Tickets & Sponsorships

2026

Saturday

May 2

6 PM

The Salamander Hotel
1330 Maryland Ave SW
Washington DC

6 pm Cocktail Reception
7 pm Dinner & Awards

9 pm Music & Dancing
Festive Cocktail Attire

This year’s signature Awards Gala, Americas the Beautiful, invites you to an unforgettable evening at The Salamander Hotel, where handcrafted cocktails, live music, and the pulse of Latin dancing come together in celebration of the artists shaping tomorrow. All in support of The OA Artist Fellowship Fund, which opens doors for rising creative leaders across the Western Hemisphere and beyond to build world-class careers that move, inspire, and transform lives.

Sponsors

Chairs

Monica Lawson
Leonardo Lawson

The Awards

A Hero’s Journey

Named for the iconic award statue of ascending steps designed by renowned Spanish sculptor Juan Garaizabal, The Gateway to Greatness Awards are presented each year to distinguished leaders whose contributions to humanity embody the values of the timeless Hero’s Journey.

2026 Honorees

Sheila Johnson

American Businesswoman

Global Innovation
Leadership Award

Sheila C. Johnson is an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose accomplishments span the arenas of hospitality, sports, TV/film, the arts and humanitarian causes. Ms. Johnson is known as a TV pioneer, having been a founding partner of Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Coralie Charriol

Luxury Business Leader

Global Civic
Leadership Award

Coralie Charriol is a Franco-American designer and business leader, serving as CEO, Chairwoman, and Creative Director of Charriol, the watch and jewelry house founded by her father, Philippe Charriol. She leads the brand’s global strategy and creative direction, blending craftsmanship with modern elegance.

2026 Presenters & Special Guests

Adrienne Arsht

Business Leader & Philanthropist

Presenter

Adrienne Arsht is an American business leader and philanthropist whose influence spans finance, the arts, and global public life. A former executive at Stifel Financial Corp., she is renowned for her transformative support of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami and for advancing global initiatives through the Atlantic Council.

Kris Bowers

Composer and Filmmaker

Presenter

Academy Award-winning American filmmaker, composer, and pianist. He has scored projects like Green Book, Bridgerton, and King Richard, blending classical, jazz, and contemporary styles.

María Corina Machado

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Special Guest & Past Honoree

Venezuelan politician and activist. She co-founded citizen rights groups focused on election transparency, served in the National Assembly, and leads the opposition party Vente Venezuela. Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition to democracy in her country amid severe political repression.

Ambassadors
Circle

H.E. Ambassador Jorge Argüello 🇦🇷 Argentina
H.E. Petra Schneebauer 🇦🇹 Austria
H.E. Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
H.E. Ambassador Lynn Young 🇧🇿 Belize (OAS)
H.E. Ambassador Hugh Adsett 🇨🇦 Canada (OAS)
H. E. Amb. Luis Gilberto Murillo 🇨🇴 Colombia
H.E. Amb. Sonia Guzmán 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
H.E. Ambassador Ivonne Baki 🇪🇨 Ecuador
H.E. Motaz Zahran 🇪🇬 Egypt
H.E. Amb. Alexandra Papadopoulou 🇬🇷 Greece
H.E. Ambassador Alfonso Quiñónez 🇬🇹 Guatemala
H.E. Amb. Rita Claverie 🇬🇹 Guatemala (OAS)
H.E. Amb. Carlos Quesada  Honduras (OAS)
H.E. Amb. Yerzhan Ashikbayev 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
H.E. Ambassador Audrey Marks 🇯🇲 Jamaica
H.E. Ambassador Māris Selga 🇱🇻 Latvia
H.E. Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma 🇲🇽 Mexico
H.R.H. Reema bint Bandar Al Saud 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Minister Plenipotentiary Darja Ferlež 🇸🇮 Slovenia
H.E. Amb. R. Martinez de la Guardia 🇵🇦 Panama
H.E. Ambassador Jaime Alemán 🇵🇦 Panama
H.E. Ambassador Pilar Arosemena 🇵🇦 Panama
H.E. Ambassador Marek Magierowski 🇵🇱 Poland
H.E. Ambassador John Feeley 🇺🇸 United States
H.E. Amb. William H. Courtney 🇺🇸 United States
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell 🇺🇸 Michigan
H.E. Ambassador Andrés Durán 🇺🇾 Uruguay

Event
Benefactors

Maestro

DIAMOND MEMBER

Ochoa-Brillembourg
Foundation

Cecilia & Guillermo Schultz

 

Woodwind

GOLD MEMBER

Clara Brillembourg & George
Chopivsky
Alexa Chopivsky & Christopher
Fetzer
Gabriela Febres-Cordero
Grace Koh & Christopher
Walker
Tony Masso
Maria Benilde & Nelson Ortiz
Suzanne Siskel
Meridel & Michael Vu

