Eva Longoria on the 2011 NCLR Alma Awards: From Seat Filler to Executive Producer

On August 31, 2011, NBC Universal held a press call for the 2011 NCLR Alma Awards, airing on NBC on Friday, September 16 from 8:00–9:00 p.m. Eastern. Joining the call were co-executive producer and co-host Eva Longoria, co-executive producer Bob Bain, and Delia Delavera, Vice President of the National Council of La Raza for the California region. The actual awards ceremony was set for Saturday, September 10 in Santa Monica.

From seat filler to executive producer

For Longoria, the Alma Awards carry a deeply personal significance. "I used to be a seat filler almost 12 years ago," she said. "I just wanted to get in the building to see the stars — and to see people like me reflected on that stage. And so to come full circle with being an executive producer and co-host means a lot to me because there aren't any other platforms that recognize positive images of Latinos in television, music and film." She described the relationship between the talent and the organization behind the show: "We're the stars in front of the camera and NCLR are the stars behind the camera."

The one-hour challenge

The 2011 edition marked the show's move to NBC and a compressed one-hour format — a significant change from previous years. Longoria explained the approach: "We still have all the categories. We have a pre-show and then we have the on-air show. Every year there just seems to be a heavier category than others — depending on the amount of nominees and the amount of people that actually service the categories, that's pretty much how we make the decision on what's going to make the final." Delavera added that the partnership with NBC Universal Comcast had been transformative: "NBC has really stepped up to the plate and put a lot of resources and leveraged a lot out of turning this program around so quickly. Everyone has been coming up with a lot of really creative ideas." She expressed hope that the show would eventually return to a two-hour format: "We do hope that we can build this show back into a two-hour program and incorporate more of these other categories."

A banner year for Latino talent

Longoria described 2011 as an unusually strong year across all categories: "We've had a great musical year with Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias and Demi Lovato and Shakira — everybody had such great music this year. And we had so many people on television — Jennifer Lopez on American Idol, Christina Aguilera on The Voice, George Lopez on his late night show. We were really represented in the hosting TV personality category as well." Among the confirmed performers: Demi Lovato performing her hit single "Skyscraper" in both English and Spanish. "She came up with the idea to sing partly in Spanish," Longoria said. "We always love to honor that." Presenters included Jessica Alba, Benjamin Bratt, Eva Larue, Mario Lopez, Allison Nuñez, Michael Peña, and Naya Rivera.

On co-hosting with George Lopez

Longoria was characteristically warm — and playful — about her co-host: "George can never say no to me. I make him do everything with me." More seriously, she credited Lopez's connection to the community as what makes him irreplaceable: "He has his finger on the pulse regarding what's happening in our youth, in our families and our communities. Every time he goes and does 25,000-person arenas, he's able to touch people in a way that not a lot of people can. He's so relevant and current with what's going on in the Latino community." On the Emmys — airing just two days after the Almas — she was clear about which was more stressful: "Definitely hosting the Almas. The Emmys you just walk the red carpet. There's not a lot to it. The Almas, because I produce and I wear different hats, it's definitely more stressful."

The 2011 NCLR Alma Awards aired on NBC on Friday, September 16, 2011. — Premier Guide Miami also spoke with Eva Longoria at the Alma Awards in a separate exclusive interview.

For more upcoming events across South Florida, visit the Premier Guide Miami Events Calendar.