Veteran actor John Leguizamo, breakouts James Ortiz and Inde Navarrette and more Latino Hollywood talents are among the Critics Choice Association’s slate of honorees for the newly titled Celebración of Cinema & Television (formerly called Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television), now in its sixth year, that recognizes and spotlights Latino and Hispanic artistry both on-screen and off. The ceremony takes place Oct. 2 in Beverly Hills.
Leading the class is John Leguizamo, who will receive the Career Achievement Award. The Emmy winner, Special Tony Award recipient and four-time Tony nominee is being feted for a run spanning more than four decades and, most recently, his turn in Universal Pictures’ “The Odyssey,” which the CCA notes posted the biggest live-action opening weekend of the year and has crossed $1 billion globally within three weeks of release. His other notable film and TV credits include “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) and the miniseries “When They See Us.”
Inde Navarrette earns the Breakthrough Actress Award (Film) for Focus Features’ “Obsession,” the box-office phenomenon that has grossed more than $488 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing film in the studio’s history. Laysla De Oliveira rounds out the breakthrough honors with the Breakthrough Actress Award (Series) for Paramount+’s “Lioness,” appearing across all three seasons of Taylor Sheridan’s espionage thriller opposite Zoe Saldaña, who received the Groundbreaker Award from the CCA in 2024 for “Emilia Pérez,” for which she won the Oscar for supporting actress.
James Ortiz will collect the Innovator Award for Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary.” The Broadway puppeteer, whose design work includes the Tony-nominated “The Skin of Our Teeth,” performs, voices and operates the alien Rocky opposite co-star Ryan Gosling in the space-set blockbuster, a turn that has entered this year’s supporting actor Oscar conversation.
Judy Reyes will take the Trailblazer Award for her work on ABC’s “High Potential,” where she plays Lt. Selena Soto opposite Kaitlin Olson on the crime procedural that became one of the network’s top-rated series in its debut season and its most-watched new series in six years. Reyes also returned this year to the “Scrubs” role she played across more than nine seasons, reprising the character for the comedy’s ABC revival.
Oscar Núñez will be honored with the Vanguard Award for Peacock’s comedy “The Paper.” The Emmy and SAG Award winner, who originated Oscar Martinez on “The Office,” reprises the character in the new mockumentary, which was renewed for a second season shortly after its premiere.
Completing the on-screen honorees, Aimee Carrero will receive the Supporting Actress Award (Series) for Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors,” the dark dramedy whose ensemble helped land it a Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding drama series for the recent second season, becoming the first drama in history to land a sole nom only in the top series race.
Elsewhere on the slate, the CCA turns to the storytellers working behind the camera.
Rodrigo Teixeira lands the Producer Award for Neon’s thriller “Paper Tiger,” his third collaboration with director James Gray that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The Oscar-nominated producer’s RT Features production banner is behind films like Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name,” which earned four Academy Award nominations including best picture, winning adapted screenplay for James Ivory, and Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here,” which made history as the first Brazilian Portuguese-language film nominated for best picture and won the Oscar for best international feature.
Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, the Spanish duo also known as Los Javis, take the Director Award for Netflix’s “La Bola Negra.” The pair behind “Paquita Salas” and the Rose d’Or-winning “La Mesías” claimed the directors’ prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for the multigenerational drama, which draws on an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca and stars Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.
The Celebración also leans into breakout talent. Beth de Araújo receives the Breakthrough Director Award for Sumerian Pictures’ “Josephine,” which made her a rare double winner at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, taking both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. The film, starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, drew an emotional response at the festival, where the Brazilian-American filmmaker used her moment to honor sexual assault survivors.
“To honor this remarkable class of Latino and Hispanic artists is nothing short of a gift, especially during a time that has been difficult for our communities,” says Clayton Davis, Variety’s chief awards editor and a CCA member and co-programmer of the Celebración. “Latino and Hispanic storytellers keep creating from a place of joy and defiance, turning our histories and culture into art that moves the culture forward. Their work builds a larger, more inclusive tent for everyone to be invited to join.”
Davis will serve as the writer for the ceremony, and host the celebration alongside Amanda Salas, fellow CCA member and entertainment anchor and reporter on Good Day LA. Javier Infante, Madelyn Hammond and Ella Carlson of Hammond Infante Productions produce the program. Milagro Tequila has signed on as the official spirit sponsor, with LatiNation Media co-hosting the official after-party.
The Celebración of Cinema and Television is part of the CCA’s slate of events recognizing historically underrepresented communities, which also includes celebrations of Black, AAPI and LGBTQ+ cinema and television.
The full list of honorees is below.
- Career Achievement Award: John Leguizamo, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
- Trailblazer Award: Judy Reyes, “High Potential” (ABC)
- Vanguard Award: Oscar Núñez, “The Paper” (Peacock)
- Producer Award: Rodrigo Teixeira, “Paper Tiger” (Neon)
- Director Award: Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, “La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
- Innovator Award: James Ortiz, “Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
- Supporting Actress Award, Series: Aimee Carrero, “Your Friends & Neighbors” (Apple TV)
- Breakthrough Director Award: Beth de Araújo, “Josephine” (Sumerian Pictures)
- Breakthrough Actress Award, Film: Inde Navarrette, “Obsession” (Focus Features)
- Breakthrough Actress Award, Series: Laysla De Oliveira, “Lioness” (Paramount+)
