Rita Moreno, 81, Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress, was honored at the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) at their 17 annual gala in Washington on September 30th.

Moreno received the Raul Julia Award for excellence from NHFA, and was not only grateful but complimented the efforts and strength of the organization.

"It's an honor to receive this," the screen legend said as she accepted her award. "I began in this industry without any mentorship, any guidance. I wish I had had the support of an organization like this when I was starting out."

Actors Aimee Garcia and Nicholas Gonzalez were also in attendance to receive honors for their contributions to art. Both echoed Moreno's statement about the importance of organizations like NHFA.

Moreno moved to New York City with her mother and stepfather at the age of five, and by the time she was 11 years old, she was lending her voice to Spanish language versions of American films. She served in her first Broadway role when she was 13, and at that time, she was discovered by a Hollywood talent scout.

When she was 29, she portrayed the unforgettable role of Anita in the film West Side Story (1961) -- a modernized take of Romeo and Juliet which took place in New York City, and is a musical. The talented actress was featured in So Young So Bad, Singin' InThe Rain, The King and I, The Ritz, 9 to 5, The Electric Company, Slums of Beverly Hills, and countless other feature films, television shows, documentaries and ongoing projects.

Moreno was been rightly rewarded for her cinematic efforts, even winning the 2013 SAG Life Achievement Award.

Moreno is the only Latino, and one of very few performers, to have won a Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and a Tony, and she is the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.

The talent has not slowed down, either. She was featured in a TV movie earlier this year, and is currently filming two movies, Six Dance Lesson in Six Weeks and Rio 2.