SAG-AFTRA Boycotts Telemundo’s Latin American Music Awards

SAG-AFTRA notified members Saturday that the union is boycotting the 2015 Latin American Music Awards, scheduled to be broadcast on Telemundo.

According to an alert sent to union members, awards-show producer SOMOS Productions has not signed a contract with SAG-AFTRA. Union rules bar members from accepting any employment with a producer who is not covered by a SAG-AFTRA contract. In the case of the awards show, that would include work as a  host, singer, dancer or presenter.

Telemundo struck a deal with Dick Clark Productions in July to produce a Spanish-language version of DCP’s American Music Awards, resulting in the launch of the Latin American Music Awards. The new awards show’s first installment is slated to take place Oct. 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Among the artists nominated for Latin American Music Awards are Romeo Santos, Enrique Iglesias, Paulina Rubio, Gloria Trevi and Calibre 50.

SAG-AFTRA last month re-elected Ken Howard as the union’s national president.

Read the statement from the union to its members on the Latin American Music Awards below:

This is to advise all SAG-AFTRA members that the 2015 Latin American Music Awards for Telemundo by SOMOS Productions, scheduled for broadcast on Oct. 8, 2015 from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, has failed to sign an agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

SAG-AFTRA’s working rules prohibit a member from accepting employment on a program by a producer that has not signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA. If a SAG-AFTRA member accepts employment on the 2015 Latin American Music Awards in any category (e.g., host, singer, dancer, award presenter), he or she may be subject to discipline by SAG-AFTRA.

Telemundo issued the following statement in response to the union:

While Telemundo is not a signatory to an agreement with SAG-AFTRA for this production, it respects SAG-AFTRA’s working rules that prohibit a member from accepting employment on a program by a producer that has not signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

Nonetheless, Telemundo is open to discussing this issue with any performer on the 2015 Latin American Music Awards who informs us they are a SAG-AFTRA member.