The Latin Recording Academy® Announces Official Sponsors for the 12th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards

MIAMI, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Latin Recording Academy® (www.latingrammy.com) proudly announced its official sponsors for the 12th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards. Heineken, 7UP, Delta Air Lines, Walmart, McDonald's®, Procter & Gamble's Orgullosa brand, CoverGirl, and Allstate have all signed on to support and promote this year's Latin GRAMMY Awards in Las Vegas. Additionally, PEOPLE en Espanol, Univision Radio and PRISA Digital have signed on as media partners. The Biggest Night in Latin Music will once again be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. The show will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from 8 – 11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

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"The Latin Recording Academy is thrilled to have so many strong partners join us as we celebrate the Biggest Night in Latin Music," said Latin Recording Academy President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. "We are proud to align ourselves with such a stellar roster of brands that will assist us in spreading the excitement of the Latin GRAMMYs across the country. We thank our sponsors for their support and look forward to another exciting and successful Latin GRAMMY season."

For the past eleven years, Heineken has shown its great support of the Latin GRAMMY Awards and has returned this year as the official beer and malt beverage sponsor. New this year, and kicking off the pre-show activities for fans at home, is "La Experiencia Heineken," which brings viewers a special performance by Daddy Yankee. The emblematic Heineken green carpet will also be rolled out to welcome the evening's guests. Additionally, Heineken is a proud partner of the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute honoring Shakira, and the presenting sponsor of the official Latin GRAMMY After-Party. Local fans are invited to the "Heineken House of Music", an audio and visual multi-sensory Latin music experience with live performances by some of today's most promising talent, open at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino from Nov. 8 – 10.

7UP has returned as the official beverage sponsor of the Latin GRAMMY Awards and surrounding events. 7UP is bringing their refreshing products to the public at the Latin GRAMMY Street Parties and Latin GRAMMY Acoustic Sessions, The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute gala, and the official Latin GRAMMY After-Party. 7UP will also provide beverages and gifts to lucky fans who are part of the "green carpet" bleachers at the Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Delta Air Lines is proud to be the official airline sponsor of The Latin Recording Academy, Latin GRAMMYs and The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute dinner. Delta passengers and members of Delta's SkyMiles frequent flier program from Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, and Guatemala won trips to see the Latin GRAMMYs live in Las Vegas through a variety of sweepstakes and radio promotions. With its leading global network, Delta offers service to 46 destinations in Latin America with nearly 400 weekly flights.

Walmart, which has supported the Latin GRAMMYs in the past, has returned as the official retail partner of the Latin GRAMMY Awards, and joins the Latin GRAMMY Street Parties as official sponsor with its Walmart Pavillion in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Miami. Walmart's lucky fans will be able to sit in its Latin GRAMMYs green carpet bleacher section, where they will have the opportunity to see all the biggest stars in Latin music arrive for the premiere night in Latin music.

McDonald's® has returned for the fourth consecutive year, bringing its Latin GRAMMY sponsorship alive through its support of the Latin GRAMMY Street Parties and The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute. Once again, McDonald's gave its customers the opportunity to attend this year's Latin GRAMMY Awards in Las Vegas, giving them the opportunity to experience Latin Music's Biggest night firsthand.

This year, the Latin GRAMMY Awards are happy to count The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) among its roster of sponsors. Representing P&G at the Latin GRAMMY Awards will be beauty brand CoverGirl, the official cosmetics sponsor and the make-up brand of choice used by artists on the live telecast, Pre-Telecast and Person of the Year gala; and "Orgullosa," P&G's new multi-brand initiative created to celebrate, empower and fuel Latina's accomplishments and dreams. Orgullosa was introduced during Hispanic Heritage month with the unveiling of "Tengo la Falda Bien Puesta," an original song composed by Latin GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and current nominee, Yoel Henriquez. In honor of the initiative, P&G will be bringing 10 lucky fans who won the "La Falda Bien Puesta" sweepstakes to the Latin GRAMMYs.

Allstate once again returns as a proud sponsor of the Latin GRAMMYs. This year, partnering with Univison, Allstate will bring an "unlucky" winner to the live telecast and experience all of the excitement firsthand. They will be guests of Allstate and a date of Mala Suerte — known from the company's Spanish language ad campaign — and will walk the green carpet together.  The contest winner will enjoy a few days of fun and hopefully no chaos will arise. To enter, fans can visit Univision.com and enter keyword "Allstate," or go to the Facebook page "Soy La Mala Suerte."

The Latin Recording Academy and leading Spanish-language magazine PEOPLE En Espanol will once again host the biggest celebrities in Latin music at an exclusive "Celebrity Lounge" at the official Latin GRAMMY After-Party. This private invitation-only lounge within the official after-party will continue to bring the glamour and excitement of the Latin GRAMMY Awards to the official after-party.

Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio network in the country, will broadcast Latin GRAMMY programming, promotions, news and events throughout the United States including exclusive interviews from rehearsals backstage at the Latin GRAMMYs.

New digital partner PRISA Digital is supporting The Latin Recording Academy by developing Latin GRAMMY En Vivo. This live online coverage of the Special Merit Awards presentation, Latin GRAMMY Pre-Telecast awards, and green carpet arrivals, will be hosted on www.latingrammy.com for Latin music fans worldwide. Latin GRAMMY En Vivo will begin its live stream at 1:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

For more information on all of The Latin Recording Academy's sponsors please log on to: www.heineken.com, www.7UP.com, www.meencanta.com, www.delta.com, www.walmart.com, www.pg.com, www.allstate.com, www.peopleenespanol.com, www.univision.com, www.prisadigital.com.

The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit www.latingrammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/latingrammys, and a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/latingrammys.

SOURCE The Latin Recording Academy