The 38th Annual event featured the presentation of the Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Award to the family of the late Juan Velasco and longtime radio personality Shawn Mondragon a/k/a Chaz Malibu.
Juan was a longtime radio host at KRST radio in Albuquerque and owner of JFV Entertainment in Albuquerque. He was beloved by friends and fans alike. A driving force in the New Mexico Music community, he promoted New Mexico artists on his podcast and radio show. If someone needed help, he was there to help. He loved his family, especially his sons Juan III and Gabriel. Juan passed away suddenly last summer.
Shawn Mondragon was also honored for his service to local music and musicians through his work on radio over the past 30 years as Chaz Malibu. A founding member of the barbershop quartet Duke City Sound, is a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and a coach and faculty member at the Harmony College Northwest for the past three decades. His dedication to local music and musicians is unsurpassed.
See the presentation online at https://youtu.be/2jtfCfIncUI
The Eric Larson Lifetime Achievement Awards is presented to those individuals who have made a difference in the New Mexico Music Community over their careers. Eric Larson was a co-founder of the New Mexico Music Awards and an award winning composer and producer in New Mexico. A scholarship in his name is provided through the Eric Larson Endowment at the University of New Mexico.