Latest news with #SpringBenefit
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kwanza Jones Introduces Inaugural Innovator Award Honoring Teyana Taylor at Historic Apollo Spring Benefit
This year, SUPERCHARGED® CEO Kwanza Jones returns as an Apollo Board Member and Premier Sponsor through her and her husband's Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative to present The Apollo's first-ever Innovator Award! NEW YORK, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At a landmark moment in The Apollo Theater's nearly century-long history, Kwanza Jones, nine-time Billboard-charting music artist, impact investor, and philanthropist, took the stage at the 2025 Apollo Spring Benefit to introduce the first-ever Innovator Award and its honoree, fellow multi-hyphenate Teyana Taylor. This year's Benefit wasn't just a celebration, it was a turning point. As the final Spring Benefit to be held in the current Apollo Theater before its first full-scale renovation in nearly a century, the evening marked the start of a bold new chapter. Jones helped ground that moment through her on-stage remarks, championing The Apollo's role as a space for transformation and spotlighting the power of mindset, voice, and community. She called The Apollo "a place where culture is created, always imitated, never duplicated," and underscored its role as a space for self-expression and bold imagination. Her words laid the foundation for a new tradition, positioning the Innovator Award as both a celebration of fearless artistry and a call to action for collective impact. The Innovator Award, introduced this year by The Apollo, honors artists who break boundaries and shape culture across disciplines. Teyana Taylor, a Harlem native, was recognized for her fearless creative evolution as a performer, director, and artistic visionary who embodies the trailblazing spirit of The Apollo. Jones, whose work also spans the intersections of art, impact, and innovation, brought meaningful resonance to the moment by introducing the Innovator Award and honoring Taylor's multifaceted contributions. Jones stepped out in a show-stopping ensemble styled by Jones herself, wearing a striking Alexander McQueen dress paired with accessories by Stephen Jones and her Kwanza Jones monogram pins. Her bold style echoed the evening's theme of fearless creativity and cultural expression. Following her introduction, Jones returned to the stage alongside fashion icon Dapper Dan, a Harlem native, and actress and comedian Sherri Shepherd to present the Innovator Award to Teyana Taylor, honoring her fearless artistic evolution and cultural impact. As a Board Member and Premier Sponsor through the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, Jones has played a key role in shaping The Apollo's strategy and long-term vision, particularly as the institution prepares for a major transformation and looks ahead to its 100th anniversary in 2034. This decade-forward mindset reflects what Jones calls "Dreaming in Decades," a philosophy grounded in long-term planning, strategic action, and sustained commitment. It mirrors The Apollo's own approach as it prepares for renovation and expansion, ensuring the institution continues to thrive as a hub for culture, creativity, and community for generations to come. Through her work across culture, capital, and community, Jones continues to embody The Apollo's mission and extend its legacy, not only through sponsorship and service, but through her voice, her vision, and her values. In addition to the Innovator Award, the evening also celebrated the legendary Clive Davis, who received the Legacy Award and was inducted into The Apollo's iconic Walk of Fame. The honor recognized Davis' decades-long impact on the music industry and his role in shaping the careers of groundbreaking artists. His recognition underscored The Apollo's deep history and its ongoing commitment to honoring those who have shaped the cultural landscape. As the curtain closes on one chapter and a new one begins, the 2025 Apollo Spring Benefit stands as a testament to the power of leadership, collaboration, and culture to spark transformation. About Kwanza JonesKwanza Jones is on a mission to boost a billion lives through culture, community, and capital. She is a sought-after speaker, accomplished artist, impact investor, and philanthropist. With a multifaceted background spanning music, media, production, law, and business, Jones is an energetic and visionary leader. She is CEO and founder of SUPERCHARGED® by Kwanza Jones, a motivational media company. Jones has served on numerous boards, including The Apollo Theater, Bennett College, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer, and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Through the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, with José E. Feliciano, her partner in life and in business, they have personally committed over $200 million to education, entrepreneurship, equity, and empowerment organizations. To learn more, visit and connect with her on Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | X | Kwanza Jones Boost Friends™ Community. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE SUPERCHARGED Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Apollo Theater Renovation: Behind the Scenes at the Historic Harlem Venue
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Apollo Theater at 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in the night. The Apollo Theater at 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in the night. Osmany Torres Martín/Getty Like any New York City neighborhood, Harlem is in a constant state of change, wrestling with gentrification while seeking to protect its history. In among that flux has been a constant—the Apollo Theater. First opened under a different name as a vaudeville and burlesque venue which excluded African Americans, the Apollo emerged in 1934 as a place for variety revues targeted at Harlem's growing Black population. It became a cultural cornerstone, with artists including Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Sammy Davis, Jr. among the early career stars to take to its stage, which has also been graced by comedians, actors and the man who would go on to be the first Black U.S. president, then-Senator Barack Obama. Now, the Apollo is about to close its doors, but just for a while, as it embarks on the next phase of a multimillion-dollar refurbishment and expansion, which leaders hope will help it last beyond what they say is a challenging time for the arts and Black history. "We have lived through periods of segregation, political unrest, the pandemic. So much of the richness of what has made the Apollo what it is, is steeped in its history and legacy," Joy Profet, chief growth officer at the Apollo, told Newsweek. That legacy will be honored in multiple ways in the coming months and years: in the physical changes and preservations about to take place at the 91-year-old theater, a recently opened performing arts venue in the former Victoria Theater next door and in a new streaming platform with hundreds of pieces of archival footage and photos from decades past. 