The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) announced that Etienne Hernandez-Medina, founder and CEO of H+M Communications, will receive the 2026 ¡BRAVO! DEI Champion of the Year Award. The honor recognizes a career dedicated to cultural understanding, representation, and expanding opportunity within the communications industry. Hernandez-Medina will be celebrated at the 12th annual HPRA ¡BRAVO! Awards on November 19, 2026, at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens, under the theme Legacy in Motion. The event marks HPRA’s return to Los Angeles, the city where the organization was founded in 1984, and underscores the importance of turning professional achievement into lasting opportunities for future generations.
For HPRA, the recognition carries particular weight. Beyond his accomplishments as an agency founder, Hernandez-Medina has been a steadfast advocate for the organization’s mission, providing meaningful support to its National Scholarship Program at a time when funding for emerging talent has become increasingly difficult to secure. His generosity has helped strengthen the program, and his willingness to step forward reflects a deep commitment to community that extends well beyond professional accolades. He has also played an active role in shaping HPRA event programming, helping ensure members are informed about and ready to act on emerging trends and innovations. Recently, he led an H+M Communications team in creating a thought leadership event on the new influence playbook, setting a strong tone for HPRA in its key Los Angeles market.
“There are people who talk about the importance of investing in the next generation, and then there are people who consistently show up to make that investment possible,” said HPRA National President Sonia V. Diaz. “Etienne is someone who shows up. During a time when organizations like ours have had to work harder to secure the resources that sustain opportunity, he has never waited for an invitation to help us forge our path forward. He understands that supporting young talent isn’t simply a charitable gesture. It’s a responsibility we share as leaders who have benefited from the doors others have helped open for us. His generosity, his conviction, his leadership, his one-on-one time spent counseling young professionals and the care he brings to this work are precisely why we are proud to recognize Etienne as our DEI Champion.”
Born in Cuba, Hernandez-Medina arrived in the United States during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, an experience that shaped his understanding of identity, belonging, and the power of representation. He studied political science and communications at the University of Miami, where he was recognized as a collegiate debate All-American. Before founding H+M Communications in 2004, he held senior leadership roles at global communications firms including Ketchum, Golin, Edelman, and Weber Shandwick, and served as Executive Vice President of Publicity and Corporate Communications at Universal Pictures. Over two decades, he has built H+M into one of the nation’s leading independent public relations and integrated communications consultancies, with more than 40 professionals across major U.S. markets and Mexico City. The agency has partnered with major entertainment, technology, and consumer brands, including Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video, Comcast Xfinity, Telemundo, GALLO, Pinterest, and Apple. Under his leadership, H+M has earned HPRA’s ¡BRAVO! Agency of the Year award four times. In 2026, he was also recognized as an Industry Legend by the Diversity Action Alliance.
Throughout his career, Hernandez-Medina has championed cultural intelligence as a business imperative, challenging brands and agencies to move beyond narrow definitions of multicultural marketing and recognize the complex identities and cultural influences shaping today’s consumers. His work has demonstrated that authentic cultural understanding is essential to business success. That philosophy informs his commitment to developing talent and strengthening industry institutions. HPRA’s National Scholarship Program provides aspiring communications professionals with financial assistance, mentorship, and professional development. This year, six scholarship recipients will be recognized at the ¡BRAVO! Awards, where they can connect with established leaders. Hernandez-Medina joins previously announced honorees Snow Tha Product, recipient of the President’s Award, and Jesus “Malverde” Gonzalez, Vice President, Creative, Latin at BMI, who will receive the Pioneer of the Year Award. The ¡BRAVO! Awards serve as HPRA’s primary scholarship fundraiser, bringing together communications leaders, agencies, brands, media organizations, and community advocates to celebrate excellence while investing in the industry’s future. For event information, tickets, and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://bravo.hprausa.org/. The announcement was distributed by NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE.
