Kany Garcia, Amazon’s Rocio Guerrero Among Latin Academy’s 2022 Leading Ladies Honorees

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García, Amazon Music’s global head of Latin music Rocío Guerrero, CEO of artist management company RLM, Rosa Lagarrigue and pianist, arranger and musical director Janina Rosado, have been named the 2022 Leading Ladies of Entertainment by the Latin Recording Academy on Wednesday (Oct. 12). 

Launched six years ago (Billboard‘s Leila Cobo was honored at the inaugural event), the Academy’s Leading Latin Ladies initiative was created to honor and recognize “professional and socially-conscious women within the arts and entertainment fields who have made significant contributions and inspired the next generation of female leaders.”

Following two years of virtual celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event returns live with a private presentation and luncheon sponsored by City National Bank on Tuesday, Nov. 15, during the Latin Grammys week in Las Vegas. 

“We are proud to celebrate this amazing group of women and their many contributions to the Latin music and entertainment worlds,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy in a press statement. “While there continues to be a sizeable gender gap in the industry, we continue to make inroads, with initiatives like the Leading Ladies of Entertainment platform, as we shine a light on the necessary work that needs to be done in order to create equity and gender parity.”

Additionally, the Leading Ladies of Entertainment is joining forces with She Is The Music for a second consecutive year on their collaborative “Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER” mentorship program, where a former honoree will be invited to mentor a She Is The Music mentee. Applications are now open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 11. 

“I am proud to be part of the She is the Music mentorship program with Leading Ladies of Latin Music,” Rebeca León, former Leading Ladies of Entertainment honoree and She Is The Music Board member noted. “The most important thing we can do is lift women up and put them in situations where they can learn and grow. It’s no longer about a seat at the table; it’s about giving women the tools to own the building that the tables are in.”

Furthermore, Noteable, By Spotify for Artists will be making a special scholarship donation to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s Scholarship Fund.