Mia Garcia is on a quest to become the youngest winner of the Tejano Music Awards in November. The 11-year-old Austin resident is nominated in the first round for the Best New Female Artist category.
According to local Austin outlet KVUE, the 11-year-old says she started singing because she was influenced by her mother, who was also a vocalist. Garcia recorded her first song at 5 years old and she and her mother started doing karaoke together. Six years later, she has recorded five songs. Garcia is mostly known for individual singles, like “Boom Boom Boom” and “Ven Baila Conmigo.”
Garcia is getting a lot of attention for her nomination, so as expected, she is also being compared to the late Selena Quintanilla. But Garcia is not a fan of the comparison. “A lot of people call me the future Selena. I want to live up to that. But I want to be my own person. I want to be Mia,” she said in a Facebook post. There are certainly some similarities between Mia Garcia and Selena, as both started singing really young and grew up in Texas. But so far, Garcia seems to be carving out her own path with the help of her dad and manager, Chris Garcia.
Most 11-year-olds don’t have to defend their connection to an icon or receive a national award. But Garcia says she’s still a regular kid. In her free time, she plays guitar, practices karate, and does gymnastics.
Garcia is still in the first round of nominations and will know her fate after the second round of general voting, which runs from September 1-30. If chosen, Garcia will be an official nominee for the 2018 Tejano Music Awards. The ceremony takes place on November 18.
Watch Mia Garcia in action below.