Stars of breakout hit movies Obsession and The Odyssey, as well as the actor and puppeteer behind Rocky from the blockbuster Project Hail Mary, are among the honorees as the Critics Choice Association on Monday revealed the full slate for its sixth annual Celebración of Cinema & Television, taking place October 2 in Beverly Hills. The event honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen, from the Latino and Hispanic entertainment community.
Honorees for this year’s Celebración of Cinema & Television will include the following:
Emmy Award winner, Special Tony Award recipient and four-time Tony nominee John Leguizamo will be honored with the Career Achievement Award in recognition of his more than four decades of work across film, television, comedy and theater, as well as his recent Oscar-buzzed performance in Universal’s The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan. The film surpassed $1 billion at the global box office just three weeks after its release and continues to break records. His career spans dramas, blockbuster franchises, comedy and theater, from his breakout performances in Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet to the Ice Age animated franchise and Bob Trevino Likes It, directed by Tracie Laymon.
Watch on Deadline
Judy Reyes will accept the Trailblazer Award in recognition of her body of work across film, television and theater. She currently stars in both ABC and Hulu’s High Potential and Scrubs, and is known for her roles in Devious Maids, Claws and Birth/Rebirth. In High Potential, which became ABC’s top-rated series in its debut season and the network’s most-watched new series in six years, Reyes stars as Lt. Selena Soto. She also recently reprised the role she played for nine seasons on Scrubs, with its revival returning for a second season in the fall.
Emmy and SAG Award winner Oscar Nuñez will be recognized with the Vanguard Award in recognition of his career, and most recently for his role in Peacock’s The Paper, where he plays Oscar Martinez, a role he originated on The Office. The second season of The Paper premieres September 9.
Oscar-nominated producer Rodrigo Teixeira will receive the Producer Award for Neon’s Paper Tiger. Through his company RT Features, Teixeira produced Call Me by Your Name, which earned four Academy Award nominations, and I’m Still Here, which made history as the first Brazilian Portuguese-language film nominated for Best Picture and to win the Oscar for Best International Feature. Paper Tiger marks Teixeira’s third collaboration with director James Gray and premiered as a Cannes 2026 selection. Paper Tiger will also serve as the opening-night selection of the New York Film Festival.
Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi (popularly known as “Los Javis”) will be honored with the Director Award for Netflix’s La Bola Negra. The pair behind the Netflix hit Paquita Salas, Rose d’Or Award-winning La Mesías and HBO’s Veneno, Calvo and Ambrossi won the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival for their sweeping, multigenerational drama La Bola Negra, inspired by an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca. The film stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.
Actor and master puppeteer James Ortiz will accept the Innovator Award for Amazon MGM Studios’ interstellar epic Project Hail Mary. Known for his puppet design work on Broadway, including the Tony-nominated The Skin of Our Teeth, Ortiz made history in Hail Mary as the puppeteer and voice behind Rocky, bringing the beloved and unlikely companion to life, and becoming eligible for awards consideration for his standout supporting role.
Aimee Carrero will be recognized with the Supporting Actress Award – Series for Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors. Carrero captivates in the dark comedy, as part of an ensemble cast that helped earn the series a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in its second season. Carrero is known for voicing Elena, Disney’s first Latin Princess, in the Elena of Avalor series, as well as She-Ra and Adora in She-Ra & The Princesses of Power. Among other films, Carrero co-starred in Fox Searchlight’s The Menu opposite Ralph Fiennes.
Brazilian and Chinese American filmmaker Beth de Araújo will receive the Breakthrough Director Award for Sumerian Pictures’ Josephine. De Araújo made history at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival by winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Josephine, a rare double win. The film stars Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and breakout star Mason Reeves.
will receive the Breakthrough Actress Award – Film for her acclaimed role in Focus Features’ Obsession. Her breakout performance helped propel the film into a box office and cultural phenomenon (more than $500 million in worldwide box office), and turned Nikki into an instant icon of horror cinema.
Laysla De Oliveira will be honored with the Breakthrough Actress Award – Series for Paramount+’s Lioness. Holding her own alongside Oscar winners Zoe Saldaña and Morgan Freeman, De Oliveira can be seen across all three seasons of the hit Taylor Sheridan espionage thriller built around a female-led ensemble – rising from Marine recruit to Delta Force operator to CIA contractor. She is also known for her roles in In the Tall Grass, Locke & Key and Guest of Honour.
“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,” said Critics Choice Association member and co-programmer Clayton Davis. “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.”
The Critics Choice Celebración of Cinema & Television is produced by Javier Infante, Madelyn Hammond and Ella Carlson of Hammond Infante Productions.
