The final of the contest “México Canta for Peace and Against Addictions”, held on October 5 at the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, transcended borders by reaching 39 countries and a global audience of over 11 million viewers, according to Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico’s Minister of Culture.
During President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s morning press conference on October 10, the official highlighted that public voting was concentrated mainly in Mexico (60%), followed by the United States (27%), and 13% coming from countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
“This was a contest that took seven months of preparation and concluded last Sunday. I want to thank President Claudia Sheinbaum for supporting music and culture as tools for transformation, and Mexico City’s Mayor Clara Brugada for hosting the México Canta final. In the coming months, we will be bringing this initiative to other states,” said Curiel de Icaza.
The competition, which aims to promote new musical voices advocating for peace and addiction prevention, crowned three main winners: Sergio Maya was awarded Best Performer for his song Quiero soñar (“I Want to Dream”); Carmen María González received Best Composition for Tanto para nada (“So Much for Nothing”); and Galia Siurob earned the Specialists’ Award for her rendition of De menos a menos.
The winners will sign a contract with the Mexican Music Council and, together with the finalists and semi-finalists, will embark on a binational tour across Mexico and the United States, including a performance at the Latin Grammy Showcase on November 9 in Las Vegas.
The international México Canta tour will feature concerts on November 8 in Los Angeles, November 14 and 15 in Miami, November 21 and 22 in Tijuana, and will conclude on December 20 in Mexico City as part of the city’s Christmas fair.
Curiel de Icaza announced that in 2026, a more extensive tour is being planned, designed as a musical production with performances in schools and community spaces.
“It will be a much more robust project in which the finalists will travel to different regions to work directly with young people, continuing to use music as a tool for prevention and hope,” she said.
Throughout its seven months of competition, México Canta was supported by over 25 public media outlets, which broadcast each stage of the contest and helped build new musical narratives focused on peace, creativity, and Mexican cultural identity.
“The goal of México Canta is not only to promote musicians,” emphasized President Claudia Sheinbaum, “but also to inspire new narratives for peace and against addiction, demonstrating that culture is a powerful tool to transform lives.”
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Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
