San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists will honor Tejano music artist Shelly Lares with the honorable Corazón de Oro (Heart of Gold) Award for her contributions to the Latino experience.
The award will be presented to her by the nonprofit at its 27th annual scholarships and awards gala on Aug. 16 at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
SAAHJ presents the Corazón de Oro Award for those who have made an impact on Latino communities philanthropically, politically, culturally, educationally and socially. ommunity philanthropically, politically, culturally, educationally, or socially.
Last year’s recipient was San Antonio poet and author Carmen Tafolla. Other past awardees include journalist Maria Hinojosa, legendary musician Flaco Jimenez and actor John Leguizamo.
Lares, who is a San Antonio native, is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and percussionist whose talent has earned several accolades over the past four decades, including Female Vocalist of the Year, for 13 consecutive years, Tejano Music Awards, Grammy nominations, Pura Vida Awards and more.
She got her start at 10 years old and joined a band (which included San Antonio guitarist Chris Perez before he left to join Selena Y Los Dinos) and later met then up-and-coming Tejano vocalist Selena Quintanilla-Perez and the pair became best of friends.
Lares was known as “Little Miss Dynamite” for the way she captivated audiences with her powerhouse voice and heartfelt lyrics and advocacy for hospice care. She was also selected in 2023 by the University of Texas at San Antonio’s School of Music to be its first artist-in-residence.
“Shelly Lares truly exemplifies the spirit of the Corazón de Oro Award,” said SAAHJ President and KENS5 Anchor Isis Romero. “With a career spanning over four decades, she has been a catalyst for positive change in her community, paving the way for an entire new generation of leaders and changemakers.”
Lares will give a special performance at the gala.
SAAHJ’s gala is the organization’s premier fundraising event, supporting its mission to get more Latinos in newsrooms and providing scholarships for local students who aspire to a career in journalism or communications.
Sponsorships are available now starting at $3,500 at the group’s website and individual ticket sales will open up closer to the event.
SAAHJ has more than 130 professional members, many working at various media outlets and communications departments across the city.
Disclosure: SA Report’s managing editor and business reporter serve on SAAHJ’s leadership board.
