Five-time LATIN GRAMMY Award winner to be honored for leveraging her art and platform to advance human rights, gender equality, and social justice across Latin America and beyond
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced today that Latin American singer-songwriter Mon Laferte will receive the Social Justice Award at the 39th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, joining Mexican singer‑songwriter, activist, and actress Ximena Sariñana (Music Award) and the People of the Twin Cities (Humanitarian Award.) Additional honorees, performers, and the host will be announced this month.
The ceremony will take place on September 10, 2026, at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and will be broadcast nationally on PBS during Hispanic Heritage Month. (See HERE for a visual presentation.) Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Awards and HHF’s mission.
Laferte will be recognized for her commitment to use music and artistic expression as platforms for social change focusing on issues of equality, human rights, and the experiences of communities affected by discrimination and violence across America and Latin America.
“I’m incredibly honored. I never imagined there would be a moment in my life or career when I would be recognized for pursuing the projects that truly matter to me,” said Mon Laferte. “I believe one of the greatest strengths of the Latino community is our ability to build connections, welcome one another, and care for each other wherever we are. Knowing that my work can contribute to that sense of community, make a meaningful impact, and inspire others is deeply rewarding.”
Mon Laferte, five-time LATIN GRAMMY Award winner, has built her career spanning music, visual storytelling, fashion, and painting. Her multidisciplinary work explores themes of love, identity, social justice, and emotional resilience with striking honesty and depth.
Born and raised in Viña del Mar, Chile, Laferte was among the first high-profile Chilean artists to use social media to call for accountability during the nationwide protests that swept Chile in 2019 following public transport fare increases and widespread discontent over social and economic inequality. Expressing solidarity with demonstrators, she reflected on the relationship between national identity and its people, asking, “What is the homeland if not the people?” Her advocacy later extended to the international stage at the Latin GRAMMY Awards, where she staged a widely publicized protest denouncing alleged human rights violations committed during the crackdown on demonstrators.
“Guided by a longstanding commitment to feminism and human rights, Mon Laferte has made social justice, human rights, and gender equality central to both her artistic expression and advocacy,” said Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of HHF. “She understands the responsibility we all have to flex our power to protect the most vulnerable. And she does that through her talent and booming presence in the public eye.”
Laferte has continued to advocate for social justice despite criticism and online harassment, supporting initiatives in Chile and Mexico, where she became a citizen a few years back, while championing feminist causes and the protection of vulnerable communities. Her creative work has also challenged social taboos, including in 2019 when she publicly criticized YouTube after the platform restricted her music video for Canción de mierda over its depiction of menstrual blood. The episode sparked conversations around censorship, gender bias, and cultural attitudes toward women’s bodies.
Her commitment to addressing gender-based violence within the entertainment industry has also been shaped by her own experiences. In August 2024, Laferte disclosed in her documentary Mon Laferte, te amo that she had experienced sexual and workplace harassment as a teenager while participating in a Chilean television talent program under her birth name, Monserrat Bustamante. The allegations relate to events she says occurred between 2003 and 2007 and further informed her ongoing efforts to address violence, inequality, and abuse affecting women in the entertainment industry.
In her new album FEMME FATALE VOL. 2, Mon Laferte reclaims inherited symbols of femininity, transforming them into a profound reflection on self-recognition and the freedom to redefine womanhood. The self-written 20-track project, her tenth studio album, continues the emotional and artistic vision of her acclaimed album FEMME FATALE, exploring the social constructs that have shaped women’s identities across generations while challenging expectations imposed by culture, tradition, and the external gaze. As she brings this new creative chapter to the stage, Laferte has kicked off her U.S. tour, sharing her artistry and unmistakable voice with audiences in major cities including Austin, Miami, Detroit, and New York, before concluding at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on Nov. 8.
The Hispanic Heritage Awards are considered among the highest honors for Latinos by Latinos and have traditionally been broadcast and streamed on PBS. (Watch highlights from last year’s awards HERE.) The Awards were established by the White House in 1988 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America and are recognized as “America’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration” and supported by more than 40 national, Latino-serving institutions.
Past Awardees have included: Rita Moreno, Gloria Estefan, Bad Bunny, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ricky Martin, Fania All-Stars, Junot Diaz, José Feliciano, Isabel Allende, Carolina Herrera, Jose Andres, Carlos Vives, Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Antonio Banderas, Juan Luis Guerra, Anthony Quinn, J Balvin, Zoe Saldaña, Los Tigres Del Norte, Oscar de la Hoya, America Ferrera, Pedro Martinez, Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Gael Garcia Bernal, Carlos Santana, Salma Hayek, Linda Ronstadt, Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon, and many others. Find all past HHA Honorees HERE.
About the Hispanic Heritage Awards
The Hispanic Heritage Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round mission, focused on economic mobility, stronger communities, positive narratives and cultural pride through education, workforce development, societal impact, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Visit https://hhflink.org/WeAreHere for a video highlighting HHF’s award winning programs, and visit the website at www.HispanicHeritage.org. Follow HHF on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok. Listen to the HHF podcast Fritanga on your favorite streaming service and HHF YouTube channel.
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For more information on the 39th Hispanic Heritage Awards, please contact John Reilly, [email protected] or Nicolás Peña, [email protected]
For Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Jessica Herrera [email protected]
