This month, the Recording Academy reached a groundbreaking milestone with the official launch of Crear Música, the newest wing of the Academy’s DREAM (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Music-People) Network, which uplifts and connects Latin creators across the music industry.
Held at CHICA at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas during Latin GRAMMY Week 2025, the launch event marked a landmark celebration that brought together artists, executives, community leaders, and Latin GRAMMY nominees for a morning that blended connection, conversation, and live performance all centered on one idea: music as a bridge between cultures.
Part of the Recording Academy’s DREAM Network, an inclusive network of member resource groups spotlighting the contributions and initiatives of creators and professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds, Crear Música reflects the Academy’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and cultural representation. Developed in partnership with the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter, the Latin Recording Academy, and SESAC Latina, the program underscored a shared goal: expanding opportunity, access, and visibility for Latin creators across the global music landscape.
During his opening remarks, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. spoke about the importance of this collaboration — ensuring that Latin music is not only celebrated during GRAMMY season, but supported year-round through meaningful engagement and equitable opportunity.
“Our goal has always been to make sure the Academy reflects the world of music it represents,” Mason jr. said in his speech. “That means amplifying Latin creators, building bridges with our partners at the Latin Recording Academy, and continuing to grow a membership that’s as diverse and dynamic as the music itself.”
Recording Academy staffers and guests attend the Crear Música: Elevating Culture, Empowering Community event on Nov. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada | Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
Event guests enjoyed a Latin-inspired menu curated by Chef Lorena García, whose culinary artistry at CHICA reflected the same vibrancy and storytelling spirit celebrated on stage. Chef Lorena also shared heartfelt remarks about the power of art. She spoke about the deep connection between music and cooking, two creative languages that tell stories. Welcoming nominees and guests with warmth, she reminded the room, “Esta es tu casa y este es tu día” (“This is your home and this is your day”), emphasizing that music “connects us all as Latinos — as artists and as dreamers.”
The program featured a moving performance by Nic, whose soulful set embodied the heart of Crear Música: authenticity, emotion, and cultural pride. Her performance transformed the room into a shared space of reflection and joy, reminding attendees that music remains one of the world’s most powerful storytellers.
Nic performs at the Crear Música: Elevating Culture, Empowering Community event on Nov. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada | Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
Before the performance, Qiana Conley, Senior Executive Director of the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter, delivered remarks on the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and the Chapter’s role in bridging the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy communities, particularly through dual membership and local engagement.
“Crear Música is more than a celebration, it’s a commitment,” Conley said. “For the first time, all Latin Recording Academy Voting Members were invited to join the Recording Academy, an important step toward a more inclusive and representative membership body.”
A Commitment To The Future
As one of the eight DREAM Network groups, Crear Música serves as the Recording Academy’s dedicated hub for Latin creators. Its mission is to strengthen ties between the Recording Academy and Latin Recording Academy, build professional pathways, empower and elevate Latin voices in music culture, and celebrate the diversity and excellence that define Latin music today.
The Crear Música event signaled a new chapter, one in which visibility meets action and cultural celebration becomes a sustained commitment.
“This is just the beginning,” Ricky Lyon, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) for the Recording Academy, said in his opening remarks. “We’re building something that lasts far beyond Latin GRAMMY Week — a year-round movement that ensures every creator feels seen, supported, and part of the story.”
Recording Academy staffers and guests attend the Crear Música: Elevating Culture, Empowering Community event on Nov. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada | Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
About Crear Música
Part of the Recording Academy’s DREAM Network (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Music-People), Crear Música is a community-based initiative designed to connect and empower Latin creators and professionals across the industry through opportunity, mentorship, and storytelling that reflects the depth and impact of Latin music worldwide.
About The DREAM Network
The DREAM Network is the Recording Academy’s inclusion engine, designed to amplify underrepresented voices, expand access, and build equity across the music ecosystem. Through eight community networks and emerging leadership programs, the DREAM Network ensures that every creator has space to be seen, heard, and supported. The DREAM Network is composed of eight priority resource groups:
Women in the Mix: To build a community for all women and increase representation within the Recording Academy and in the music industry.
Black Music Collective: Dedicated to the inclusion, recognition, and advancement of Black music and its creators and professionals.
GRAMMYs Next Gen: Supports and empowers the next generation of music creators and professionals.
Academy Proud: Positions the GRAMMY organization as the LGBTQIA+ inclusion leader for our members and the music community at large.
Gold Music Alliance: Fosters meaningful connections and elevates the impact of Pan-Asian members and allies within the GRAMMY organization and the music industry.
Crear Música: Celebrates the Latino culture, develops members, and positively impacts the music community.
Indigenous Peoples Network: Develops a global community contributing to the preservation and honoring of Indigenous peoples and their traditions in music.
RAA+D (Recording Academy Accessibility and Disability): A commitment beyond compliance by achieving true accessibility for everyone in our music community.
Learn more about Crear Música and the Recording Academy’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, recent DEI achievements, and year-round work to support artists, creators and music professionals of all backgrounds.
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