Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® Awards Sofia Carson Scholarship to Valentina García

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^® awarded the Sofia Carson Scholarship to 19-year-old vocalist and student Valentina García during a special presentation with the artist in Miami. The Prodigy Scholarship (Sofia Carson Scholarship) — created eight years ago to support music education and the Latin music genres — holds a maximum value of $200,000 and allows García to pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, starting this fall.

The Venezuelan native was selected by the Foundation's Scholarship Committee from a highly competitive group of hundreds of applicants worldwide. Since its establishment, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has committed an extraordinary sum of more than $7.6 million in scholarships, grants, musical instruments, and educational events throughout the United States and Ibero-America.

“Year after year, we are humbled and inspired by the sheer volume and quality of scholarship entries from future Latin music creators committed to pursuing their dreams,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy^®. “Since its inception and against adversities, our Foundation has been focused on awarding nearly $1 million in scholarships each year, thanks to the generosity of artists such as Sofia Carson, who continues to solidify the legacy of Latin music and preserve this program for future generations.”

“It has been my privilege to witness the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s transformational mission, changing lives through the power of music education,” said Sofia Carson, Global Ambassador of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “It is my honor to partner with my Foundation family to present Valentina with the Prodigy Scholarship. She is an ever-deserving, brilliant young woman whose voice and talent awed us. Together, may we continue to amplify and lift powerful Latin voices, in every corner of our world.”

“Together, Sofia Carson and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation have changed my life for the better. I am forever grateful for their generosity and the doors they have opened,” said García. “My journey is only beginning, as I bear witness to the impact the Foundation has made on the lives of Latin musicians around the world, I am determined to pay it forward and be a voice for those who are most in need.”

The Foundation also announced the recipients of its annual Gifted Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Scholarships, that will allow 43 talented students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue an education at some of the most prestigious musical institutions in the world.

Gifted Tuition Scholarship Recipients:

The following three students will each receive the Gifted Tuition Scholarship, with a maximum value of $100,000, which will support the tuition costs of four years of study at the university or college of their choice are:

• Ferran Rico, electric bassist from Spain
• Juan Camilo Doria, tenor saxophonist from Colombia
• Alejo Villareal, electric bassist from Argentina

Juan Camilo Doria’s gift of $100,000 was sponsored by international art collector, gallery owner and philanthropist Gary Nader, Nader Art Museum Scholarship.

Tuition Assistance Scholarship Recipients:

In addition, the following 40 students will each receive the Tuition Assistance Scholarship, a one-time scholarship with a maximum value of $10,000 toward the tuition costs for the university or college of their choice:

ABOUT THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION:

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by The Latin Recording Academy^® in 2014 to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world’s culture. The Foundation provides college scholarships, educational programs and grants for the research and preservation of its rich musical legacy and heritage, and to date has donated more than $7.6 million with the support of The Latin Recording Academy’s members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors. For additional information, or to make a donation, please visit latingrammyculturalfoundation.org, Amazon Smile or our Facebook page. And follow us @latingrammyfdn on Twitter and Instagram, and at Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation on Facebook.

ABOUT SOFIA CARSON:

Sofia Carson is a force of nature, rising to the top of all she endeavors with grace and style in the world of entertainment. She has forged a singular path in music, film, television and philanthropy. Carson currently stars as Cassie in the smash hit Netflix film Purple Hearts. She also serves as Executive Producer and co-wrote and performed the film’s original soundtrack. Purple Hearts was the #1 film globally on Netflix with over 150 million hours viewed in its first 10 days of release. Carson is a multi-platinum, award-nominated singer and songwriter. She’s garnered over 2 billion streams, over 8 billion total music consumption to date, and reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200. She recently released her self-titled debut album, Sofia Carson. The magnetic pop album, via Hollywood Records, tells a story about a girl who falls in love, only to be shattered into pieces, but nonetheless, survives. This year, she performs the song “Applause” from the upcoming film Tell It Like A Woman written by the legendary Academy Award nominee Diane Warren. As an actress, she has starred in Netflix’s Feel The Beat, Michael Bay’s Songbird, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Disney’s global phenomenon Descendants. As a philanthropist, she stands out as UNICEF’s US Ambassador. She is dedicated to using her voice to engage the youth across the U.S. to relentlessly pursue an equitable world for every child through the lifesaving force of education. Carson is the first female Global Ambassador for the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation^®.

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