The Imagen Awards was co-founded by legendary television producer Norman Lear, who was acutely aware of the near absence of positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry and understood the importance of positive images. Lear met with the leaders of the National Conference for Community and Justice (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews, or NCCJ), a respected non-sectarian human relations organization committed to fighting prejudice and racial tensions. Out of this meeting emerged the Imagen Awards, which recognizes and encourages the entertainment industry to depict the Latino community in a meaningful and accurate manner.

The Imagen Awards attract key entertainment leaders as well as celebrities. Past honorees and attendees have included Lin-Manuel Miranda and Family, Rita Moreno, Guillermo Del Toro, Salma Hayek, John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, Roberto Orci, Jenni Rivera, and former CBS Entertainment Chairman, Nina Tassler, among others.