‘Roma’ dominates 1st Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) awards
The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) has announced the winners of their inaugural Latino Entertainment Film Awards.
In its inaugural year, Netflix’s “Roma” won nine awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron. Cuaron won a total of five prizes as a producer, director, screenwriter, co-film editor, and foreign language feature. Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” was the next big winner with three awards for Production & Set Design, Costumes, and Hair & Makeup.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “A Star is Born” and Annapurna Pictures’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” both picked up a pair of wins. Co-writer and director Bradley Cooper won Best Actor in a Leading Role while his co-star Lady Gaga shared the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture prize with fellow songwriters Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt. Barry Jenkins’ film won awards for Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Regina King.
Mahershala Ali took the Supporting Actor prize for his work in Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” while “Crazy Rich Asians” rounded out the acting prizes with a win for Best Ensemble Casting, which was awarded to the Casting Director Terri Taylor.
Along with the 23 competitive categories listed below, LEJA has also honored four Latino individuals in the film industry and called out the deficiency of another person of prominence in dealing with Latino issues.
Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno is the recipient of LEJA’s first-ever “Lifetime Achievement Award,” which will now be known as the “Rita Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award.” Best known for her Oscar-winning role in the 1961 musical “West Side Story,” Moreno has entertained moviegoers and TV watchers for the last seven decades. Along with her breakout Oscar performance in as Anita in “West Side Story,” Moreno went on to win a Grammy (1972), Tony (1975) and Emmy (1977), which makes her only one of 15 individuals to win all four major entertainment awards. Most recently, she has starred on the hit Netflix reboot of “One Day at a Time” and was cast in the upcoming remake of “West Side Story” from director Steven Spielberg.
Winning the first LEJA “Latino Activism Award” is American-Honduran actress America Ferrera. Ferrera made her film debut in the 2002 dramedy “Real Women Have Curves” and became a household name as the titular character on the popular TV series “Ugly Betty.” Aside from her work in Hollywood, Ferrera has been active in Voto Latino, an organization that encourages young Latinos to vote and be politically aware. In 2018, she spoke at the Families Belong Together protest, a series of protests across the U.S. that were formed to push back against the Trump Administration’s family separation policy. Last year, she became a founding member of the Time’s Up legal defense fund, which has raised more than $22 million to support victims of sexual violence.
LEJA’s first “Breakout Award” goes to Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio for her lead role in Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 drama “Roma.” In the film, Aparicio plays Cleo, a fictional version of the nanny who helped raise Cuarón and his siblings in Mexico City in the 1970s. Aparicio is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. Her parents are of indigenous origin (Mixtec and Triqui). “Roma” is her acting debut.
LEJA’s first “Spotlight Award” goes to Puerto Rican actor and Oscar-nominated songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. Along with his Golden Globe-nominated supporting role last year in the sequel “Mary Poppins Returns,” Miranda raised millions of dollars for Puerto Rico to help rebuild after the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. He is currently reprising his role as U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton in his hit Broadway show “Hamilton” – this time in Puerto Rico where he is raising more funds.
Finally, LEJA names its first recipient of the “Muy Mal Award” (Spanish for “Very Bad”) – a dishonor given to an individual for vilifying and stigmatizing the Latino community. Although in the future this award is more likely to go to someone in Hollywood for creating tired Latino stereotypes in movies, the first award goes to current U.S. President and former TV reality show star Donald J. Trump. In 2018, Trump and his administration implemented the “zero tolerance” family separation policy on undocumented immigrants coming across the U.S./Mexico border. According to the federal government, more than 3,000 undocumented children were separated from their families and placed in shelters or foster care. In addition to his cruel policy, Trump continues to stoke fear about undocumented immigrants (mainly Latino and Muslim) and continues to divide the country with his toxic and racist rhetoric and demand for a wall on the southern border.
