Emmanuel Garilus Crowned 2025 Amateur Night Grand Finale Winner Alongside 2025 Child Star of Tomorrow Nyla Martin
Traditional Edition of Amateur Night Now on Hiatus Until The Apollo’s Historic Theater Reopens Following Renovation and Restoration
(Harlem, NY – June 26,2025) America’s longest-running talent show, Amateur Night at The Apollo, crowned saxophonist Emmanuel Garilus as the winner of the show’s grand finale on June 25. From a global pool of vocalists, rappers, dancers, instrumentalists, comedians, spoken-word artists, and other performers, Emmanuel Garilus won over the notoriously tough “Be Good or Be Gone” audience with his saxophone performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” to receive the highly coveted Amateur Night Grand Prize—which has jump-started the careers of artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, H.E.R., Machine Gun Kelly and the Jackson 5—of $20,000,alongside a new, exclusive opportunity to work with top music engineers, writers, and producers at the Coke Studio at L.A. Live to hone his craft.
Emmanuel was also presented with the newly released Bulova and Apollo Ella Fitzgerald special-edition timepiece, which captures the soulful elegance of Ella Fitzgerald and commemorates her historic debut at The Apollo Theater.16-year-old Nyla Martin clinched the title of “Child Star of Tomorrow” and accompanying $5,000 prize with her rendition of Jennifer Holiday’s “I Am Changing.” Photos and videos of the winners are available here.
Emmanuel Garilus is a professional saxophonist based in Gainsville, Florida with over 10 years of performing experience across musical styles including jazz, pop, afrobeats, and gospel. This year marks his first Amateur Night appearance. “That song—I’m a Whitney fan—and it's such a sentimental piece that truly resonates with the audience. That’s what really stood out to me. The crowd was so into it, and it ended up earning me first place.” said Emmanuel. “It was such an honor and a privilege to perform on such an iconic stage where so many legends have come through. I'm incredibly honored to have won tonight and to be part of the legacy of those who have stepped foot on that stage.”
“I can’t even describe the feeling—I've never experienced anything so surreal. Just thinking about the incredible talent, I was up against, and the fact that so many of them are so young and so gifted, makes this moment even more meaningful,” said Nyla, the2025 Child Star of Tomorrow. “I’m beyond happy and incredibly grateful. Grateful for this opportunity, and especially grateful for The Apollo. It’s such an amazing place to be, and an incredible place to begin a journey in music.”
“For nine decades, Amateur Night has been the heartbeat of The Apollo, a consistent place for laughter, celebration, community, and the development for artists of all levels. As we brought it to this stage one final time before this Historic Theater is transformed, we honor the generations who built this tradition and the audiences who kept it alive. We honor every story that has lived within these walls, and plan to bring back the magic of Amateur Night at The Apollo Stages at the Victoria and again when the historic mainstage reopens. We’re excited to return and be more modern, more inspired, and more rooted in our mission than ever before,” said Michelle Ebanks, President and CEO of The Apollo.
The 2025 grand finale marks the final traditional edition of Amateur Night until The Apollo’s iconic Historic Theater reopens in 2026, following the completion of the first full-scale renovation, restoration, and modernization in the theater’s 91-yearhistory. While The Apollo’s Historic Theater is closed, Apollo programs, along with variations of Amateur Night, will continue to be presented at The Apollo’s new performance spaces, The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater. More information on the renovation of The Apollo’s Historic Theater can be found here.
The Apollo’s large-scale talent competition is produced by Marion J. Caffey, and is hosted by comedian Capone (NY Kings of Comedy, Def Comedy Jam) with perennial favorites including C.P. Lacey in the role of the “Executioner” (in charge of ushering off eliminated contestants); Greginald Spencer, the “Set It Off Man”; and Amateur Night’s longstanding famous house band led by music director, Michael Mitchell (MJ The Musical), featuring DaiQuanDavis on drums, Reggie Young on bass, and Matt Oestreicher on guitar and keyboard.
Since its inception in 1934,The Apollo’s signature Amateur Night has attracted audiences from all corners of the globe and given a platform to what are now some of the biggest names in entertainment, including D’Angelo, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience where up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, and where audience response scan help make or break a career.
Hot 97 and WBLS were official partners of The Apollo for the 2025 Amateur Night grand finale.
About The Apollo
The Apollo is an American cultural treasure. It is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. It has also been a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. Today, The Apollo is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity.
The Apollo is a commissioner and presenter; catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.
The Apollo envisions a new American canon centered on contributions to the performing arts by artists of the African diaspora, in America and beyond.
