Lopez and Parker named ALMA show hosts

LOS ANGELES, July 27 (UPI) -- George Lopez and Eva Longoria Parker have signed up as hosts of a California ceremony honoring the outstanding achievements of Latinos, ABC said.

The star-studded ALMA Awards show is slated to air Sept. 18 on the network. It will be taped Sept. 17 at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.

This will be the first time the event is broadcast during National Hispanic Heritage Month, organizers said.

"Thanks to our partnership with ABC, we have realized the dream of having the ALMA Awards air during the month in which our community is recognized and celebrated. I can think of no better way to kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month than to show, and to honor, the impact that Latinos have had in film, television and music," Janet Murguia -- president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States -- said in statement.

"The ALMA Awards is a special show because it represents the determined spirit and soul of the Latino people, and I cannot think of a better person to help celebrate and co-host with me than my good friend, George Lopez," added Longoria Parker.

"I've been a huge fan of NCLR and the ALMA Awards for years. I love working with Eva and I'm excited to be a part of the show," Lopez said.