CHARLIE PUTH AND LUIS ÁLVAREZ RECEIVE ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
BY TARA BELLUCCI
Berklee presented its 2025 Alumni Achievement Awards to Charlie Puth BM ’13 and Luis Álvarez BM ’83 at separate events held in Boston and Puerto Rico. A Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, Puth was honored at Career Jam in April, where he served as the event’s keynote speaker. Reflecting on his time as a student, Puth told the 1,000+ crowd gathered at the Berklee Performance Center, “Every great thing that I had at Berklee, you all have now—and maybe even more.” Puth shot to stardom in 2015 with “See You Again,” his collaboration with Wiz Khalifa for Furious 7 , which earned multiple Grammy nominations and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. He followed that success with a string of global hits including “Attention,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and “Light Switch,” and has released several acclaimed albums, including Nine Track Mind , Voicenotes , and Charlie .
Known for his precise musicianship and hands-on approach to production—which he demonstrates to over 40 million followers on TikTok and Instagram—Puth has also written and produced songs for artists such as Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, and Justin Bieber. In February 2026, he performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LX. Álvarez was honored in June at a concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of Berklee in Puerto Rico, a program he cofounded in 1995 that has since served more than 4,000 students. An entrepreneur and music advocate, Álvarez served as vice president of Méndez & Company Inc., a major family-owned food and beverage company based in Puerto Rico. Under his lead- ership, the company established the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest in 1990, with Álvarez produc- ing the event and helping grow it into one of the island’s most prominent music festivals. A long- time supporter of arts education, he is a former member of Berklee’s Board of Trustees and current vice chair of the Berklee Valencia Advisory Board, helping to strengthen ties between the institution, Puerto Rico, and the Spanish-speaking world. The Alumni Achievement Awards are given annually, with past recipients including Ramin Djawadi BM ’98, Pinar Toprak BM ’00, and Court- ney Harrell ’01. The awards are a celebration of alumni success, recognizing great talent, creativity, and those who have made a positive impact on professional careers and the music community.
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