LatinTRENDS hosts the 15th annual Latino Trendsetters Awards, honoring pioneers in media, business, education, arts, and community leadership.
On May 10th, honorees and guests gathered at the Symphony Space Theater on 95th Street to celebrate businessmen, artists, and community leaders whose influence was being recognized. The show included performances by Frankie Negron and Doñé. Honorees included Legendary soccer star, David Villa, music impresario and manager to Romeo Santos, Johnny Marines, young Latino brain surgeon, Dr. Rafael Ortiz, Salsa icon, La India, actor and director, Victor Cruz and HBO SVP Lucinda Martinez.
Actor, writer, and producer Victor Cruz (center) was being honored for his work in the film industry. Most recently, he released his movie The Stockroom which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. The movie also stars one of the awards’ co-hosts, actress April Hernandez Castillo. Of Cruz, former honoree George Torres, blogger of Sofrito for Your Soul, said, “He does everything. He’s just a super-celebrity: TV actor, director, writer. This might change his career.” Of his award and his career moving forward Cruz said,
It’s an honor. I’m just starting to be recognized for my work as an actor, and I’ve been in the business since the early 2000s. For me, this is a big deal. The fact that someone at LatinTRENDS nominated me and I’m here is super cool. I got into the business of creating my own and creating opportunities for other Latino actors. So I’ll be developing two new features, one of them is based on the sterilization of Puerto Rican women in the mid ’40s. The other is a spin off sequel to The Stockroom.
Guest Rebecca Gitana Torres, an interior designer and host of Lifestyle Remix TV, who was excited to be among other Latino influencers said,
I like to show people how to remix their life through the home space, through culture and style. I hope in the future to bring inspiration to the world, not just locally in New York City.
The Latino Trendsetter Awards honors annually tastemakers and power forces in every industry, exemplifying the growing authority of Latin-Americans in the United States, and this year’s awards were rich in the diversity of those honored.
