Image courtesy of TCMA
The Texas Country Music Association (TCMA) is set to broaden its horizons this fall by introducing a new category at the Texas Country Music Awards 2024. This category will recognize and celebrate the top Tejano artists and bands that have significantly contributed to the music industry over the past year.
The introduction of this category was spearheaded by Linda K. Wilson, the President and Founder of the TCMA, with assistance from three-time Grammy-winning Tejano and Country artist, Sunny Sauceda.
“It’s been something that I’ve been thinking about doing for a couple of years,” Wilson tells Tejano Nation Radio. “It’s personal for me, I like, I went to all the quinceaneras, I went to all the Hispanic weddings. I was around during the Tejano days — the Selena days. It’s something that I do have some history with, which is why I wanted to do that.”
Nominations for the Texas Country Music Awards will begin on May 1 and continue through June 15, 2024. Nominations can be made at the official TCMA website, texascountrymusicassociation.org. While it is not a requirement for nominators or nominees to be TCMA Members, the nominations and votes of TCMA Members will carry double weight. All online nominations from fans and members will count toward one nomination and will be added to the nominations made by each of the four Nomination and Voting Committee Members from the top 10 nominees. This process will result in the top 5 nominations in each award category.
“We’re going to need people to nominate Tejano bands and artists and then vote when the final round of voting comes up,” added Wilson.
These top 5 finalists will be announced and presented for an online vote. The overall winners in each category will be determined solely by TCMA Members and fan votes. All nominations and votes will be verified, vetted, and confirmed by the Voting Committee.
The top 5 nominees will be announced on July 1, 2024, and the final round of voting will begin on that date and continue through August 15, 2024. The winners will be announced at the Texas Country Music Awards on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, Texas. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., with the pre-show beginning at 5 p.m. and the main ceremony at 6 p.m.
Sunny Sauceda will kick off the TCMA weekend on Friday, November 8, 2024. The Texas Country Music Association serves as the principal trade organization and advocate for the Texas Country Music industry, and exists to consistently and effectively energize, promote, and support the Texas Country Music industry and those involved in every aspect.
“It’s pretty awesome. I think we are probably making Texas Country history, being the first Tejano band to kick off the awards weekend,” Sauceda tells Tejano Nation Radio. “It’s pretty cool to be a part of that, you know, it’s exciting and we’re trailblazing.”
This new category represents a noted Tejano artist or band, traditional or progressive in style, that has demonstrated an exceptionally successful year of playing shows and releasing current music. This is a significant step in recognizing and celebrating the diversity and richness of the Texas music scene.
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