The Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA), producers of the Tejano Music Awards, has announced that it will no longer present Joe Lopez with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd annual ceremony this Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. The decision comes after a public backlash over the recognition of the singer, who was convicted of sexually assaulting his niece in 2006.

Lopez, who was released from prison in 2018, has also been removed from the list of performers for the event, which will take place at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.

TTMA vice president Frank Salazar told the San Antonio Express-News, “It was a hard decision to make. But we listened to what everybody was saying, what everybody was writing, and decided this was the right thing to do.”

The concerns over Lopez are due to the singer’s 2006 conviction for multiple sex offenses involving his 13-year-old niece in 2004. He was paroled in March 2018 after he served 12 years of his 20-year prison sentence. The 73-year-old has always maintained his innocence.

Lopez was co-founder of legendary Grupo Mazz with late Tejano icon Jimmy Gonzalez in the 1970s, and was lead vocalist for one of the most popular groups in Tejano music, producing several hits and albums. In 1998, he and Gonzalez split and formed separate bands.

Lopez is still eligible to win an award in the categories he was nominated for this year, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Tejano Album of the Year for “Love From The Heart”.

The Tejano Music Awards is the most prestigious event in Tejano music, honoring the best artists and songs in the genre since 1980.

This is a developing story. Tejano Nation will have more details as information becomes available.

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