21st Imagen Awards honorees in film & television.

A number of popular Latino actors were honored at the 21st Annual Imagen Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Hosted by Lorenzo Lamas, sixteen awards were presented in categories including film and television, plus The Imagen Foundation presented five additional awards including Creative Achievement, Lifetime Achievement, President’s Award, the Norman Lear Award, and the Foundation’s first National Leadership Award. The Imagen Awards were established in 1985 to encourage and recognize the positive portrayal of Latinos in all media and to increase Latino representation at all levels of the entertainment industry.

The winners were:

FILM

Best Picture
The Lost City: Executive producers, Tom Gores, Johnny O. Lopez. Producers Frank Mancuso Jr., Andy Garcia. Directed by Andy Garcia; Crescent Drive Picture presents a Cineson Production. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures. Distributed by Lionsgate Films International.

Best Actor
Antonio Banderas, Take the Lead: Executive producers, Toby Emmerich, Matt Moore, Mark Kaufman, Ray Liotta, Matthew Hart; Directed by Liz Friedlander and produced by New Line Cinema.

Best Actress
America Ferrera, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Executive Producers, Leslie Morgenstein, Alison Greenspan, Kira Davis; Directed by Ken Kwapis; and produced by Alcon Entertainment.

Best Director
Andy Garcia, The Lost City: Executive producers, Tom Gores, Johnny O. Lopez. Producers Frank Mancuso Jr., Andy Garcia. Directed by Andy Garcia Crescent Drive Picture presents a Cineson Production. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures. Distributed by Lionsgate Films International.

Best Theatrical Short or Student Film
My Backyard was a Mountain: Written and Directed by Adam Schlachter.

TELEVISION

Best Primetime Series
The West Wing: John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television

Best Actor
Michael Peña, Walkout: Maya Pictures and Amicus Entertainment and Y.O.Y. Productions in association with HBO Films

Best Actress
Lisa Vidal, Odd Girl Out: Jaffe/Braunstein Films Ltd., Lifetime Television; Lifetime Television

Best Supporting Actor
Raymond Cruz, The Closer: The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television

Best Supporting Actress
Cote de Pablo, NCIS: Belisarius Productions, Paramount Television, Thinkfilm

Best Documentary for Television or Film
Viva Baseball: Shoot the Moon Productions; Spike TV

Best Variety or Reality Show
El Reto Final Nissan: Animus Group and Zeal Television; Fox Sports en Español

Best Children’s Programming
High School Musical: First Street Films, Salty Pictures Inc., Walt Disney Pictures; Disney Channel

Best National Informational Programming
Alcanzando El Exito Escolar: Univision Television Group

Best Local Informational Programming
KCBS-TV News “Villaraigosa Interview”: KCBS

Best On-Air Advertising
Hispanic Heritage Month: SiTV

Picking up Imagen’s prestigious Norman Lear Award was John Wells Productions, in association with Warner Bros Television, in recognition of their exemplary commitment and leadership in making diversity an integral part of the industry.

U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois was recipient of Imagen’s inaugural National Leadership Award that was presented for the first time at the awards ceremony. Imagen President Helen Hernandez said the Imagen Board of Directors elected to add this award as part of its Special Awards category to honor those individuals who continually confront and address issues of importance to all Americans, Latinos in particular, in all areas of life with courage and conviction.

Emmy winning director-choreographer Kenny Ortega received Imagen’s Creative Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. The Imagen’s President’s Award was presented this year to Susan Whiting, CEO of Nielsen Media Research in recognition of their outstanding contributions to enhancing opportunities for Latinos in the Nielsen family.

Recipient of Imagen’s Lifetime Achievement Award was director, producer, writer Gregory Nava of “El Norte” fame.