NHMC’s Annual Impact Awards Gala

NHMC Gala Celebrates Individuals Making a Difference

A Message from NHMC's President and CEO

Hello! I’m Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), and on behalf of NHMC and our Impact Awards Gala Dinner Committee, we’d like to welcome you to the annual Impact Awards Gala.

The NHMC was founded nearly 40 years ago to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism towards the Latino community, as well as to support the next generation of Latine creatives in Hollywood and beyond. We educate and increase Latinx visibility – from our policy work in Washington D.C. to our media advocacy work in Hollywood, and our mission to enact change has always revolved around three ideals – to connect, collaborate, and create.

We’re collaborating with our partners in both the industry and on Capitol Hill, advocating for increased Latine visibility in entertainment, but never forgetting that we are a civil rights organization at our core. This year, we announced our first-ever NHMC Visionary Alliance, consisting of some of the most dynamic and celebrated Latine voices in the creative space who are aligned in their support of the NHMC’s mission.

We’ve also continued our collaboration with lawmakers to increase digital equity, combat disinformation in our communities, and expand Latino representation in the field of publishing, from its published materials to executive leadership.

Just this year, we, along with six other Latino-led organizations, launched The Latino Representation in Publishing Coalition (LRPC). The LRPC is working with publishing companies to strategize tangible solutions that amplify the work of Latino creatives and promote Latino organizational staff throughout the industry.

On top of that, we specifically advocated for and demanded Federal Communications Commission (FCC) leadership that looks like the communities the agency serves, and we want to once again congratulate Anna Gomez and Geoffrey Starks for their appointment to the FCC – signifying a transformative era in digital policy, shaped by diversity and inclusivity.

We’re connecting with the next generation, encouraging and inspiring them to follow their dreams. We have a number of initiatives dedicated to this cause, including our Series Scriptwriters Program (SSP), which has helped launch the careers of more than 200 Latinx writers. Series Scriptwriters graduates have worked on shows for major networks. For more than 10 years, our Latinx Stream Showcase (LSS) – showcases 4-5 short films written by, starred in, and directed by Latinos. The LSS program has helped launch 300+ Latinx creators’ careers in front and behind the camera.

Finally, I believe that tonight’s Impact Awards are truly the embodiment of what we as a community can create together – a space for strong voices within our community to not only celebrate one another, but also demand that we as Latine individuals are the rule, not the exception. What we’re creating in this room is a community dedicated to ensuring our voice is being heard in every industry, promoting our work when no one else can, and building bridges with the next generation of creatives, activists and advocates across the country.

Now more than ever, we need spaces like these, full of individuals who are truly dedicating themselves to making an impact. With that, I’d like to thank our honorees this year for being strong voices in the community and beyond. You create safe spaces that we can rely upon - not only for the community but for the larger movement of change.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support of our work and our gala. You are all part of this extended NHMC family. I have so much hope for the future, knowing that the change we collectively accomplish will be both impactful to our generation, and sustainable to influence the next.

Yours in the Movement,

Brenda Victoria Castillo
President and CEO
National Hispanic Media Coalition

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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a civil and human rights organization at its core, and the annual Impact Awards Gala was created to specifically recognize and celebrate the power of individuals using their voices to uplift Latino and marginalized communities. That mission and focus has not changed, and the NHMC believes that now more than ever, those voices must continue to be heard.

NHMC was founded to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latino communities, and this signature fundraising gala supports NHMC’s social justice efforts all year round. Our policy priorities fall under the buckets of equity and access, accountability, and leadership to ownership. NHMC believes achieving digital equity – including closing the Latino digital divide – is one of the greatest civil rights challenges of our time.

Past Impact Award honorees include George and Mayan Lopez, Colman Domingo, Francia Raisa, Yvett Merino, Salma Hayek Pinault, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Rosie Perez, Matthew Lopez, Tessa Thompson, America Ferrera, Jay Hernandez, Ann Sarnoff, Senator Cory Booker, Dany Garcia, Isabella Gomez, Amy Lippman, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Ozzie Areu, James Cameron, Senator Robert Menendez, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Saldana, Danny Trejo, Diego Luna, Benjamin Bratt, Robert Rodriguez, and more.