Gloria Estefan Singer and Songwriter
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2017 Honoree
International superstar Gloria Estefan is a Grammy Award®–winning singer, actress, songwriter, a two-time New York Times bestselling author, philanthropist, and humanitarian. She is considered one of the world’s most recognizable performers and the most successful Latin crossover artist in music history, per Billboard Magazine. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Estefan has garnered eight Grammy Awards® and an Oscar nomination. She has received an American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2015, President Obama honored Emilio and Gloria Estefan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 2017, Estefan was the first Cuban-American singer-songwriter to receive a Kennedy Center Honors. ON YOUR FEET! is the Broadway musical based on the lives and music of the Estefans, receiving rave reviews and nominations for Tony Awards®, among others.
She is the founder of the Gloria Estefan Foundation whose mission is to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and empower young people through education and opportunity. In 2020, her Grammy®-winning album, Brazil305, topped the charts worldwide while she served as one of three hosts for her Emmy®-winning Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk: The Estefans. In 2021, she voiced the character of Marta in the critically-acclaimed animated film, Vivo. In 2022, Estefan starred in Father of the Bride opposite Andy Garcia on HBOMAX, receiving the biggest audience for a streaming-only film and soaring to the No. 1 spot. She also released the Estefan Family Christmas album featuring Estefan alongside her daughter Emily and grandson Sasha. It was one of the first albums of its kind to combine three generations. This year, she is the first Latina in history to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognizing her for her iconic songs that have enriched and transformed music and listeners all over the world.
