Olmos Film Tops Eagle Awards : Arts: ‘American Me’ takes four trophies at annual Nosotros event. Musician Carlos Santana receives the legend trophy.

Carlos Santana took home the top award as the Latino entertainment community honored its own Friday night with the presentation of the 22nd Golden Eagle Awards, an annual recognition of the best Latino achievements in the industry.

Mexican-born Santana won the legend award for his more than 25-year career in the music industry. But the ceremony, presented by the Nosotros organization and held at the Beverly Hilton, was in large part a celebration of the gritty film “American Me,” which was represented with four of the 14 awards handed out.

Nosotros bestowed a special tribute award on the film’s director and star, Edward James Olmos, the winner of three previous Golden Eagles, who was recognized Friday for being “the most visible spokesperson for the Hispanic community.” Also receiving a special tribute award was Universal Pictures and “American Me” producer Sean Daniel. The studio was recognized for its “sheer guts” in making not only “American Me” but other Latino-themed films including “Zoot Suit,” “Born in East L.A.” and works produced through the studio’s annual Hispanic Filmmakers Project.

Also recognized for work in “American Me” was actress Evelina Fernandez as rising female star, and actor Sal Lopez, rising male star.

Outstanding actor honors went to Hector Elizondo, currently appearing in New York in the stage production of Arthur Miller’s “The Price” but also known for movie roles including the hotel manager in “Pretty Woman” and the diner owner in “Frankie & Johnny.” Named outstanding actress was Rosie Perez, who co-starred in the film “White Men Can’t Jump” and is also a dancer who choreographs the “Fly Girls” on Fox TV’s “In Living Color.”

Named best actress and actor on television were Wanda De Jesus, a regular on the NBC soap opera “Santa Barbara,” and Tony Plana, who plays a Polish detective on the Lifetime cable series “Veronica Claire.”

But, while the evening’s theme was the “Age of Discovery” and several presenters talked of substantial inroads finally being made by Latinos in the industry, the night’s first award recipients, the comedy trio Culture Clash (outstanding group performers), focused instead on what was yet to be done.

“The amount of work offered to Latinos in Hollywood is still minuscule,” said the trio’s Ric Salinas. “In 1992, the year of the quincentennial, (we are) grossly underrepresented. . . . We’re not being reflected on TV or the mass media. There’s an apartheid out there, and we have to keep opening these doors in Hollywood.”

A recurring theme hit on by the evening’s award winners and presenters was the plight of Latinas in the entertainment industry--while Latino men are now being cast more regularly in mainstream roles, the women continue to lag, speakers said.

“So many times, we Latinas feel invisible in the business,” said honoree Fernandez. “I want to thank Edward James Olmos for letting me portray a Latina, a Chicana woman, finally, with something to say.”

Presenters and honorees used the program to speak out on a number of political subjects, including lack of government AIDS funding (Bea Arthur: “As soon as the powers that be in Washington get off their congressional behinds, we can, and will, beat this disease”), the quinquecentennial celebrations (Santana: “We are not ready to celebrate . . . a Hitler”), the L.A. riots (Culture Clash member Richard Montoya: “We understand the rage that erupted here in Los Angeles--we feel it every day in Hollywood”), and disunity within the Nosotros organization itself, whose founder, Ricardo Montalban, has split with the group (Sal Lopez: “Ricardo Montalban, we need you”).

The production appeared to run more smoothly than in past years, although in an apparent effort to keep the event on schedule for an upcoming broadcast on Fox TV in September, the show’s band cut into some of the longer-winded acceptance speeches.

Additional winners included Ecuadorean rap singer Gerardo, named outstanding performer; singer Dionne Warwick, recognized for her humanitarian work as the U.S. ambassador of health and as a spokesperson for AIDS awareness, and Hollywood Reporter founder Tichi Wilkerson-Kassel, a special tribute award.

The corporate award went to Pepsi-Cola, recognized for its support of Latino actors and artists.

Hosted by an energetic Maria Conchita Alonso and a dapper Lorenzo Lamas--sporting a new below-the-shoulders-length hairstyle--the two-hour program included performances by Alonso, Celia Cruz (a heavy crowd favorite who received three standing ovations and was forced into a spontaneous encore), Tito Puente, Gerardo, Lucia Mendez, Dyana Ortelli and comedian Bill Dana.