Andrés Cantor to Receive NAHJ’s MVP Award, Honoring a Voice That Made Soccer Feel Like Home
The broadcaster will be recognized at the 2026 Excelencia Awards in New York, where the celebration will support the next generation of Latino journalists.
For generations of soccer fans, Andrés Cantor’s voice has supplied the emotional punctuation to the game’s biggest moments. Now, the broadcaster whose extended goal calls became a signature of Spanish-language sports television is receiving recognition from his journalism peers.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will honor Cantor with its MVP Award — Most Valuable Press Award at the 2026 Excelencia Awards & NextGen Benefit. The recognition falls within the organization’s President’s Awards. The ceremony is scheduled for November 17 at ABC News Headquarters, 7 Hudson Square, in New York City.
Cantor’s distinction offers an opportunity to consider the craft behind an instantly recognizable sound. His celebrated goal call may be the introduction for casual viewers, but sustaining a broadcast requires preparation, timing and the judgment to know when a moment needs explanation — and when it needs room to breathe.
Telemundo marked Cantor’s 25th anniversary with the network in March 2025, highlighting a career spanning World Cup broadcasts and Olympic coverage. His emotional narration of Argentina’s victory in the 2022 World Cup final remains among his defining broadcast moments.
The cultural significance extends beyond any single match. For Spanish-speaking audiences, a broadcaster’s language, cadence and references are part of the experience of watching sports. Cantor’s appeal illustrates how a distinctive voice can establish an intimate relationship with viewers, even during an event watched by millions.
That makes this honor particularly fitting for an organization concerned with who gets to tell stories — and who receives the support needed to build a career telling them.
The Excelencia Awards serve as NAHJ’s premier fundraiser, supporting scholarships, internships, mentorship, training and leadership development through its NextGen initiatives. The evening connects recognition for established professionals with practical opportunities for emerging journalists.
Cantor joins a President’s Awards lineup that includes Denisse Oller, receiving the Visionary Award, and Soledad O’Brien, receiving the Fearless Award.
For Hollywood Latino, the resonance is clear: Spanish-language sports broadcasting deserves attention as both journalism and a powerful expression of culture. Cantor’s career demonstrates the reach a broadcaster can achieve while retaining a voice audiences recognize as their own.
On November 17, that voice will be celebrated in a room helping others find theirs.
Tickets and event information are available at nahj.org/excelencia.
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