GRAMMY® Award-Winning Musical Artists, Olga Tañón and Elvis Crespo, join acclaimed actors, Luis Guzmán and Gina Rodríguez, in leading the 68th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade

2025 celebration dedicated to Aguas Buenas and Puerto Rican community in Atlanta, GA

Special tribute to the Puerto Rican Christmas tradition, “La Parranda”

San Juan – (May 13, 2025) At a press conference in San Juan, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) announced the themes, tributes, and honorees for its 68th annual festivities. The 2025 theme, Plantando Bandera (Planting Roots), recognizes how Puerto Rican communities across the diaspora have established deep roots and positively contributed to their communities; locally, nationally and globally. The longstanding celebration of Puerto Rican culture, history, and achievement takes place on Sunday, June 8 on New York City’s Fifth Avenue, at 11am EDT.

This year’s celebration recognizes the municipality of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community of Atlanta, Georgia. Known as “La Ciudad de las Aguas Claras” (The City of Clear Waters) due to the purity of its fresh water springs, Aguas Buenas was established in 1838 and is situated south of San Juan, within Puerto Rico’s Central Mountain Range. The Puerto Rican community in Atlanta, estimated at 45,000 individuals, has expanded significantly since the 1990s and now ranks among the top 20 U.S. cities in terms of Puerto Rican population. This community has contributed to Atlanta’s economic development and cultural diversity.

«We are pleased to recognize the communities of Aguas Buenas and Atlanta, and we anticipate highlighting them in our 2025 festivities,» stated NPRDP Board Chair, Lillian Rodríguez Lopez. «These communities exemplify our 2025 theme, Plantando Bandera, as each has uniquely and positively impacted and contributed to society while enriching the cultural identity of our people.”

The NPRDP will pay tribute to the beloved Puerto Rican Christmas tradition, La Parranda. In this tradition, trullas, groups of singers and musicians, go house-to-house at night singing aguinaldos, Puerto Rican Christmas carols. They are welcomed with refreshments and finger foods, and the household members join the trulla to visit the next house. La Parranda is a unique tradition that is now celebrated in Puerto Rican communities across the U.S. because it is deeply rooted in cultural identity and musical heritage.

2025 NPRDP Honorees

The NPRDP announced its 2025 roster of honorees, beginning with six-time GRAMMY® winner, Olga Tañón, honored as Queen of the 2025 Parade celebration. With more than 23 albums and a catalog of over 250 hit songs, Olga Tañón remains an undisputed figure in Latin music. Her unmistakable voice, electrifying stage presence, and record of 38 singles on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart solidify her as one of the industry’s most influential artists. She holds more than 31 awards, including Premios Lo Nuestro, Billboard Latin Music Awards, and the Latin Heritage Award.

Acclaimed film and television actor, Luis Guzmán will be joining Tañón in leading the parade procession, with the King title. With over 30 years in the movie industry, Guzmán is currently starring in in Netflix’s hit television series, Wednesday, with the highly anticipated second season premiering August 6. He is also known for films like Out of Sight, The Limey, Traffic, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love; as well as Showtime’s Shameless, MG’s Godfather of Harlem and Perpetual Grace, LTD.

Golden Globe Award-winning actress, Gina Rodríguez, will be honored as this year’s Madrina (Godmother). Rodríguez is best known for playing the title role on the hit series Jane the Virgin, for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. Rodríguez currently stars in Season 3 of ABC’s «Will Trent» as Assistant District Attorney, Marion Alba. Prior also starred in ABC’s comedy series Not Dead Yet and co-hosted Lucky 13 for ABC. Fans can also see her in Robert Rodriguez’s reboot of Spy Kids for Netflix, and rom-com Players for Netflix.

Honored as Padrino (Godfather) of this year’s Parade is Grammy® and Latin Grammy®-winning artist, Elvis Crespo. With hit songs like “Suavemente,” “Tu Sonrisa” and many others, his music is described as an electrifying fusion of merengue and tropical rhythms that has transcended generations and borders. Crespo has dominated the music charts and remains one of the most influential Latin artists of all time.

