Latino Advocacy Organization to Celebrate Silver Anniversary of Promoting More Opportunities for Latinos in Entertainment; Luncheon Event Scheduled for Sunday, August 15th at Beverly Hilton Hotel

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Imagen Foundation has announced the nominees for the 25th Annual Imagen (Spanish for “image”) Awards, honoring positive portrayals of Latinos and Latino cultures in entertainment. The awards will be presented at a luncheon on Sunday, August 15th, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Major sponsors of the event include The Nielsen Company, The Walt Disney Company, Disney/ABC Television Group, Fox Television Stations, The Lear Family Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting and CBS.

The Imagen (pronounced ee-mah-hen) Awards program was established in 1985 from a suggestion by veteran television producer Norman Lear to encourage and recognize the positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. Later, as The Imagen Foundation, it expanded its programs and initiatives to further its mission to serve as a bridge between the Latino community and the entertainment industry in providing access, education, and resources for Latinos in the industry, as well as those seeking careers in entertainment. More information on the organization as well as details of the event can be found online at www.imagen.org and on Facebook.

Winners will be selected by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latino community leaders. Following are the finalists for this year’s Imagen Awards in their respective categories:

  • Best Primetime Television Program or Movie-of-the-Week:
    • One Hot Summer (Lifetime Movie Network)
    • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
    • Lost (ABC)
    • Cold Case (CBS)
  • Best Actor/Television:
    • Jorge Garcia, Lost (ABC)
    • Nestor Carbonell, Lost (ABC)
    • Danny Pino, Cold Case (CBS)
    • Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Desperate Housewives (ABC)
  • Best Actress/Television:
    • Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)
    • America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC)
    • Alana de la Garza, Law & Order (NBC)
    • Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie (Disney Channel)
    • Caitlin Sanchez, Dora the Explorer (Nickelodeon)
  • Best Supporting Actor/Television:
    • Oscar Nuñez, The Office (NBC)
    • Rico Rodriguez, Modern Family (ABC)
    • Jon Seda, The Pacific (HBO)
    • Gregory Cruz, Saving Grace (TNT)
    • Victor Rasuk, How To Make It In America (HBO)
    • Kevin Alejandro, Southland (TNT)
  • Best Supporting Actress/Television:
    • Maria Canals-Barrera, Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie (Disney Channel)
    • Paola Turbay, The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family)
    • Naya Rivera, Glee (FOX)
    • Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
  • Best Children’s Programming:
    • Dora The Explorer (Nickelodeon)
    • Handy Manny (Disney Channel)
    • Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (Nickelodeon)
    • The Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie (Disney Channel)
  • Best Documentary/Television:
    • Voces: Special Circumstances (Latino Public Broadcasting)
    • mun2 News Special – The New America (mun2)
    • Which Way Home (HBO)
    • Latin Music USA (Latino Public Broadcasting)
  • Best National Informational Program:
    • CNN Presents: Latino in America (CNN)
    • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: The Next Posada (HBO)
    • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Alexis Arguello (HBO)
    • Voces (Latino Public Broadcasting)
    • American Latino TV (LATV)
    • Extra (NBC)
  • Best Local Informational Program:
    • Camino a la Universidad (WLTV Univision 23)
    • Vista L.A. (KABC)
    • Cuban Journalist on Hunger Strike (CBS4)
  • Best On-Air Advertising:
    • Hispanic Heritage Month – Tito Puente (MTV)
    • Padres Heroes (Telemundo)
    • Quiero Mi Boda (MTV)
    • Lopezulations (MTV)
    • Celebrate Hispanic Heritage (KPIX-TV)
  • Best Variety or Reality Show:
    • Lopez Tonight (TBS)
    • Quiero Mi Boda (MTV)
    • The Dog Whisperer (National Geographic Channel)
    • The mun2 Hook Up (mun2)
    • Hammer Heads (HGTV)
    • 2010 Latin Billboard Award Show (Telemundo)
  • Best Feature Film:
    • The Dry Land (Maya Entertainment)
    • La Mission (5 Stick Films)
    • Casi Divas (Maya Entertainment)
    • Our Family Wedding (Fox Searchlight)
  • Best Actor/Feature Film:
    • Andy Garcia, City Island (Anchor Bay Films)
    • Benjamin Bratt, La Mission (5 Stick Films)
    • Carlos Mencia, Our Family Wedding (Fox Searchlight)
    • John Leguizamo, The Ministers (Maya Entertainment)
  • Best Actress/Feature Film:
    • Ana de la Reguera, Backyard (Maya Enter-tainment)
    • Lisa Vidal, Dark Mirror (Cut Glass Prods.)
    • America Ferrera, Our Family Wedding (Fox Searchlight)
    • America Ferrera, The Dry Land (Maya Entertainment)
  • Best Supporting Actor/Feature Film:
    • Jimmy Smits, Backyard (Maya Entertainment)
    • Jeremy Ray Valdez, La Mission (5 Stick Films)
    • Martin Sheen, The Kid: Chamaco (Maya Entertainment)
  • Best Supporting Actress/Feature Film:
    • Danielle Schmidt, Casi Divas (Maya Entertainment)
    • Dominik Garcia-Lorido, City Island (Anchor Bay Films)
    • Anjelah Johnson, Our Family Wedding (Fox Searchlight)
    • Tessa Ia, The Burning Plain (Magnolia Pictures)
  • Best Director/Feature Film:
    • Fernando Lebrija, Amar a Morir (Laguna Pictures)
    • Peter Bratt, La Mission (5 Stick Films)
    • Kenny Ortega, This Is It (Columbia Pictures)
  • Best Theatrical Short or Student Film:
    • Taught To Hate (Mi Ecuador Prods.)
    • Il Destino (Criolla Prods.)
    • In the Name of Freedom (Cave Entertainment)
  • Best Internet Program:
    • Chicas Talk Back (mun2)
    • YLSE (Livier Prods.)
    • Let’s Talk (Latin Heat Entertainment)
    • I Once Was Lost (Nahum 17 Prods.)