First Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year

On March 1, 1986, at just fifteen years old, Selena received her first Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, signaling her emergence as a leading voice in Tejano music.[5][10] The award recognized her performances with the family band Selena y Los Dinos, which had been playing dances, fairs, and small venues across South Texas since the early 1980s.[1][5]

Tejano music at the time was heavily male-dominated, with women rarely headlining or receiving top industry honors.[3][10] Selena’s win therefore marked more than individual acclaim; it was an early public acknowledgment that a young Mexican-American woman could compete at the highest levels of the regional genre. Her powerful stage presence, dynamic vocals, and ability to connect with audiences were key factors in her selection.[5][6]

This award helped propel Selena’s career, leading to repeated wins in the Female Vocalist category and raising her visibility with record companies.[10][15] Within a few years she would sign with EMI Latin and release albums that broadened Tejano’s audience beyond Texas and the U.S.–Mexico borderlands.[1][6]

Historically, the 1986 Tejano Music Award is significant as an early institutional recognition of Selena’s talent and as a step toward expanding space for women in Tejano and Latin music industries. It foreshadowed her later breakthroughs—Grammy success, chart-topping records, and cross-cultural influence—by validating a young Latina artist in a regional scene that was still skeptical of female headliners.[5][10]