Recognizing Excellence, Works and Achievement in North Carolina’s Latino Community for 25 Years
The Diamante Arts & Cultural Center will honor thirteen community leaders and organizations at the 2020 Latino Diamante Awards. The 25th annual award show will take place virtually on November 21.
“Presenting these awards, is the highlight of our year (at Diamante),” said Roberto Perez, Board Chair of Diamante Arts and Cultural Center. “We hold an immense amount of gratitude to the community for their continued support and helping Diamante to honor over 200 adults and youth these past 24 years”, added Mr. Perez.
These statewide awards began in 1996, to honor individuals and organizations that are making significant contributions to the Latino/Hispanic/Latinx population of North Carolina by recognizing their achievements and work in the community. (Pictured are members of the Hispanic Task Force.)
The 2020 Latino Diamante Awards will be presented to:
- Art & Culture – Norberto (Betto) Herrera (Morrisville)
- Business – Latin American Business Council of Wilmington (Wilmington)
- Community Involvement – Jenny Bustamante Ferrell (Raleigh)
- Education – Isla Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill)
- The 2020 Health & Science will be presented to several entities for their work with COVID in the Latino Community.
- Duke Health – Latin-19 (Durham)
- Forsyth County – Hispanic Task Force (Winston-Salem)
- Novant Health (Charlotte)
- UNC Health (Chapel Hill)
- UNC-Wilmington – Latino Alliance (Wilmington)
- Latino Advocate – Dr. Hannah Gill (Chapel Hill)
- Jaime León Youth Award – accompanied by a $1,000 stiped towards college expenses.
- Daisy Mercado Lopez (Oakboro)
- Luis Campos-Arévalos (Raleigh)
- Lizette Cruz Watko Award – Matty Lazo-Chadderton (Cary)
Except for the Jaime León Youth award, honorees of the Latino Diamante Award are nominated by their peers in a public nomination process administered by a selection committee separate from the governing board of the
organization. The Lizette Cruz Watko Awards is selected by the Board of Directors of Diamante, as was this years’ Health and Science award.
“This pandemic has forced all of us to adapt to to a new state of being. We can’t gather in person this year, but the pandemic has presented us with an opportunity for more people to join in the celebration online”, Lizette Cruz Watko, Founder of Diamante and Chair of the Latino Diamante Awards.
The Latino Diamante Awards will take place via Facebook, YouTube and www.latinodiamanteawards.org on Saturday, November 21. Starting at 6:30 there will be a pre-show presentation featuring a documentary, and messages from dignitaries, about the 25th anniversary of the awards.
The Latino Diamante Awards will air live at 7:00pm and they will be hosted by a WRAL-TV news personality and feature presentations from nine North Carolina Latino composers interpreting their original musical works.
This event is supported in part by Food Lion, United Arts Council, First Citizens Bank, AT&T, Truist, Duke Energy, Wells Fargo, and many others. For more details about the Latino Diamante Awards click HERE.
