Renowned audiovisual director Orlando Cruzata, known for creating and leading the music program Lucas, has publicly criticized Cubavisión for its lack of enthusiasm regarding the airing of the Lucas Awards 2026 Nominee Gala. After his team worked tirelessly throughout the night to prepare the broadcast, the state-run channel postponed its transmission.
In a Facebook post titled "Halloween" under his usual tagline "THIS IS WHY THEY CAN'T STAND ME," Cruzata detailed how the ongoing energy crisis forced his team to relocate the gala's editing to Cuban Television facilities, where power outages are less frequent due to an independent generator.
"Faced with the energy emergency, meaning widespread blackouts, we had to resort to a backup plan to ensure the Lucas Awards Nominee Gala would air on Saturday," the director explained.
Delays and Disappointments
The editing of the gala, which originally spanned two hours and needed to be condensed to one hour for Cubavisión, began on Thursday, October 29. The team worked into the early morning hours to meet this goal. By Friday, October 30, at 4 p.m., the one-hour version was complete. "It was tough, but we got it done," Cruzata noted.
Despite their efforts, Cubavisión's response was a letdown. "We were informed that the Gala's airing would be postponed due to several excuses, including the lack of available staff to review it at that time," he expressed, clearly frustrated by the channel's stance, which he described as "almost a declaration of war."
A Broader Critique of State Television
Cruzata used this incident to highlight the broader decline of state-run television in Cuba. "Our Cuban Television has fallen from being a major league team where we would give it our all to air programs as promised, to a municipal league team where agreements are often disregarded unless it's a political or informational program," he criticized.
This is not an isolated occurrence. In February 2023, Cruzata was excluded from the annual review meeting of Cuban Television's music programs, which he had regularly attended. However, in April 2025, he admitted in an interview that he would not allow anyone to "speak ill of the revolution" on his show, calling this censorship "part of our cultural policy."
Energy Crisis Compounds Challenges
The energy context surrounding the gala exacerbated the situation. On October 29, the Unión Eléctrica predicted only 910 MW available during peak demand against a 2820 MW demand, resulting in a 1910 MW shortfall. In 2026 alone, Cuba has experienced eight national power grid failures.
Despite these setbacks, the 29th edition of the Lucas Awards, themed "1 for 30," received 342 video submissions, with 251 selected in 31 categories. New categories include Best Video with Artificial Intelligence and Makeup and Hair. The most nominated video is "Aset" by Ibeyi, with seven nominations. Director Felo leads with 17 nominations across six works.
Moving forward, Cruzata announced that his team is now focusing on the Lucas Awards ceremonies scheduled for November 20 and 21 at Cine Yara.
Understanding the Challenges of Cuban Television and the Lucas Awards
What led to the postponement of the Lucas Awards Nominee Gala?
The postponement was attributed to Cubavisión's lack of personnel to review the edited gala at the required time, despite the efforts of Cruzata's team to prepare it amid an energy crisis.
How does the energy crisis affect Cuban Television's operations?
The energy crisis leads to frequent blackouts, complicating television operations and forcing teams to rely on facilities with independent power sources, as seen with the Lucas Awards gala preparation.
What are the new categories introduced in the Lucas Awards?
The Lucas Awards introduced two new categories: Best Video with Artificial Intelligence and Makeup and Hair, reflecting evolving trends in video production.