The nominees and winners of the Latino Entertainment Film Awards are:
Best Picture of the Year
- “Black Panther” (Kevin Feige) – Marvel Studios
- “BlacKkKlansman” (Jason Blum, Spike Lee, Raymond Mansfield, Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele, Shaun Redick) – Focus Features
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Jim Beach, Robert DeNiro, Graham King, Brian May, Peter Oberth) – 20th Century Fox
- “Cold War” (Tanya Seghatchian, Ewa Puszczyńska) – Amazon Studios
- “The Favourite” (Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lee Magiday) – Fox Searchlight Picture
- “Green Book” (Jim Burke, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Charles B. Wessler) – Universal Pictures
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Megan Ellison, Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski) – Annapurna Pictures
- “Roma” (Nicolás Celis, Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez) – Netflix – WINNER
- “A Star is Born” (Bradley Cooper, Bill Gerber, Lynette Howell Taylor, Jon Peters, Todd Phillips) – Warner Bros.
- “Vice” (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick) – Annapurna Pictures
Best Achievement in Directing
- Bradley Cooper, “A Star is Born”
- Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma” – WINNER
- Barry Jenkins, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
- Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
- Adam McKay, “Vice”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Christian Bale, “Vice”
- Bradley Cooper, “A Star is Born” – WINNER
- Ethan Hawke, “First Reformed”
- Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- John David Washington, “BlacKkKlansman”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
- Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma” – WINNER
- Glenn Close, “The Wife”
- Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
- Lady Gaga, “A Star is Born”
- Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” – WINNER
- Timothee Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy”
- Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
- Sam Elliott, “A Star is Born”
- Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
- Claire Foy, “First Man”
- Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” – WINNER
- Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”
- Michelle Yeoh, “Crazy Rich Asians”
Best Original Screenplay
- “Eighth Grade” (Bo Burnham)
- “The Favourite” (Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara)
- “First Reformed” (Paul Schrader)
- “Roma” (Alfonso Cuaron) – WINNER
- “Vice” (Adam McKay)
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- “Black Panther” (Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole)
- “BlacKkKlansman” (Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott)
- “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” (Nicole Holofcener)
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Barry Jenkins) – WINNER
- “A Star is Born” (Will Fetters, Bradley Cooper, Eric Roth)
Best Ensemble Casting
- “Black Panther” (Sarah Finn)
- “Crazy Rich Asians” (Terri Taylor) – WINNER
- “The Favourite” (Dixie Chassay)
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Cindy Tolan)
- “Roma” (Luis Rosales)
Best Production & Set Design
- “Black Panther” (Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart)
- “Crazy Rich Asians” (Nelson Coates, Andrew Basman)
- “The Favourite” (Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (John Myhre, Gordon Sim)
- “Roma” (Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enriquez) – WINNER
Best Cinematography
- “Black Panther” (Rachel Morrison)
- “Cold War” (Lukasz Zal)
- “The Favourite” (Robbie Ryan)
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” (James Laxton)
- “Roma” (Alfonso Cuaron) – WINNER
Best Costume Design
- “Black Panther” (Ruth E. Carter) – WINNER
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Julian Day)
- “The Favourite” (Sandy Powell)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (Sandy Powell)
- “Mary Queen of Scots” (Alexandra Byrne)
Best Editing
- “The Favourite” (Sam Sneade)
- “First Man” (Tom Cross)
- “Roma” (Alfonso Cuaron, Adam Gough) – WINNER
- “Vice” (Hank Corwin)
- “Widows” (Joe Walker)
Best Hair & Makeup
- “Black Panther” (Joel Harlow, Camille Friend, Ken Diaz) – WINNER
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Jan Sewell, Charlie Hounslow-Smith, Robert Cole)
- “The Favourite” (Beverley Binda, Samantha Denyer, Nadia Stacey)
- “Mary Queen of Scots” (Jenny Shircore)
