President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday announced a second edition of México canta (“Mexico Sings”), a binational music competition sponsored by the government that aims to promote peace, combat addiction and foster a culture that rejects the glorification of violence.
“We start from the conviction that culture and music transform lives, build community and generate peace,” Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said during a presentation at the National Palace.
#JuniorH sorprende en la Mañanera del Pueblo
El cantante Junior H interpretó su éxito “Y Lloro” durante la #MañaneraDelPueblo encabezada por la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum
La presentación también contó con la participación de dos ganadores de la edición 2025 de “México Canta” pic.twitter.com/oEAbCnaidN— La Resistencia Aguascalientes (@Resistenciags) May 11, 2026
The competition is open to young Mexican and Mexican-American artists (18 to 29 years old) and encourages new musical narratives focusing on love, tradition and culture.
Monday’s announcement featured performances by Sergio Maya, the winner of the inaugural México canta contest last year, and Junior H, a prominent Mexican singer-songwriter and pioneer of corridos tumbados (a modern subgenre of Mexican regional music that blends traditional corrido narratives with urban influences like trap, hip-hop and rap).
Junior H and Majo Aguilar, a Mexican singer-songwriter and a two-time Latin Grammy nominee, were presented as supporters of the competition.
After his performance, Junior H spoke about the social responsibility of artists to create positive impacts on young listeners while urging them to “trust in their talent.”
For his part, the 21-year-old Maya said México canta represents an unprecedented opportunity for young composers and singers to share positive messages through music.
“In the recent past, it was difficult to find spaces where new narratives of love, romance and unity could be presented beyond the family environment,” he said. “Promoting new messages through music can serve to strengthen pride in being Mexican and change the negative perception frequently heard about the country.”
Registration for this year’s edition of México canta is open to soloists, duos and ensembles through June 10. About 15,000 artists registered to compete in México canta 2025.
Fourteen performers — seven from the U.S. and seven from Mexico — will be selected in late July for the televised semifinals which will be held at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 23 and the Ángela Peralta Theater in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on Aug. 30.
Three finalists — chosen via direct voting by the public and guest artists — will advance from each semifinal. A seventh finalist will be presented on Sept. 6 during a televised recap of the semifinals.
The finals will be held on Sept. 13 at Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional.
In addition to earning the opportunity to produce an album with the professional support of the Mexican Music Council, the three winners will be invited to perform at the Independence Day celebrations on Sept. 15.
With reports from La Jornada, Infobae, La Crónica and El Sol de Hidalgo
