Ruben V. Nepales is an award-winning journalist who writes primarily for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In 2012, he became the first and only Filipino to be elected as chairman of the board of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which votes on and presents the prestigious Golden Globe Awards. Nepales was also the first Filipino to join the HFPA, and served for many years as a member of the HFPA board of directors, including the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Last June, he was elected executive secretary of the HFPA. He also serves on the board of directors of the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines.