New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Latin Recording Academy® today announced Spanish singer/songwriter and musician
Alejandro Sanz will be honored as the 2017 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year during a prestigious gala held on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. An 18-time Latin GRAMMY® and three-time GRAMMY winner, Sanz will be honored for his artistry and substantial philanthropic contributions to organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Greenpeace, among others.
The Person of the Year award is bestowed to musicians in recognition of their artistic achievement in the Latin music industry and commitment to philanthropy. Past honorees include Marc Anthony, Roberto Carlos, Joan Manuel Serrat,
Miguel Bosé, Caetano Veloso, Shakira, Plácido Domingo, Juan Gabriel,
Gloria Estefan, Juan Luis Guerra, Ricky Martin, José José,
Carlos Santana, Gilberto Gil, Vicente Fernández,
Julio Iglesias, and
Emilio Estefan.
"Alejandro Sanz initially appeared on the music scene with a guitar hanging on his shoulder, a profound passion for music and amazing talent," said Gabriel Abaroa, President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "After a few years and with the help of his infectious lyrics and harmonies, he enticed our senses for the next few decades and his work has become an essential part of our life's soundtrack. His philanthropic work, his leadership, in addition to his inspiring music, speaks volumes about his many contributions to the Latin community over the years and we are thrilled to be honoring him."
"I'm honored to receive this recognition from the Latin Recording Academy," said Alejandro Sanz. "I'm happy and excited to be able to experience what is sure to be a thrilling evening in the company of friends and colleagues. I have participated in some of these galas as a guest and it is a very special event within the celebrations surrounding the Latin GRAMMY Awards. I'm very grateful and can't wait for the moment to arrive to discover all the surprises in store."
This year's star-studded gala will feature a concert tribute, including renditions of Sanz' renowned repertoire by an impressive array of notable artists and friends. The event precedes the 18th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®, airing Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, 8-11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central) live on Univision from the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas.
Three-time GRAMMY and nine-time Latin GRAMMY winner Rafa Sardina will be the executive producer of the coveted Person of the Year event.
The net proceeds from the gala will go toward the charitable work of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® whose mission is to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world's culture through scholarships, fellowships, grants, and educational programs.
Since his debut in 1991 with Viviendo Deprisa through his most recent studio album, 2015's Sirope, Sanz has established himself as one of the most renowned and influential artists worldwide with more than 25 million records sold. All 16 of his albums have gone multi-platinum in Spain, Latin
America or the United States.
Throughout his career, Sanz has collaborated with several leading performers from around the globe, including Alicia Keys, Shakira, Destiny's Child,
Laura Pausini, the Corrs, Ivete Sangalo, Emeli Sandé, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Marc Anthony, Alejandro Fernández, and Tony Bennett. The first single, "Un Zombie a la Intemperie," from Sirope (produced by Sanz and acclaimed producer
Sebastian Krys) made it to No. 1 on the iTunes charts in Spain, Latin
America and the United States.
In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of
Music in
Boston in recognition of his contributions to music and international culture. In 2017, Sanz received the Gold Medal of the Community of Madrid for his talent, his support of humanitarian causes and his ability to surmount obstacles. He has also received the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts granted by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and the Vision Award bestowed by the White House through the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in recognition of his notable contributions to Latin music.
Following a year's worth of preparations, Sanz kicked off 2017 by revealing Más Es Más, a project that celebrates a very special year in his career as an artist and the way in which he wishes to express gratitude to his fans. The culmination of this celebration will be a one-time-only concert taking place in Madrid on June 24, which will offer concertgoers the chance to relive the songs from his album Más as well as the greatest hits of his career. Sanz will be joined by many friends on a magical night that will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The concert will be live streamed at: www.feelthelive.com.
When Sanz announced Más Es Más, the news received more than 1 million Facebook views in the first 24 hours and on Feb. 3, presales crashed the sales site. He became the only artist to sell out the Vicente Calderón Stadium within 30 minutes.
Sanz currently has the largest Twitter following (more than 16 million) among Spanish artists. In addition, he has more than 6 million followers on Facebook and 2 million followers on Instagram.
For information on purchasing tickets to the 18th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards or tables at this year's Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala, please contact The Latin Recording Academy ticketing office at 310.314.8281 or
[email protected].
ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community either directly or through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.
ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION
The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® was established by The Latin Recording Academy to promote international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world's culture, and to protect its rich musical legacy and heritage. The Foundation's primary charitable focus is to provide scholarships to students of Latin music with financial needs, as well as grants to scholars and organizations worldwide for research and preservation of diverse Latin music genres. For more information about the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, please visit LatinGRAMMYCulturalFoundation.com.
