive and generous.”
WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio graced the stage and stressed the importance of representation and his heritage: “Throughout my career, I’ve been proud to carry the Mexican flag—literally and figuratively—for my people. Whether it was performing in front of millions, speaking out about representation, or simply mentoring the next generation, I always tried to show that our stories matter and that our presence matters.”
Xolo Maridueña accepted the NHMC Ensemble Impact Award on behalf of the cast of Netflix’s Cobra Kai expressing his gratitude for the connections made with his cast and the impact of the series sharing “No matter the amazing places the show has taken us, one of the most pivotal and impactful things that continues to happen are the connections with people who watch the show–whether it be grandparents, children, or parents connecting a little bit more with their loved ones. It’s indescribable.”
Accepting the Authentic Storytelling Impact Award on behalf of AppleTV+’s Acapulco were cast members Camila Perez and Enrique Arrizon joined by creator Austin Winsberg who highlighted the importance of authentic portrayals, sharing “When we set out to make Acapulco, it was important to all of us in the show to create authentic, positive three-dimensional portrayals of Latin impact and culture. That authenticity started with the lives of powerful voices in the writer's room, finding incredible talent from all over the world, and almost an entirely Latin crew and craftsmen in every single department of the show.”
When accepting the NHMC Leadership Impact Award, Cris Abrego emphasized the importance of leadership and highlighted his inspiration in the Chicano movement. He said, “This industry has never been harder. Fewer greenlights, smaller budgets, massive layoffs. It’s wearing a lot of people out. But you know what? It can’t wear us out. Because for us in this room, it’s always been hard. It’s always been a fight. And this fight right now…it’s a call for clarity of purpose. For renewed courage. For real leadership. Because real leadership is about legacy, and legacy must be transformative. It must reach beyond you; it must outlive us. It must change the industry we leave behind.”
Daniella Pineda shared her unique wisdom on representation while accepting her first award: “I got to portray two very unconventional Latina characters. I got to be the antihero and the villain in both The Accountant 2 and the new Dora the Explorer movie. So thank you to Gavin O'Connor, Ben Affleck, and Amazon for allowing me to play "Anaiis," the role for which I am receiving tonight's award.”
Brenda Victoria Castillo, NHMC President & CEO, spoke to a full ballroom about the diversity of the Latino community: “What’s difficult for others to get their heads wrapped around is the fact that Latinos are multicultural. We are multi-cultural; the future of America is multicultural. The point is we are not defined by a single story or box that you can simply check off. The diversity amongst us is not just our strength —it is what makes us unstoppable.”
Phil Lord accepted his NHMC Visionary Impact Award, touching on the positive impact of immigrants in the U.S.: “I have long felt that my job as an artist is to help people imagine goodness. And all I can think about this week is what if we treated every immigrant like family? How enriched would this country be? I am proud to be with all of you, the immigrant and U.S. born Latino storytellers whose stories live here. A person doesn’t make a movie - a community does. The same can be said about a country.”
The Impact Awards Gala is just one part of the NHMC’s overall mission to spotlight the importance of accurate, fair, and positive representation in media, including advocating for an increased number of Latino writers on major networks and streaming services, the increased representation of diverse talent on major television and film sets, and educating media and industry executives on the variances of Latino culture.
NHMC is proud to recognize our partners Apple TV+, T-Mobile, 4SBay Partners, Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, Google, Netflix, Variety, The Walt Disney Company, Hyphenate Media Group, Fernando Soler, Campanario Entertainment, mitú, MAOF Properties, Peter Lenkov, Warner Bros. Pictures, City National Bank, Paramount Global, Banijay Americas, Dun Foundation, The Miranda Family Fund, LAFC, Writers Guild of America West, and Grace Castillo.
NHMC extends gratitude to this year’s Impact Awards Gala Committee Members: Chanelle Hardy, Craig Robinson, Glenda Martinez, Iva Colter, Jaime Dávila, Joanna Diaz-Soffer, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Karla Pita Loor, Peter Lenkov, and Tim McNeal.
To access photos from the event, click
here.
