NHMC Adds John Leguizamo and Michael Peña to 16th Annual Impact Awards Honoree List

The NHMC Gala is one of the premiere Latino entertainment events in the country, recognizing outstanding contributions to the positive portrayal of Latinos in media. NHMC's President and CEO, Alex Nogales, will host four hundred of the most influential persons in Hollywood when it comes to advancing Latino talent in Hollywood. "We are happy to announce the addition of John Leguizamo and Michael Peña to our list of honorees. These fine actors and entrepreneurs represent some of our greatest performers in film, television and theater," Nogales remarked.

Emmy Award winning John Leguizamo will receive the award for Outstanding Theatrical Performance for his return to Broadway in his solo show Ghetto Klown. Leguizamo's notable career defies categorization as it spans the genres of film, theatre, television, literature, and beyond. As a writer and performer he created the Broadway sensations Mambo Mouth, Spic-o-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix...A Love Story all of which attracted much fanfare and critical acclaim. His film credits include The Lincoln Lawyer opposite Matthew McConaughey, Love in the Time of Cholera opposite Javier Bardem and Benjamin Bratt, The Happening opposite Mark Wahlberg, Righteous Kill opposite Robert Deniro and Al Pacino, The Babysitters opposite Cynthia Nixon and The Take opposite Rosie Perez as well as Miracle at St. Anna, Land of the Dead, The Groomsmen, Lies & Alibis, Assault on Precinct 13, Sueño, Spin, Moulin Rouge, Summer of Sam, King of the Jungle, Spawn, William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet, Dr. Doolittle, Carlito's Way, and Casualties of War. He presently delights younger fans as the voice of Syd in Ice Age 1, 2, and 3.

award for his role as Officer Zavala in the critically-acclaimed film End of Watch. The film is about two young officers in South Central LA who are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop. Peña garnered an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his role. His film credits include playing Daniel the locksmith in the Oscar winning film Crash, and he can currently be seen on the big screen in the ensemble feature Gangster Squad opposite Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling. Later this year he will be seen portraying civil rights leader and labor organizer, Cesar Chavez, in the film Chavez, directed by Diego Luna.