- “Vice” (Kate Biscoe, Patricia DeHaney, Greg Cannon, Chris Gallaher)
Best Sound
- “Black Panther” (Steve Boedecker, Brandon Proctor, Peter Devlin, Benjamin A. Burtt)
- “First Man” (Mary H. Ellis, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano, Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan)
- “A Quiet Place” (Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor,Ethan Van Der Ryn, Erik Aadahl)
- “Roma” (Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan, Jose Antonio Garcia, Sergio Diaz) – WINNER
- “A Star is Born” (Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder, Alan Robert Murray)
Best Visual Effects
- “Avengers: Infinity War” (Dan Deleeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl, Dan Sudick)
- “Black Panther” (Geoffrey Baumann, Jesse James Chisholm, Craig Hammack, Dan Sudick) – WINNER
- “First Man” (Paul Lambert, J.D. Schwalm, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (Matt Johnson, Steve Warner, Jim Capobianco, Kyle McCulloch)
- “Ready Player One” (Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew Butler, David Shirk)
Best Music
- “Black Panther” (Ludwig Goransson)
- “First Man” (Justin Hurwitz)
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” (Nicholas Brittell) – WINNER
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (Marc Shaiman)
- “A Star is Born” (Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson)
Best Song Written for a Motion Picture
- “Black Panther” (“All the Stars” – written by Kendrick Lamar, Al Shux, Sounwave, SZA, and Anthony Tiffith)
- “Boy Erased” (“Revelation” – written by Jon Thor Birgisson, Brett Laughlin, Troye Sivan)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (“The Place Where Lost Things Go” – written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)
- “A Star is Born” (“Shallow” – written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt) – WINNER
Best Animated Feature
- “Incredibles 2” (Nicole Paradis Grindle, Brad Bird) – Disney/Pixar
- “Isle of Dogs” (Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales, Scott Rudin) – Fox Searchlight Pictures
- “Mirai” (Mamoru Hosada) – GKIDS
- “Ralph Breaks the Internet” (Phil Johnston, Rich Moore, Clark Spencer) – Walt Disney Animation
- “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman) – Sony Pictures Animation – WINNER
Best Foreign Language Film
- “Burning” – Chang-dong Lee (South Korea)
- “Capernaum” – Nadine Labaki (Lebanon)
- “Cold War” (Pawel Pawlikowski) – Poland
- “Roma” – (Alfonso Cuaron) – Mexico – WINNER
- “Shoplifters” (Hirokazu Koreeda) – Japan
Best Documentary Feature
- “Minding the Gap” (Bing Liu, Diane Quon) – Hulu
- “RBG” (Julie Cohen, Betsy West) – Magnolia Pictures
- “The Sentence” (Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Sam Bisbee) – HBO Documentary Films
- “Three Identical Strangers” (Grace Hughes-Hallett, Becky Read) – NEO
- “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (Caryn Capotosto, Nicholas Ma, Morgan Neville) – Focus Features – WINNER
Best Stunts
- “Avengers: Infinity War” (Sam Hargrave)
- “Black Panther” (Andy Gill)
- “Deadpool 2” (Scott Ateah)
- “Mary Poppins Returns” (Mark Mottram)
- “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (Wade Eastwood) – WINNER
Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance
- Josh Brolin, “Avengers: Infinity War”
- Bryan Cranston, “Isle of Dogs”
- Jeff Goldblum, “Isle of Dogs”
- Shameik Moore, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” – WINNER
- Sarah Silverman, “Ralph Breaks the Internet”
The Rita Moreno Lifetime Achievement Award: Rita Moreno
Latino Activism Award: America Ferrera
The LEJA Breakout Award: Yalitza Aparicio
The LEJA Muy Mal Award: Donald J. Trump
The LEJA Spotlight Award: Lin-Manuel Miranda
About Latino Entertainment Journalists Association:
The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) is committed to developing and celebrating Latino voices among all areas and backgrounds of the entertainment industry. Founded in 2018, LEJA provides a much-needed opportunity for writers from the United States to have their works amplified and heard in the areas of film, television, music, theatre, and the arts. Accepting of all backgrounds and identities, LEJA embraces anyone who identifies as Latino, Latina, Latinx, Hispanic, Afro-Latino, Afro-Latina, Latin@, Spanish, or any inclusive and progressive description that champions and accelerates the voices of our culture from around the world.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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