Diana Rodríguez recognized as one of the Leading Ladies of Entertainment 2024

by The Latin Recording Academy® 

The event celebrates the achievements of professional and socially conscious women excelling in the fields of arts and Latin entertainment

LOS ANGELES (October 15, 2024) — The Latin Recording Academy® announced its 2024 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees. The private ceremony and luncheon will be held in Miami on Monday, November 11. 

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Diana Rodríguez made history in September 2009 by becoming the first woman appointed to lead a major U.S. Latin record label. With over 32 years of experience, her illustrious career includes key leadership roles at industry giants such as Phillips, Polygram, Universal Music, EMI Music, and Capitol Latin. Throughout her journey, she played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of iconic artists like Latin GRAMMY® winners Juanes, Draco Rosa, Juan Luis Guerra, and Latin GRAMMY® nominees RBD, among others. 

Today, Diana is the CEO and Founder of Criteria Entertainment, a full-service management and marketing company she launched in 2011, with offices in Los Angeles, Mexico, and Colombia. She also leads Mercado Negro, a management division that recently signed rising star Oscar Ortiz and manages the careers of renowned talents, including Latin GRAMMY winners Enrique Bunbury, Mon Laferte, Diamante Eléctrico, Latin GRAMMY nominee Francisca Valenzuela and GRAMMY® nominee Linda Perry, among others. 

Her impact on the industry has not gone unnoticed. In 2010, she was ranked #27 on Billboard’s prestigious Women in Music list and later named one of El Tiempo Colombia’s Top 10 Powerful Women in Music in 2017. She has been honored as part of the LAMC’s Women in Music in 2019 and featured in Billboard’s Latin Power Players list in both 2021 and 2022. In 2023, she was inducted into Billboard’s Latin Women in Music Hall of Fame, and her legacy was most recently recognized with Billboard’s Latin Women in Music award in 2024.

This year’s honorees in Leading Ladies of Entertainment, include: 

• Vivir Quintana, singer/songwriter and social activist for women’s rights in Mexico
• Diana Rodríguez, CEO and founder of Criteria Entertainment, a music management and marketing firm, and Mercado Negro, a boutique management agency and label 
• Ana Rosa Santiago, Senior Vice President of Latin Music & LatAm for Universal Music Publishing Group 
• Julieta Venegas, singer/songwriter, eight-time Latin GRAMMY® Award winner

ABOUT CRITERIA ENTERTAINMENT:

Criteria Entertainment is a full-service creative agency, uniquely positioned to help artistic talent, labels, publishers and brands in today’s rapidly changing world. While its headquarters are based in Los Angeles, their reach is in all the Hispanic markets of the Americas, with offices in Los Angeles, Mexico and Colombia.

Since its founding in 2011, the company helms the media relations for Besame Mucho Festival and the LA Day of the Dead. It has played a key role in the development of the careers of such artists as Enrique Bunbury, Flor de Toloache, Draco Rosa, Diamante Eléctrico, and Mon Laferte, among others.