Mumbai: Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning international superstar Gloria Estefan will be honored as the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Estefan was chosen for her philanthropic, professional, and cultural accomplishments and she will receive the honor at a concert and tribute dinner on 12 November at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. A portion of the proceeds from the evening’s tribute dinner will benefit the Gloria Estefan Foundation as well as St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The event will be produced by 13-time Grammy winner Phil Ramone and it will precede the ninth Annual Latin Grammy Awards, which will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston on 13 November.

"The Latin Recording Academy and its Board of Trustees are elated to recognize Estefan as an extraordinary Latina woman, humanitarian and talented musician who has made a global impact on music and culture," said Latin Recording Academy president Gabriel Abaroa. "She is one of Latin music’s most enduring icons, and we are privileged to be honoring such a dedicated, generous, and gifted lady."

Not only is Estefan an award-winning singer/songwriter and musician, she is also a compassionate philanthropist who established the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which aims to promote good health, education, and cultural development.

Estefan is the ninth Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honoree and is the first woman to receive the honor. She joins a prestigious list of previous honorees, which includes Julio Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Carlos Santana.