| The Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) presented its 4th Annual HOLA Awards and Gala on Monday, September 22, 2003 at The Players in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan. Among the major awards, Antonio Banderas received the HOLA Rita Moreno Award for Excellence, Nilo Cruz (the winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for drama for Anna in the Tropics) received The Razl Julia HOLA Founders Award, Olga Merediz (currently in MAN OF LA MANCHA on Broadway) received the HOLA Tespis Award, journalist Marma Celeste Arraras received the HOLA Ilka Award and the incomparable Antonia Rey received the HOLA Lifetime Achievement Award. Of the major honorees, only Arraras was unable to attend the event, citing a business trip to Asia.
HOLA also presented over 25 awards for the best in Spanish-language theater. The HOLA Awards are noncompetitive and often are presented to more than one honoree. Since the HOLA Awards were moved to September from its previous traditional March, this year's awards represent theater of the previous 18 months (hence the label "2002 and 2003"). HOLA Awards were moved to September so that it would coincide with the federal Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th-October 15th) and that the awards would herald the start of a new theatrical season with a celebration of the best of the previous one.
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