WASHINGTON, DC – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today announced Actress and Latin Grammy-Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Angelica Maria Hartman Ortiz, known as “Mexico’s Sweetheart,” will receive an award at the 29^th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards on September 22, 2016, at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, DC.  The Awards recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Latino leaders in various fields while celebrating cultural pride and the great promise to America. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Author Junot Díaz were announced earlier as Honorees.  Other Honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Awards were established in 1987 by The White House to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America.  The Awards are considered among the highest honors for Latinos by Latinos and the program will include top Latino performers and personalities paying tribute to the Honorees from the stage.

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is very proud to honor Angelica Maria with the Hispanic Heritage Award,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “She is truly ‘Mexico’s Sweetheart’ as she’s transitioned with great grace and relevancy from a child star to a teen idol to a true living legend.  All our Honorees, including Angelica Maria, embody what it is to be real Americans and a source of inspiration for all Latinos.  The Hispanic community has made significant contributions throughout history, and we are proud to recognize that impact in the present and the future as well.”

Angelica Maria began her film career at the age of five and since then has worked continuously having performed in over 60 films from musicals, comedy to drama and thrillers.  She started in television when she was 6 years old mostly in musical and variety shows and eventually became one of the first actors to participate in primetime “novelas”.  To this day, Angelica Maria has played in over 25 novelas (soap operas).  "Muchacha Italiana Viene a casarse" (Italian Girl is Coming to Marry) became the breakthrough novela for Mexican television behemoth Televisa playing in over 23 languages across the globe.

She debuted live on stage at the age of 10 and has participated in 17 theatrical productions ranging from dramas, to comedies, to musicals.  At 17 she recorded her first album earning the title of "Mexico’s Sweetheart."  To this date she has recorded 63 albums. In 1973, she launched the “La balada ranchera” (Ranchera Balad) which topped the charts and made her the first Latin singer to sell two million copies in the US.  To this date, she remains the only Mexican singer to fill, on the same day, two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Angelica Maria has made thousands of national and international tours, television shows, personal appearances, and has received more than 200 awards worldwide.  Just this past year, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round, award-winning programs which inspire, prepare and connect Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s needs in priority fields.  HHF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  For more information on the mission of HHF visit www.hispanicheritage.org.