Selena Quintanilla will be honored on music’s biggest night, the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy announced that the late-great Tejano music icon will posthumously receive the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Queen of Tejano music was known for bringing Tejano music to its forefront in the 1990s. Selena made history with her 1993 album, Live, as she became the first female Tejano artist to win in the “Best Mexican-American Album” category.

To celebrate Selena’s recognition at this year’s Grammy Awards, I want to shine a light on how Selena Quintanilla’s influence continues to shine bright even after 26 years since her tragic passing at the age of 23.

In 1995, the Mexican-American artist took over Tejano music, a completely male-dominated field. She was the first recording artist ever to place five Spanish-language albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200. Her Grammy-nominated 1994 release, Amor Prohibido, went platinum, as did her 1993 Grammy Award-winning album, Selena Live!, and her 1992 album, Entre a Mi Mundo. She was well on her way to an English crossover and the posthumous release of her English album, Dreaming of You, proved there was a market for it.

Since her passing, Selena Quintanilla has influenced and inspired many of today’s music, fashion, and its culture overall. Many of Selena’s signature look included high-waisted jeans, crop tops, and bright red lipstick, much of which is very popular to this day. I can’t help to think that Selena was ahead of fashion as a singer and fashion designer in the 1990s. Selena was also the first artist to reveal the power of the Latino audience. In many ways, her success and the outpour of love after her death formed the catalyst for the “Latin invasion” in the late 1990s, which saw artists like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez rise to success. In fact, Jennifer Lopez owes the majority of her stardom to her breakout role in the biopic “Selena.”

The Canadian hitmaker, Drake is one of the many celebs who’s paid his respects to Selena with a custom-made shirt featuring a hand-painted image of the late singer’s face, which he posted to his Instagram.

 

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Beyonce has also been touched by Selena’s music. “I did actually meet Selena in the Galleria Mall in Houston, but I didn’t say much to her because I wasn’t a celebrity,” the singer said in an MTV Tres interview. “I just saw her and said hello and kept it moving. Definitely growing up in Texas, I heard her on the radio. I think listening to her album even though I didn’t know exactly what she was saying helped me in the studio with my pronunciation. I think she is a legend. I admire her. She was so talented.”

Big Sean is another rapper who’s paid tribute to Selena in the form of custom t-shirts. “Selena’s a legend. She did it big; she was the first,” Sean told Billboard in 2015. “I’m going to rock her on the tee, just like I rock Tupac, just like I rock Biggie.”

Most recently, we’ve seen Netflix launch their new biopic, Netflix’s Selena: The Series, which showcases the life and legacy of her family. Meanwhile, MAC cosmetics released two makeup collections inspired by Selena.

Needless to say, Selena achieved the “American Dream” at just 23-years-old. Selena and her family didn’t have much when she was younger, but they did have a big vision that they weren’t going to give up on. With the support of one another, they were able to create one of the biggest Latina superstars to ever exist, with a lasting legacy that only continues to grow.

26 years later and Selena Quintanilla’s legacy is stronger than ever.

You can catch Selena Quintanilla’s recognition during the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, via CBS.

Long Live Selena, the Queen of Tejano Music!