Honoree Jennifer Lopez accepts the Equity in Entertainment award onstage during The Hollywood Reporter's 2025 Women In Entertainment breakfast presented by Lifetime. Phillip Faraone/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Jennifer Lopez teared up as she was honored with the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment gala breakfast on Wednesday, presented by Lifetime. The Kiss of the Spider Woman star choked up as she took the stage to accept the award, noting that she was "so humbled" and didn't know how she would "follow that, what [Kerry Washington] just said" in her introductory speech. Kerry Washington presented Lopez with the honor, having received the Equity in Entertainment Award two years prior in 2023. Related Stories News 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' EP Molly McNearney: "Fight for What We Know Is Right" in Defending Free Speech TV Rachel Sennott Applauds "Community and Support" Women Create "for Everyone" at THR Women in Entertainment Gala "Thank you to The Hollywood Reporter for this Equity in Entertainment Award. I really am honored," she began. "When we talk about equity in entertainment, I, like so many others in this room, speak from experience. Lopez recounted the beginnings of her career, noting that she often felt like the "underdog" and "saw how stereotypes tr[ied] to box me in before I even had the chance to show what I could really do." "In the early days of my career, I often felt like that underdog. You know, that Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx who was kind of wasn't supposed to be in the room, let alone the center of it," she recalled. "I was told in 100 different ways what roles people like me were expected to play, and I played some of those roles. I saw how stereotypes try to box me in before I even had the chance to show what I could really do. And then Selena came along." Lopez noted that Selena was a "film that changed the course of my career," while thanking "trailblazers like Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Dolores Del Rio, Katie Huvado - Latina women who opened doors long before I ever dreamed of this career." "Yet, decades later, there was still resistance to a Latina leading a studio movie and having to work so incredibly hard to prove that we can carry romantic comedies and thrillers and command stage," she said. "Hoping that with each role, the myth of it can't be done, evaporated just a little bit more, that representation rearranges the boundaries of imagination for a new generation." The Equity in Entertainment Award honors those who amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry. The award was established in 2016, with past honorees including Selena Gomez, Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, Ryan Murphy, Amy Pascal, Nina Jacobson and Selma Blair. The "Let's Get Loud" singer noted that West Side Story was one of many "films that shaped me," continuing on to explain why she is "so proud to be part of the Kiss of the Spider Woman." "Manuel Puig wrote that groundbreaking novel in the 1970s: A story about two prisoners, one queer and one political, sharing a cell and discovering connection in the darkest of times and the smallest of spaces. It is about imagination as survival, empathy as rebellion and humanity as liberation," Lopez noted. "At its core, it's about loving each other, remembering that love was the thing. Manuel did this at a time when portraying the queer protagonist as complex, flawed, brave and quite simply human was nothing short of revolutionary. She continued: "There's a reason, I think, that the story keeps getting adapted, keeps getting told. It is more relevant than ever in 2025. Unfortunately, repression doesn't stay in the past. It morphs, it shifts, it shows up in new forms and reminds us that identity, sexuality, power and humanity are not simple boxes to check. They are lived experiences that demand compassion and nuance." The singer-actress additionally spoke about the significance of the name of the award in her speech: "Equity in entertainment is a relay, I think. You know, someone hands you a story, a role, an opportunity, and you pass it forward hopefully farther, and in my very flawed and human in a human way, I have tried to be intentional and honor." "Benny Medina did that for me with Selena. He took a huge risk and changed my life," Lopez continued. "And I remember that when I'm advocating for stories that reflect our multifaceted realities, pushing for inclusivity that goes beyond tokenism and fostering authentic connection and understanding, trying hard to ensure our screens reflect the kaleidoscope of human experience where no one is relegated to the program. We did that boldly decades before we had phrases like representation matters." The two-time Grammy nomi