The Apollo Announces Host and Honorees for 2025 Spring Benefit
Music Icon Clive Davis To Receive Legacy Award
Multi-Hyphenate Artist Teyana Taylor to Receive The Inaugural Innovator Award
Actress and Comedian Kym Whitley to Host the Evening’s Festivities
Benefit Marks Last Fundraiser in the Apollo Theater Before Historic Renovation
D-Nice returns to DJ at the afterparty
Special Appearances by Multi-Platinum Grammy Award-winning Recording Artist Monica, The Baylor Project with more to be announced
Wednesday, June 4 at The Apollo at 7:00 PM
New York, NY–April 22, 2025 – The Apollo today announced honorees for this year’s Spring Benefit, the historic theater’s largest annual fundraising event taking place on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Clive Davis, one of the most celebrated creative forces in music history, will receive the Legacy Award and be inducted into The Apollo’s legendary Walk of Fame. Teyana Taylor, the multi-talented singer, songwriter, actor, and director, will receive the inaugural Innovator Award, recognizing her trailblazing contributions to music, film, and culture. The 2025 Spring Benefit will also be The Apollo's final fundraiser in the historic theater before embarking on the first full-scale renovation and modernization in its 90-year history.
This year’s event will be a multi-generational celebration of The Apollo’s legacy highlighting the significant role the venue has played in the careers of thousands of Black artists; from giving them a literal stage to launch their careers to a place to make a living doing what they love.
The renovation marks a reemergence and true modernization of the iconic venue, honoring its rich legacy while enhancing the audience experience and ensuring it continues to serve as an epicenter of American and global culture. The creative elements of this year’s Spring Benefit will fold in the designs of the soon to be renovated space, offering attendees a preview of what awaits when the Theater reopens in Summer 2026.
“For generations, The Apollo has been a beacon of culture and community in Harlem and around the world,” said Michelle Ebanks, President & CEO of The Apollo. “This year’s Spring Benefit is a celebration of that legacy and the artists and visionaries shaping what’s next. It marks the final time audiences will experience our legendary theater as it stands today, before we begin the first full-scale renovation in our 90-year history. As we honor the past and embrace a bold future, this evening will uplift the trailblazers who have shaped The Apollo and offer a powerful glimpse into the renaissance to come.”
“To be recognized by The Apollo, an institution that has launched and celebrated so many of the artists I’ve admired and worked with throughout my career, is deeply meaningful to me," said Clive Davis. "I am truly honored to receive the Legacy Award and to join The Apollo’s Walk of Fame.”
“Growing up in Harlem, The Apollo has always been a source of inspiration and Black excellence,” said Teyana Taylor. “Being honored in my hometown, by this iconic institution, is beyond anything I could have dreamed.”
Marking the nonprofit organization’s storied reputation as a home for artists and a champion of Black culture, the evening will feature a tribute to the late Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives and long-time Chair of The Apollo Board of Directors. The tribute will feature an appearance by 8x Grammy nominee, The Baylor Project. The evening will also feature special performances by Deborah Cox, Shoshana Bean, and others performing special tributes to Clive Davis, with multi-platinum Grammy award-winning recording artist Monica presenting the special honor. Martha Redbone and Grammy-winning singer Avery Sunshine will open the benefit show, which will be musically directed by Emmy winning Music Director, Grammy-winning producer, Tony Award nominated orchestrator, two-time Image Award winner, Adam Blackstone. Additional performances by 4x Tony award nominee, Camille A. Brown and others will be featured throughout the evening. After the performances, guests will move to the afterparty featuring the return of D-Nice as the DJ for the evening. Additional appearances and performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Apollo’s 2024-2025 Season has featured signature programs, audience favorites, and exciting new works from artists pushing the boundaries of their art forms – from music and dance to theater, film, and beyond.
All proceeds will support the non-profit organization’s year-round, world-class artistic, education, and community programs, as well as its commitment to articulating and projecting the African American narrative using arts and culture, and creating a 21st century performing arts canon.
The Spring Benefit begins with red carpet arrivals at 4:30 PM followed by the Benefit concert and awards ceremony at 7:00 PM. The evening will also include the event's afterparty designed by celebrated event designer and Apollo Board member Bronson Van Wyck.
Watch for upcoming announcements as The Apollo unveils a thrilling line-up of special honorees and performers. Visit www.ApolloTheater.org for more information. To purchase benefit tickets, make a donation, or for more information, visit https://www.apollotheater.org/benefit-2025.
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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.
