OJORNAL

NCIS star Daniela Ruah to co-host 2022 International Portuguese Music Awards with local Portuguese TV personality Ricardo Farias

Lurdes C. da Silva
O Jornal

PROVIDENCE — Portuguese-American actress Daniela Ruah — best known for portraying NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye on the CBS hit series NCIS: Los Angeles — will be co-hosting the 2022 International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA) on April 23. For the first time in its 10 years, the award show will be heading to Rhode Island and taking place at the Providence Performing Arts Center. 

Daniela Ruah will co-host the International Portuguese Music Awards this year, after missing the chance to do so when the show was canceled in 2020.

“Daniela Ruah co-hosted the Eurovision contest in 2018, which I believe is the longest-running televised competition in the world. We’re thrilled that she accepted our invitation to co-host our 10th Anniversary show. She will bring some star power to Providence on April 23 for sure,” said David Saraiva, who co-organizes the International Portuguese Music Awards with José “Zach” Xavier.

The IPMAs have been recognizing outstanding achievement in the music industry by artists of Portuguese descent since 2013.

Ruah was supposed to host the 2020 IPMA show, which had to be cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The last two IPMA editions were held virtually.

This time, she will be teaming up with seasoned IPMA host Ricardo Farias, a local TV and radio personality who currently hosts the talk show “De Cá Pra Lá” produced in New Bedford for RTP Açores.

“She was born in Boston. So this will be the first time IPMA will be hosted by two Luso-Americans. We can’t wait,” Saraiva said.

Local Portuguese TV host Ricardo Farias, who currently hosts the talk show “De Cá Pra Lá” produced in New Bedford for RTP Açores.

Born to Portuguese parents, Ruah moved to Portugal at age 5. She started acting in Portuguese soap operas as a teenager, before moving to England to study Performing Arts.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts from the London Metropolitan University, she returned to Portugal where she continued acting.

Fifteen years ago, she moved to New York City to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. She has played special Agent Kensi Blye since 2009.

In 2018, she co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal, which had a worldwide audience of around 186 million viewers, according to the European Broadcasting Union.

At the IPMA event, Ruah and Farias will be introducing a star-studded lineup of recording artists, including Áurea, Xutos e Pontapés, Paulo Gonzo, Delfins, Calema and Jorge Ferreira.

International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA) organizers José “Zach” Xavier, at left, and David Saraiva, at right, pose for a photo with Portuguese singer Tim during the 2022 IPMA Launch Party held at the R.I. Convention Center on Nov. 20, 2021.

Xavier told O Jornal he and Saraiva had been mulling the idea of bringing the IPMA show to Rhode Island for quite some time. 

Previously held at the 1,175-seat Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford, the 2022 IPMA show will almost triple its capacity at the 3,100-seat venue located in the heart of Providence’s arts and entertainment district.

“We’ve always wanted to come to Providence for many years,” he said. “The 10th anniversary is giving us a big boost. We feel confident that it’s going to be sold out with the lineup we have.”

There will be 13 awards up for grabs in categories including rock, rap, fado, music video, and best new talent. A $2,000 cash prize and studio time with MDC Music in Toronto will be awarded to the 2022 IPMA “New Talent” winner.

IPMA nominees are expected to be announced later this month.

To reserve tickets for the International Portuguese Music Awards show, visit IPMAawards.com or call the PPAC box office at 401-421-2787.