Courtesy: Guadalupe Productions
SAN ANTONIO, TX — The 7th Annual Guadalupe Tejano Awards lit up Mustang Sally’s in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday (Nov. 23), honoring the artists, musicians, bands, and industry professionals who continue to elevate and preserve Tejano and Conjunto music. Since its debut in 2019, the awards show — founded by veteran promoter Andrew Belmarez in honor of his late mother, Guadalupe M. Belmarez — has grown into one of the city’s proudest cultural celebrations.
Big Winners of the Night
The evening’s standout was Marcos Orozco, who swept multiple major categories, solidifying his continued impact on the genre. Performing and recording with Grupo Rebelde, Orozco earned:
- Male Entertainer of the Year
- Bajo Player of the Year — Marcos Orozco
- Additional wins for his bandmates brought even more shine to Rebelde’s camp.
Grupo Rebelde musicians tallied several top honors, making them the most-awarded group of the night:
- Bass Player of the Year – Rick Vega
- Keyboard Player of the Year – Juanito Guajardo
- Drummer of the Year – Gabriel Barajas
Another major force of the evening was the Blaze Brothers, who walked away with three big wins:
- Single of the Year – “Una Mas”
- New Male Artist of the Year – Ben Peña
- Country Band of the Year
- Most Promising Band of the Year
The group’s momentum made them one of the night’s most celebrated rising acts.
Additional Major Highlights
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Stefani Montiel
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Jay Perez
- Female Entertainer of the Year: Elida Reyna – Elida Reyna Y Avante
- Songwriters of the Year: Lalo Reyna III & Elida Reyna
- Tejano Band of the Year: La Fiebre
- Tejano Norteño Band of the Year: Lucky Joe
- Conjunto of the Year: Conjunto Cats
- New Female Artist of the Year: Jennifer Lynn – Cielo Azul
Conjunto of the Year winners Conjunto Cats at 7th Annual Guadalupe Awards. | Credit: Mariaelena Villarreal / Tejano Nation
A special honor for Tejano Nation’s own
In an emotional and proud moment, Tejano Nation photojournalist Mariaelena Villarreal was awarded Journalist of the Year, recognizing her dedication, storytelling, and years of commitment to documenting the Tejano music community.
Carrying Forward a Legacy
The Guadalupe Tejano Awards continue to stand as a testament to cultural pride and musical heritage — the values instilled by Guadalupe M. Belmarez, whose spirit guides the show’s mission to uplift Tejano talent across generations. Each year, the event serves not only as a celebration of achievement but as a reminder of the unity, tradition, and passion that define the “Tejano Music Capital of the World.”
Andrew Balmarez (center) with Los Arcos Hermanos Pena at 7th annual Guadalupe Awards. | Credit: Mariaelena Villarreal / Tejano Nation
The 7th Annual Guadalupe Tejano Awards once again proved that Tejano music’s legacy is thriving — powered by its artists, its fans, and the community that continues to keep the cultura alive.
7th annual Guadalupe Awards winners and nominees:
Male Entertainer Of The Year
- Marcos Orozco- Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde – WNNER!
- Jay Perez – Jay Perez & The Band
- Ram Herrera – Ram Herrera & The Outlaw Band
- Joe Lopez – Joe Lopez Y Grupo Mazz
- Jerry Pena – Los Arcos Hermanos Pena
Female Entertainer Of The Year
- Stefani Montiel
- Elida Reyna — WINNER!
- Jennifer Peña
- Destiny Navaira
- Patsy Torres
Male Vocalist Of The Year
- Jay Perez – Jay Perez & The Band — WINNER!
- Marcos Orozco – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde
- Jerry Pena – Los Arcos Hermanos Pena
- Ramiro “Ram” Herrera – Ramiro “Ram” Herrera & The Outlaw Band
- Ben Pena – Blaze Brothers
Female Vocalist Of The Year
- Stefani Montiel — WINNER!
- Destiny Navaira
- Monica Andrada
- Jenny B
- Sarah Monique
New Male Artist Of The Year
- Adrian Pena – Los Arcos Hermanos Pena
- Danny Ortiz
- Ben Peña – Blaze Bros — WINNER!
- Frankie Baldin – Conjunto Diferencia
- Erick Pastrano – Papi Chulos
New Female Artist Of The Year
- Jennifer Lynn – Cielo Azul — WINNER!
- Sammy Torres – Sammy Torres & New Image
- Alicia C
- Bianca Ruiz
- Lidia Flores
Songwriter Of The Year
- Jerry Pena
- Jesse Villarreal
- Lalo Reyna III & Elida Reyna — WINNER!
- Beto Ramon
- Samuel Ramos Jr
Single Of The Year
- Incompetente En El Amor – Jay Perez
- A.M.O. – Lucky Joe
- Una Mas – Blaze Brothers — WINNER!
