Acapulco tops Imagen Awards field as Andy Garcia lands lifetime honor
The Apple TV+ comedy leads the 2026 Imagen Awards with 13 nominations, while Andy Garcia will receive the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Acapulco is out in front at the 2026 Imagen Awards, with the Apple TV+ comedy collecting 13 nominations, according to the Imagen Foundation.
The foundation announced the contenders Thursday for its 41st annual awards, which recognize Latino talent and creative work in film, television, documentaries, digital media and music. The ceremony is set for August 21 at the Beverly Hilton.
Andy Garcia is also headed for a major spotlight. The Oscar nominee will receive the Imagen Foundation’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, the organization said.
Apple TV and the creators of Acapulco will be honored with the Creative Achievement Award, while Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis will receive the President’s Award.
Acapulco shows up across the television categories, including best comedy series. Its nominees include Enrique Arrizon and Camila Perez in the comedy performance race, Eugenio Derbez, Fernando Carsa, Carlos Corona and Cristo Fernandez for supporting comedy performance, Vanesa Bauche and Keyla Monterroso Mejia for supporting comedy actress, and Oscar Almengor and Santiago Limon for directing.
Other projects with multiple nominations include Hazbin Hotel, Belén, Hacks, Stick, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Morning Show, The Night Manager, Twisted Metal and Will Trent, the foundation said.
The acting slate includes several familiar names: America Ferrera, Zoe Saldaña, Melissa Barrera, Selena Gomez, Stephanie Beatriz, Eugenio Derbez, Ramón Rodríguez, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Wilmer Valderrama.
Top categories in the mix
- Best feature film: Belén, Brownsville Bred and Miles Away.
- Best drama series: 9-1-1, The Lincoln Lawyer, Pluribus and Will Trent.
- Best comedy series: Acapulco, Twisted Metal and Scrubs.
- Best documentary: Critical Incident: Death at the Border, P.O.V: Igualada: Refusing to Know Your Place, P.O.V: The Age of Water, Selena y Los Dinos and VOCES American Sons.
In feature film acting, the nominees are America Ferrera for The Lost Bus, Dolores Fonzi for Belén, Zoe Saldaña for Avatar: Fire and Ash and Yvette Yates Redick for Lost & Found in Cleveland.
For drama acting on television, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is nominated for The Lincoln Lawyer, Ramón Rodríguez for Will Trent and Wilmer Valderrama for NCIS. The drama actress field includes Melissa Barrera for The Copenhagen Test, Keana Lyn Bastidas for A Husband To Die For: The Lisa Aguilar Story, Natalia del Riego for The Abandons, Genesis Rodriguez for The Night Agent and Amirah Vahn for Doc.
Helen Hernandez, founder and president of the Imagen Foundation, said in a statement that the group is proud to honor artists whose work reflects Latino communities and varied perspectives. She also said the industry still has serious representation gaps.
Hernandez said the foundation could not present awards in the film categories for best director, best actor and best supporting because of a lack of submissions. She called that a concern for the industry, adding that Latinos represent “a $3 trillion audience” and that ignoring the community affects entertainment’s economic health and longevity.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.