WASHINGTON, DC – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today announced Oscar Nominee Edward James Olmos and Award-Winning Actress Judy Reyes as host of the 2014 Hispanic Heritage Awards Presented by Target on September 18 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC, which will be broadcast on PBS as a one-hour special nationally on September 29 at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings).

HHF also announced performances by Multi-Grammy Award-Winning Singer Pepe Aguilar, who is also receiving the Masters of Arts Award; Grammy Award-Winning Singer Carlos Vives, who is also receiving the Legend Award; American Idol Singer Jessica Sanchez; and a grand finale in tribute to past Hispanic Heritage Awardees Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente featuring multi-cultural, Grammy Award-winning Ozomatli, Award-Winning Singer Kat DeLuna, and other surprise guests. There will also be a patriotic salute to the 65th Infantry Regiment of the US Army “The Borinqueneers.” Members of Congress and other national Latino leadership will present awards along with celebrities. 

Executive Producers are Antonio Tijerino, David Chavez, and Cheryl Teetzel-Moore.  Johnny Falcones is a Producer.  The Hispanic Heritage Awards is a Hispanic Heritage Foundation and LatinPointe production. The Awards are also hosted by 40 national Hispanic organizations.

The 2014 Honorees are:

Education – the Hayden High School Robotics Team presented by Target

Vision – Zoe Saldaña, presented by Hershey’s

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) – Rep. Ruben Hinojosa presented by ExxonMobil

Master of Arts – Pepe Aguilar, presented by Southwest Airlines

Legend – Carlos Vives, presented by AARP

Sports – Bernie Williams presented Amtrak

Leadership – Henry R. Munoz III presented by Univision and Fusion

Youth Segment – presented by NASCAR

Special Recognition – 65th Infantry Regiment of the US Army “The Borinqueneers”

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is proud to honor yet another inspiring group of Latino leaders, and having past Honoree Eddie Olmos and longtime supporter and great friend of our organization Judy Reyes host makes the evening even more special,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of HHF. “The Hispanic community has made significant contributions throughout history, and we are proud to recognize that impact.  We also want to entertain and highlight our great talent and I can’t think of a greater sampling of music, culture, and the Latin spirit than the line-up we’ve assembled thanks to Target and our amazing sponsors. We are also thrilled partner with PBS to make sure America shares in our celebration.”  

The Hispanic Heritage Awards Official After-Party will feature New York Singer and DJ Soleil J (http://www.soleilj.com/#!bio/c24vq) who will also join the finale during the stage production.

Additional sponsors of the Hispanic Heritage Awards include UPS, Coca-Cola, PhRMA, Adelante Capital, BBVA Compass, Google, CVS Caremark, NFL, FOX Audience Strategies, Saber es Poder, Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, The Raben Group, Entertainment Software Association, Crowell & Moring, Es Tiempo, US Army, Capital Wire PR, and NRCCUA.  Erwin Gomez’s Karma Beauty Lounge is Official Stylist.  Southwest Airlines is Office Airline. 

The Hispanic Heritage Awards were established in 1987 by the White House to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. Since that time, the Hispanic Heritage Awards are considered among the highest honors for Hispanics by Hispanics. The Awards are supported by nearly 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions who co-host the program.

The Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round award-winning programs which inspire, identify, prepare, and position Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities. HHF also promotes cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions. HHF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. For more information on the year-round, high-impact programs and work of HHF, including the Awards, visit www.hispanicheritage.org. HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC and has offices in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and the LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) Institute is housed at Michigan State University.