Manuel Abud has served as CEO of The Latin Recording Academy since August 2021, after joining the organization in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In that role, he oversaw day-to-day operations across business development, communications, digital strategy, marketing, and production, while also leading major organizational restructuring efforts and expanding digital content initiatives. In addition to his responsibilities as chief executive officer, Abud oversees the activities of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.
Under his leadership, The Latin Recording Academy held Latin GRAMMY Week outside the United States for the first time in 2023, marking a historic milestone for the GRAMMY brand. For its 25th anniversary in 2024, the Latin GRAMMYs returned to their hometown of Miami, marking the third time the awards have taken place in Florida.
At the beginning of his tenure, Abud implemented a rigorous evaluation process to ensure geographic, genre, generational, and gender diversity across all Latin Academy initiatives. As a result, recognition of diverse creators has increased both within the Latin GRAMMYs and across the organization’s various platforms.
With more than 30 years of experience in U.S. Hispanic media, Abud is a recognized leader in Latin entertainment. Prior to joining The Latin Recording Academy, he served as president and CEO of Azteca América, where he led the network’s transformation and its acquisition by HC2 Holdings, Inc. in 2017. He also spent over 14 years at NBCUniversal in key executive roles, including President of the Telemundo Station Group, TV station president and general manager in Los Angeles and Dallas, and President of Telemundo Cable. Earlier in his career, he was president of CBS Telenoticias and held leadership roles at Televisa, Medcom, and ICA in Mexico.
Beyond his professional work, Abud serves on the Board of Councilors at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and on the Board of MusiCares. He has also served on the boards of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, Junior Achievement of Dallas, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, and several nonprofit organizations.
Abud holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and an MBA from Houston Baptist University. He resides in Miami with his wife.
