The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB MACC) is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Awards of Excellence. These awards, which were established by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board in 2009, recognize individuals in Austin who have demonstrated significant leadership and made meaningful contributions in the Latino/a/e/x cultural arts. For a full list of Awards of Excellence winners from 2009–2025, please visit AustinTexas.gov/MACCAWARDS.

The 2025 awardees will be honored in a ceremony at the Long Center on June 28th. The ceremony is by invitation only, and the public is encouraged to watch the livestream of the event on Facebook at @ESBMACC.

2025 Awards of Excellence Recipients:

Courtney Enriquez, Emerging Artist 

From a very young age  Courtney Enriquez’s mother always encouraged her to participate in dance, drawing and painting, along with instilling the importance of always giving back to the community. Courtney is a native of Austin, Texas and Austin High School Maroon.

With renowned local artists Rey Gaytan and Sam Coronado as her mentors, winning the “Gold Key” Scholastic Award was when she felt the confidence she needed to continue pursuing art. Her first "solo exhibition" was in 1997, and in 1998, City of Austin Art in Public Places commissioned her for a mural at the Dove Springs Recreation Center. Juan in a Million Restaurant has also commissioned her to create murals in both the inside and outside of their restaurant. A wife, proud mom of three boys and four grandchildren, her work is inspired by cultural, spiritual and lifetime memories and experiences. This July, Courtney will have her second "solo exhibition" of mixed media artworks with interpretations inspired by the traditional 100 year old Loteria game of chance, that will take place at the La Pena Gallery on Congress Avenue.

Claudia Chapa, The Arts

Claudia Chapa is an award-winning performer, curator, and Latine cultural advocate. She studied vocal performance at the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin. As a mezzo-soprano, she has performed with Dallas Opera, Virginia Opera, San Diego Opera and St. Petersburg Opera. In 2017, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as the mezzo soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with Distinguished Concert International New York. In 2022, Austin Opera appointed her as their inaugural Associate Director of Artistic Administration and Curator of Hispanic and Latinx programming. She spearheads programming in Spanish and develops initiatives to increase Latine communities’ access to opera. She received the prestigious Silverman Award, the Monica & Roger McNeill Award and is a grant recipient from the Olga Forrai Foundation. Her dedication to cultural representation in opera continues as the founder of the Latine Opera Alliance, a diverse group of Latine-identifying opera singers, creatives and administrators striving to uplift and advocate for equity and representation in opera. Recent highlights include Claudia recording Handel’s Messiah with the Royal Philharmonic at the famed Abbey Roads Studios. 

Chuy Chacon, Service

Jesus “Chuy” Chacon has been the Artistic Director at Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico de Texas in Austin, Texas since 1994. He is responsible for broadening the company's offerings by researching and integrating new regions in Mexico into performances. He oversees the School of Dance, ensuring that instruction aligns with the company's mission. In 2007, he became the Texas representative to the Asociación Nacional de Maestros de Danza Popular Mexicana, the first U.S.-based instructor to be recognized by the Association. He was selected to represent the Mexican Consulate in Austin at the 2nd Symposium of the “Mexican Artist Abroad” (Artistas Mexicanos en el Extranjero), sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Office (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores) in Mexico City. His expertise in folklorico dance has earned him invitations to judge competitions in Mexico and the U.S. In 2024, he received the State of Texas and the Austin City Proclamation for 30 years as Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico de Texas’ Artistic Director.

Walter Guzman, Arts Education

Walter Guzman is the founder and director of the local Guzmán Ballet Folklórico dance group. Under his leadership, students regularly perform both locally and internationally, with appearances in China, Mexico, France, Poland, Spain, Indonesia, South Korea, and most recently, Japan. These experiences allow young dancers to learn from other cultures while proudly promoting Mexican traditions. This year, he is organizing a Mexican festival in Indonesia, bringing together multiple folklórico groups, mariachi musicians and cooks to share their vibrant heritage. Walter’s mission is to ensure that the next generation continues to embrace and celebrate the richness of Mexican culture.

Fred Cantu, Lifetime Achievement

Long-time Texas broadcaster Fred Cantu is often called a local icon after spending 45 years on the air in Austin. He came to Austin in the 1980s where he would bring Tejano hits to our airwaves in 1986. The format continues to this day. Cantu earned his degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Texas, made the switch to television news in 1990 and spent the last 23 years with KEYE-TV as an anchor and reporter for CBS Austin. Notably, Cantu was the first anchor for their sister station Telemundo Austin when it launched in 2009. Fred Cantu retired on March 31, 2025 wrapping up 53 years in broadcasting.

Daniel Llanes, Lifetime Achievement

In 2004 Mr. Llanes received the Webber Foundation Grant to create “Learning & Living with Mother Earth,” a comprehensive Arts Environmental Awareness program culminating in a performance that utilized poetry, music, dance and children’s workshops. His program, sponsored by PODER (People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources), delivered an environmental justice message through Public Service Announcements and a theatrical presentation. Daniel is a community organizer. He currently serves as the Chair of the River Bluff Neighborhood Association, Coordinator of Govalle/Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Contact Team, a community member of PODER, the Austin Raza RoundTable and on the executive committee of the Austin Neighborhoods Council. Mr. Llanes is also a practitioner of traditional Mezo-American folk medicine, a father, an environmentalist who uses his art to inspire people to appreciate life, one another and to find the fun each and every day. August 6, 2015 was proclaimed by the City of Austin to be “Daniel Llanes Day” in appreciation of his prolific artistic contribution to Austin’s vibrant art and cultural scene. A prolific writer, choreographer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, his original offerings are produced live in a variety of venues ranging from one man shows and exhibits to ensemble multi-disciplinary productions.