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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is honoring Wilmer Valderrama and Xolo Maridueña during their Impact Awards Gala lineup on Friday, September 9th. Valderrama will receive the Trailblazer Impact Award for his inspiring career as an actor, producer, philanthropist, and outspoken advocate for the Latinx community.
Like NHMC, Wilmer supports emerging leaders and artists by amplifying their voices. Beloved for his role as exchange student Fez on the Emmy-nominated series That 70s Show , Valderrama currently stars in the #1 TV drama NCIS on CBS and announces he is developing a live-action “Zorro” series at Disney Branded Television in which he will star and executive produce.
He most recently lent his voice to the hit Academy Award-winning Disney animated film Encanto. Valderrama is also passionate and active in several philanthropic agencies, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Voto Latino, the USO, and co-founder of HARNESS. He also recently partnered with John Pollack to launch Allied Management Group, which focuses on partnering with, collaborating, and representing new and existing Latino voices.
Xolo Maridueña will receive the NHMC Rising Star Impact Award for being an outspoken advocate for the Latinx community and showing the importance of Latin representation on screen. His projects align with NHMC’s mission to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latinx community.
He has earned critical praise for his portrayal of Miguel Diaz in Netflix’s Cobra Kai, which continues to be one of the platform’s top performers. The show enters its 5th season on September 9th. He has also just wrapped production on the highly anticipated Blue Beetle, where he will portray the first Latino superhero in a lead role for DC Comics / Warner Bros.
Additionally, Annie Gonzalez (Flamin’ Hot) has now been added as a co-host for the night. Jessica Marie Garcia and U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro will present Yvett Merino with the NHMC Producer Impact Award.
The organization will hold its first-ever “Women Creators: Our Words Matter” panel on September 9th at 10:30 AM PT at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, bringing together some of the most prominent NHMC alum writers for an open dialogue on intersectional stories, how to navigate the industry, diversify skill sets, and how to use social media in your career effectively.
Returning to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel after last year’s virtual celebration, the Impact Awards Gala celebrates the outstanding individuals dedicating themselves to creating a more inclusive entertainment industry through the positive portrayal of the Latinx community, both in front of and behind the camera.
Past Impact Award honorees include Salma Hayek Pinault, Rosie Perez, Matthew López, Tessa Thompson, America Ferrera, Jay Hernandez, Dany Garcia, Isabella Gomez, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, James Cameron, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Saldana, Danny Trejo, Diego Luna, Benjamin Bratt, Robert Rodriguez, and more.
The Impact Awards Gala is just one part of the NHMC’s overall mission to spotlight the importance of accurate, fair, and positive representation in media, including advocating for an increased number of Latino writers on major networks and streaming services, the increased representation of diverse talent on significant television and film sets, and educating media and industry executives on the variances of Latino culture.