Arizona PBS to broadcast 29th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards

PHOENIX – (Sept. 20, 2016)

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Arizona PBS is broadcasting the 2016 Hispanic Heritage Awards on Friday, Sept. 30, at 9 p.m.

The awards are among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos, recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of leaders in various fields while celebrating cultural pride.

The 2016 award winners include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (Leadership Award), Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz (Literature Award), actress/singer Angelica Maria (Legend Award), and Columbian-born reggaeton singer J Balvin (Vision Award).

Past award winners include Juan Luis Guerra, Rita Moreno, Plácido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Tito Puente, Anthony Quinn, Carlos Gutiérrez, Juan Marichal, Los Tigres Del Norte, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Rubén Blades, José Feliciano, Isabel Allende, Alejandro Sanz, Oscar de la Hoya, America Ferrera, Carlos Fuentes, Gloria Estefan, Martin Sheen, Andy García, Carlos Vives, Zoe Saldana and Pedro Martínez, among many others.

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is thrilled to be back on PBS to highlight the tremendous contributions of our community in an inspiring and entertaining way,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of HHF. “It’s more important than ever that we share this preeminent celebration of our culture with all of America.”

The celebration includes top Latino performers and personalities paying tribute to the honorees from the stage. Additional honorees will be announced prior to the event taping Sept. 22 at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
“Arizona PBS takes pride in celebrating the diversity of the community we serve,” said Nancy Southgate, associate general manager of content at Arizona PBS. “We look forward to showcasing the Hispanic Heritage Awards and honoring those who have made an impact on our society.”

The awards were established in 1987 by the White House to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. Today, the Hispanic Heritage Awards are supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards serve as a launch of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s year-round, award-winning programs which inspire, prepare and connect Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet the United States’ needs in priority fields.