- Ayudame – La Fiebre
- A Cambio De Que – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde
Tejano Band Of The Year
- Joe Lopez Y Grupo Mazz
- Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde
- Jay Perez & The Band
- La Fiebre — WINNER!
- David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales
Tejano Norteno Band Of The Year
- Lucky Joe — WINNER!
- Michael Salgado
- Los Palominos
- Zenzio
- Siggno
Most Promising Band Of The Year
- Conjunto 2 the Max
- Elijah Ezequiel & The Conjunto Addictz
- The Ybarra Boyz
- Blaze Brothers — WINNER!
- Meche Trejo
Conjunto Of The Year
- Conjunto Cats — WINNER!
- Ricky Naranjo Y Los Gamblers
- Los Arcos Hermanos Pena
- The Homeboyz
- Los Delta Boyz
Country Band of the Year
- Rustic Rose
- Blaze Brothers — WINNER!
- Sunny Sauceda
- Whiskey D
- Ranch Road Band
Accordionist Of The Year
- David Lee Garza – David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales
- David Farias – David Farias Band
- Lucky Joe
- Fern Lozano – Conjunto Puro Corazon — WINNER!
- Gizmo Garcia – Los Dos Gilbertos
- Homero Esquivel – Mike Gonzalez & The Iconiczz
Bajo Player Of The Year
- Art Campos – Conjunto Cats
- Marcos Orozco – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde — WINNER!
- Billy O’Rourke – David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales
- James Arreola – Los Palominos
- Samuel Ramos Jr – Retono
Bass Player Of The Year
- Eddie Gonzalez – Los Delta Boyz
- Diego Campos – Conjunto Cats
- Joey Sanchez – Conjunto Diferencia
- Javier Ramirez – Ricky Naranjo Y Los Gamblers
- Rick Vega – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde — WINNER!
- Fabian Pena – Los Arcos Hermanos Pena
Keyboard Player Of The Year
- Gabriel Zavala – Stefani Montiel
- Juanito Guajardo – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde — WINNER!
- Eric Avalos – Jay Perez & The Band
- Brando Mireles – Joe Lopez Y Grupo Mazz
- Ben Bam Bam Ramos – Ram Herrera & The Outlaw Band
Drummer Of The Year
- Mike Gonzalez – Mike Gonzalez & the Iconiczz
- Gabriel Barajas – Marcos Orozco Y Grupo Rebelde — WINNER!
- Nathan Alzalde – Conjunto Cats
- Dan De Loredo – Los Palominos
- Ricky Naranjo – Ricky Naranjo Y Los Gamblers
Internet/Radio Station Of The Year
- HotTejano.com — WINNER!
- Super Tejano Radio
- KLMO Radio / San Antonio
- West Texas Tejano Explosion
- Magic 106.5 FM / Lubbock, Texas
Radio Personalities Of The Year
- Mando San Roman – Super Tejano 102.1 — WINNER!
- Jennifer Martinez “La Chismosa” Magic Lubbock Texas
- Dj Suavesito & Sunflower Rodriguez – Hot Tejano Radio
- Stephanie García – West Texas Tejano Explosion
- Hilda Gamboa – West Texas Tejano Explosion
DJ Of The Year
- Jason “Dj Lucky J” Guerra
- Mike “Tex-Mex Mike” Hernandez — WINNER!
- Rodney J. “Dj Rodney J” Martinez
- Jaime & Amanda Martinez [The 1000’s]
- Joe “Jammin’ Joe” Diaz
Podcast Show Of The Year
- Jose “Bumper” Gomez – Bumpers Wacky Wednesday — WINNER!
- James Echavarria – PVT [Rock N Roll James]
- Rudy Trevino – Tejano Gold Radio Show
- Mas Chingon Radio – Mas Chingon Radio Show
- Keith Leal – Tejano Time Podcast
- Jason Borjas & Mari Chofi – Latin Legends Podcast
Promoter Of The Year
- Rudy Lopez – Lopez Entertainment — WINNER!
- Tejano Loco – Tejano Loco Promotions
- Hilda Pena – HP Promotions
- Jim Luna – Quartermoon Productions
- Mike Barron – Mikey Mike Promotions
Music Distributor Radio Of The Year
- Mayra Dee – Cielo Entertainment — WINNER!
- Aaron Eddy Gonzales – Tex Sound Music
- Laura Saenz – Leona Promotions
- Gavino Perez – Gavino Promotions
- Hilda Pena – Hilda Pena Promotions
Follow Tejano Nation on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with everything Tejano. Listen to new Tejano music first with our Spotify playlists and iHeartRadio podcast.