'It Has Stood for the Best in Black Music' On Wednesday, June 4, the Apollo gave its current form a glittering send-off. Stars including rapper Busta Rhymes, actress Kym Whitley and fashion designer Dapper Dan walked the red carpet beneath the theater's brightly lit sign on Harlem's famous 125th Street for the venue's annual Spring Benefit. Many spoke of the Apollo's place as a vital cultural institution for the Black community, with Rhymes telling reporters that future generations needed to continue to have access to the venue's historic and nurturing environment. "It's not only important in this moment, but it's also necessary that they get that education so they know how to evolve the culture, the way they need to contribute to the history," the rapper said. A legend and a newcomer were among those honored during the evening, symbolizing the venue's ongoing commitment to fostering new talent and acknowledging its past. (L-R) Larry Jackson, Clive Davis and Busta Rhymes attend the 2025 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria on June 04, 2025 in New York City. (L-R) Larry Jackson, Clive Davis and Busta Rhymes attend the 2025 Apollo Theater Spring Benefit at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria on June 04, 2025 in New York City. Shahar Azran/Getty Record producer Clive Davis, now 93, was given the Apollo's Legacy Award, having launched and nurtured the careers of many Black artists, from Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys to Earth, Wind & Fire. "When you think of all the artists—Stevie [Wonder], Ella, Thand the Supremes, Gladys Knight—it has stood for the best in Black music," Davis told Newsweek after being inducted into the theater's Walk of Fame. "So, it has symbolically been the real thing, it is the real thing. So, I look forward to it freshening up and resuming being the real thing." In a new award for 2025, Harlem's own Teyana Taylor, a singer, songwriter and actress, was handed the inaugural Innovator Award. "Many of the quotes say that this is where stars are born and dreams are made," Profet said. "And that's really what has kept this institution so relevant." Apollo Theater's Refurbishment and Future As the party got started at the event, there were signs of work underway, with the Apollo's lobby already walled off for construction, which fully begins in early July. While upgrades have happened piecemeal over the decades, this will be the theater's first top-to-bottom refurbishment. "The lobby, as currently built—I think it was done in the 1980s—it is fairly dated, really not up to a landmark building, which the Apollo is," Chris Cowan, principal at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, or BBB, told Newsweek. But in seeking to reflect the original 1914 building, all the team had to work with was a grainy black-and-white photo. So BBB delved into the records the theater has, while also seeking to create a space that is viable for the coming decades. The lobby will be expanded to twice its size, allowing it to be open day-round for visitors to grab a souvenir or use the new café/bar. Those new offerings will be surrounded by art deco-inspired finishes and set against a backdrop which has long been a fixture of the Apollo's entrance—a wall of fame showcasing photos of stars which have graced the stage over the years. But now it will be enhanced, Cowan said, with new digital experiences. "The history is so deep there, but we were able to bring in technology like touchscreen displays in the lobby. People will learn and be able to see the performers that made the Apollo what it is today, going back to the 1930s when the Apollo first started to allow African-American performers to perform there," Cowan said. The auditorium is where some of the biggest changes will take place. Standing at the back of the orchestra seating with Newsweek, as technicians got ready for the Spring Benefit, Profet explained that while much of the decoration in the space will remain, performances will be very different when the Apollo reopens. "A lot of those original landmarked pieces of the historic theater will be preserved, but this is an opportunity to really integrate interactivity into the experience, as well as technology, and to digitize a lot of what happens here," Profet said. While a wall filled with around 1,000 signatures of musicians, comedians and speakers—including former President Obama—will remain as it is, tucked in the wings, big technology upgrades are coming to a space designed in a time when electric lighting was relatively new and amplified sound wasn't imagined. "Right now, it's high volume. That's all they can do is blast sound," Cowan explained. "It doesn't get to all the points in the theater it needs to get to, so this is a way to really make a huge improvement for the patrons in terms of the sound, which is what people go to the Apollo for, right? It's to hear music and see shows." Seating, lighting and stage mechanics will all be upgraded, with the latter especially needed as scene changes are still manually driven with hemp rope—a practice most theaters have swapped for mechanics. For Cowan and the wider team working on the Apollo's next chapter, it is seen as "paramount" that the project enables the theater to survive. "With the loss of so many theaters on 125th Street, if you look at photographs from the 1930s and 40s it was lined with theaters like 42nd Street back in the day and they were all lost. All the grand old theaters were lost to development of various kinds, or just decay, and the Apollo, to me, it's like the last theater standing," he told Newsweek. Renderings of the foyer of The Apollo Theatre Renderings of the foyer of The Apollo Theatre Renderings courtesy of Charcoalblue, Flyleaf Creative, and Beyer Blinder Belle. 'It Extends Beyond Culture' All this work to expand and enhance the Apollo as a landmark arts venue in the heart of a historic Black neighborhood comes at a time when arts funding is in crisis. President Donald Trump recently targeted the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in a recent executive order entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." For producer Larry Jackson, who has worked alongside Davis for over 20 years, it is vital that the Apollo remains strong. "It's a cultural church, it's a cultural mecca, it's a real sanctuary for Black culture," Jackson told Newsweek on the red carpet. "To me, maybe it's lofty and sacrilegious to say, I think the Apollo [is] on the same level as the White House. It's a landmark and a national treasure that should always remain." Profet told Newsweek she was confident in the Apollo's future, because of its past. "There were times in our history, in full transparency, where it really wasn't clear whether or not the Apollo would have survived," she said. But the Harlem and wider New York community came together, as well as city and state leaders, and those in Congress. One of the Apollo's long-time advocates was Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, who died in May. He described the theater as "like the Mecca" during an interview in 2007 and fought for its survival in the 1990s. That work is now being carried out by Harlem's current representatives at city, state and federal levels, along with community members. "We're all enthusiasts of culture, but we also recognize the unique role in the Apollo in shaping all things that have made America survive and thrive," Profet said. "It extends, in my opinion, beyond culture. It's about advocacy. It's about advocacy for humanity. It's about advocacy for the arts."