Other honorees announced include:

Lifetime Achievement: Dame Wilnelia Merced Forsyth – First Miss Mundo Puerto Rico (1975) and philanthropist committed to Alzheimer’s disease research.

Lifetime Achievement: Nitza Tufiño – Visual artist and founder of el Museo del Barrio

Trailblazer: Devon Rodríguez – Accomplished artist and social media personality

Orgullo Puertorriqueño; José Rivera – Oscar-nominated film writer.100 Años de Soledad Netflix series and Motorcycle Diaries.

Orgullo Puertoriqueño: Joyce Giraud – Model, TV personality and Second Runner-up at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant

Orgullo Puertorriqueño: Rubén Natal San Miguel – Architect, fine art photographer, curator, creative director, and critic

Hijo de Borinquen: Hermes Croatto – Composer and musician of traditional folk music

Athlete of the Year: José Alvarado – Pro basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans

Ambassador: Deborah Martorell – Eight-time Emmy Award-winning meteorologist

Ambassador: Mariana Reyes Angleró – Executive Director of Taller Comunidad La Goyco, an non-profit that creates education, culture and health programs.

Ambassador: Bernard Carabello – Advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities

Ambassador: Norberto Vélez – Singer, producer, social media personality and creator of Sesiones de la Loma

Ambassador: Victor Ríos – Creative writer and film director known for his film, “Wages of Sin”

Ambassador: Sheila Torres Negrón – Founder of social media platform, Dialecto Boricua

Rising Star: Leonela Alejandro – Classical guitarist and winner of the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition

Rising Stars: Pleneros de la Cresta – Musical group dedicated to the genre, plena. Members include Josué Román Figueroa, Joseph Ocasio Rivera, Jeyluix Yamil Ocasio Rivera, Joshuan L. Ocasio Rivera.

Influencer of the Year: Dean Huertas – Creator, activist, and influencer who promotes Puerto Rican culture, history and identity

Community Champion: SER de Puerto Rico – Non-profit organization celebrating 75 years of advocating and supporting people with disabilities

Education Honoree: Awilda Quinones-Canino, Chair of the Board, Supermercados Econo

Education Honoree: Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation

“We are excited about our impressive roster of 2025 honorees and deeply appreciative for the participation given their exemplary accomplishments,” said Rodríguez-López. “We also extend our gratitude to our major sponsors and media partners for their generous support of the 68th Annual Celebration: The Walt Disney Company and ABC7 New York, Modelo, Corona, Manhattan Beer and Beverage Distributors, JetBlue, Goya Foods, Inc., the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Miranda Family Fund, Netflix, Popular Bank, Supermercados Econo, and Autografo.TV.”

2025 NPRDP Event Calendar

152nd St. Cultural Festival, May 31 – Between Jackson and Tinton Streets, 11am – 6pm

Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, June 1 – Fifth Avenue and E. 51 Street, New York City, 4pm

Scholarship Gala Fundraiser, June 6 – The Plaza, 768 Fifth Ave, New York City, 6:30pm

68th Annual Parade, June 8 – Fifth Ave between 44th and 79th Streets, New York City, 11am

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade will march up New York’s Fifth Avenue, in one of the country’s largest cultural celebrations, with an estimated one million attendees. It will be broadcast on WABC Channel 7 at 12 noon EDT and streamed on abc7NY.com and the station’s connected TV apps. For more details on the events, visit www.prparade.org.

About the National Puerto Rican Day Parade

Renowned as America’s largest celebration of Puerto Rican heritage and accomplishments, the Parade serves as an important platform for cultural preservation and the building of a collective legacy. This event originated from the New York City Puerto Rican community’s struggles and advocacy in the 1950s. Operating under the slogan Un Pueblo, Muchas Voces (One People, Many Voices), the NPRDP promotes culture, arts, and education. It also offers special tributes to historical figures and highlights key themes to raise awareness about critical issues and causes pertinent to the community.