The Latin Recording Academy® recently announced its 2023 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees, a program created 7 years ago to recognize socially conscious professional women in the Latino arts and entertainment industry.

Noted for making important contributions and inspiring the next generation of leaders, Róndine Alcalá, Mon Laferte, Simone Torres, and Ana Villacorta López will be celebrated on Nov. 13 in Seville (Andalusia), Spain, as part of the main events of the Week of the Latin GRAMMY®.

Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, stated through a press release:

We are proud to celebrate them with this and other initiatives that seek to promote gender parity and honor the important role women play in the entertainment industry.

Mentoring Opportunities

The Academy also announced that applications for the third annual Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER mentoring program are now open.

“HPaying-it-forward and forging opportunities for future generations is a core pillar of the program, and Leading Ladies of Entertainment has partnered with She Is The Music —a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in music— and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on a collaborative mentorship program,” notes the release.

In addition, honorees from previous Leading Ladies will be invited to mentor trainees from She Is The Music, an alliance that will continue to support last year's Leading Ladies Connect TogetHER mentoring program.

The period to apply to the program ends on Friday, Sep.  29, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time). To apply and learn about the guidelines, click here.

Es un honor para nosotros anunciarles a las distinguidas homenajeadas de Leading Ladies of Entertainment 2023. Con orgullo otorgamos este reconocimiento a mujeres destacadas en el sector de las artes y el entretenimiento, cuya labor profesional y compromiso social han dejado… pic.twitter.com/838eRHa4Ct

— The Latin Recording Academy / Latin GRAMMYs (@LatinGRAMMYs) August 29, 2023

About the Honorees

1. Róndine Alcalá — Founder and owner of Rondene PR, started her career in public relations while working for international artist Luis Miguel in 1999 on his “Amarte Es Un Placer” world tour. Shortly after that she worked as senior publicist for a renowned PR firm in Los Angeles, where she developed and managed campaigns for superstars such as Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, Maná, Robi Draco Rosa, Enrique Iglesias, Ricardo Arjona, Sin Bandera, Alejandro Fernández and Julieta Venegas. Originally from Venezuela, Alcalá has contributed to the careers of global artists such as Ricky Martin, Juan Luis Guerra, Laura Pausini, Los Temerarios, Luis Fonsi, Soraya, Natalia Lafourcade, Pablo Alborán, Jesse & Joy and Camilo.
2. Mon Laferte — Inside Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte also lives singer-songwriter and visual artist Mon Laferte. She began her career performing popular songs in the streets of Viña del Mar, on the central Chilean coast, during her adolescence. This growth continued in Mexico, a country that welcomed her with open arms and where she was able to independently release her first two albums, “Desechable” and “Tornasol.” A few years would pass before the arrival of the acclaimed “Mon Laferte Vol.1,” an album with which she conquered not only an increasingly loyal, affectionate and large audience, but also several Latin GRAMMY® nominations. New songs continued to appear over the years, until the 2021 release of the GRAMMY®-nominated “1940 Carmen,” her seventh album, as well as its predecessor “Seis.”
3. Simone Torres — GRAMMY® and Diamond Award-nominated engineer and vocal producer Simone Torres has worked on records for artists like Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Becky G and Anitta. Some notable accomplishments include vocal producing Normani’s “Motivation” and engineering Cardi B’s “I Like It” and “Be Careful.” Recently she’s worked with Becky G on multiple records including her latest single “La Nena.” She believes that her role is to help bridge the gap between the technical and the creative aspects of making music. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Torres is known for her deft touch when it comes to vocal production.
4. Ana Villacorta López — She joined the music entertainment industry in 1981. After a brief stint at RCA, she worked for over a decade at EMI, primarily as Director of International Development in Spain. In 1993 she assumed the position of Regional Marketing Director at EMI and moved to Mexico. Five years later she joined BMG as Marketing Director of Ariola. After the merger with Sony, she took over as Marketing Director, and in 2015 she returned to Mexico as Senior Vice President. She has accompanied many artists in their careers, including Rocío Durcal, Julio Iglesias, Héroes del Silencio, Thalía, Fito Páez, Tony Bennett, Maná, One Direction, Vicente Fernández, Joaquín Sabina, Joan Manuel Serrat, Reik, Carlos Rivera and Camila.

“This diverse group of outstanding and successful women have made great contributions to Latin music,” added Abud.