Ednita Nazario may soon earn a special spot in Latin music history…
The 59-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has been named a finalist for the third annual La Musa Awards 2015. The eventual winners will be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 15 at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach.
Nazario, a Latin Grammy nominee, received the Latin Heritage Award from ASCAP in 2004, as well as the Recording Academy Honors from NARAS in 2005.
A total of 12 nominees were announced in both the performers (or singer/songwriters) and non-performers categories. Other names included Joan Sebastian, Diego Torres, Juan Gabriel Myriam Hernandez, Roberto Carlos and Ruben Blades in the performers category and Lalo Schifrin, Gustavo Santaolalla, Leo Brouwer and Ramon Arcusa in the composers category.
Voting, which is open to LSHOF members at latinsonghall.com, began January 28, immediately following the finalist announcement during a press conference at the YoungArts Jewel Box in Miami, and will close March 15 at midnight. The artists and composers chosen for induction in the Hall of Fame will be announced during the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Conference in April.
Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization founded by renowned songwriter/producers Desmond Child and Rudy Pérez in 2012 to honor and celebrate Latin music creators. Created under the auspices of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, its nominating committee is comprised by songwriters, performers, musicians, producers, engineers, music critics, and industry executives.
Many of these were present during the press conference announcing the nominees. Those in attendance included Latin Grammy winner for best new artist Mariana Vega, Colombian singer/songwriter Cabas, singer/songwriter Yunel Cruz, composer/producer Julio Reyes and both Child and Perez.
LSHOF 2015 Full List of Nominees
PERFORMERS
Diego Torres (Argentina)
Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
Caetano Veloso (Brazil)
Myriam Hernandez (Chile)
Pablo Milanes (Cuba)
Álvaro Torres (El Salvador)
Juan Gabriel (México)
Joan Sebastian (México)
Rubén Blades (Panamá)
Ednita Nazario (Puerto Rico)
Camilo Sesto (Spain)
Franco de Vita (Venezuela)
NON-PERFORMERS
Chico Navarro (Argentina)
Gustavo Santaolalla (Argentina)
Lalo Schifrin (Argentina)
Erasmo Carlos (Brazil)
Alberto Plaza (Chile)
Héctor Ochoa Cárdenas (Colombia)
Leo Brouwer (Cuba)
Rubén Fuentes (México)
Ramón Arcusa (Spain)
Luis Gomez Escolar (Spain)
Jose Maria “Chema” Puron (Spain)
Jose Enrique “Chelique” Sarabia (Venezuela)