Strings

PLATINUM MEMBER

Carol Grefenstette Bates & David Bates
Barbara Herrera de Garza

 

Brass

GOLD MEMBER

Grace Bender

Maria Elena Carrion

Lizette Corro

Concepcion & Bernd Debusmann

Jennifer Feldman & Arturo
Brillembourg

Monica & Leonardo Lawson

Constanza & Jorge Montoya
Diana Orea

Jose Soli

Percussion

BRONZE MEMBER

John Akridge

Elisabeth Brillembourg
Laryssa & Bill Courtney

Sabine Curto

Tony Custer

Caroline Dalton & Mark Gillespie

Isabel & Ricardo Ernst

Martha Garcia

Veronica Lopez

Mariana Martinez & Antonio Ortiz

Alexandra Migoya

Susana & Moises Naim

Bridget Nikodem

Pilar Frank O’Leary

Karin Schultz

David Simnick

Ursula & BuzzTenny

John & Lily Waterston

Auction Contributors

Akumal Bay
Alexa Chopivsky
Arcay Chocolates
Arrae | Fine Objects
Bluepoint Hospitality Group
Caroline Dalton-Gillespie
Cecilia & Guillermo Schultz
Charriol
Elisabeth Brillembourg
George Chopivsky
Jorge de la Guardia
JoAnn Mason
Kathy Nalywajko
La Mer
LifeHoney
Lizzie Zobel
Maria Benilde & Nelson Ortiz
Ochoa-Brillembourg Foundation
Pilar O’Leary
Robert & Mario Wennett
Seven Reasons Group
SHA Wellness Clinic
Shinberg.Levinas Architects
Silvia Tcherassi
Teri Galvez
The Baazar Meat by José Andrés
The Saga DC
Tony Custer
[Re]Focus Portrait Studio

Events Committee

Carol Grefenstette Bates
Pauline Beck
Clara Brillembourg
Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg
Lizette Corro
Isabel de la Cruz Ernst
Gabriela Febres-Cordero
Kimball Fontein
Teri Galvez
Jennifer Gillece & Jonathan Nobil
Veronica Lopez
Maria Benilde & Nelson Ortiz
Cecilia Schultz
Ezequiel Vázquez-Ger

Firebird Circle

William Akridge
Nicole Arellano & Andres Brillembourg
Ciera & Trevor Ashley
Philip Bates
Ian Bates & Kimball Fontein
Jennifer & Arturo Brillembourg
Tony Cammarota
Alexa Chopivsky
Clara & George Chopivsky
Maya & Andres Faucher
Schuyler & Danny Gavula
Jennifer Gillece & Jonathan Nobil
Juan Pio Hernandez
Maria de la Guardia & Ernesto Lewis
Juan Robalino
Meredith & Chris Schaller
Carrie Bean Stute
Emily & Ryan Sullivan
Nickolai Talanin MD

Past Laureates

Silvia Tcherassi

Global Fashion Icon
Officier de L’Ordre des Arts

María Corina Machado

Leader of the Opposition
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Pacho Flores

Grammy-winning Trumpet
Deutsche Grammophon Artist

Carolina Herrera

Global Fashion Icon
Founder & Creative Director

Frank Gehry

Architect & Design Titan
Presidential Medal of Freedom

Oleksandra Matviichuk

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
 Civil Liberties Champion

Stephen Breyer

The US Supreme Court

Associate Justice

Chucho Valdés

Grammy Lifetime Awardee
Jazz icon

Erika Ender

Grammy-winning Songwriter

Song of the Year Winner

Arthur C. Brooks

NY Times Bestselling Author
Harvard Kennedy School

Paquito D’Rivera

NEA Jazz Masters Award

Latin Jazz Titan

Sarah Chang

Grammy-winning violinist

Avery Fisher Career Prize

Luis Alberto Moreno

President
InterAmerican Development Bank

Gabriela Montero

Latin Grammy-winning pianist
UNICEF Ambassador

Luis Almagro

Secretary General

Organization of American States

Past Presenters

José Andrés

Global Humanitarian Chef
James Beard Prize

Nina Garcia

ELLE Magazine
Editor-in-Chief

Branford Marsalis

American Jazz icon
Grammy-winning trumpet

Maria Cardona

CNN Español
Commentator

Timothy Shriver

Special Olympics Chairman
Presidential Citizens Medal

Maria Alejandra Molina

TV Azteca

Nightly News Anchor

Performances

Juan Sebastián Sánchez

Musical Director | Colombia

Daniel Olivero

Voice | Venezuela

Cristian Tamblay

Drums | Chile

Fernando Firmino

Bass | Brazil

Andrés Guerra

Guitar | Venezuela

Lina Arango

Piano | Colombia

Manuela Romero

Violin | Cuba & Venezuela

Ana Aparicio

Awards Gala Lead

Hewell Events Group

Event Manager