April 25, 2025
Teyana Taylor is set to receive the first-ever Innovator Award at The Apollo’s 2025 Spring Benefit.
Teyana Taylor will be celebrated in her hometown as the first-ever recipient of The Apollo Theater’s inaugural Innovator Award.
The Harlem native will return home on June 4 to be honored at the Apollo’s Spring Benefit, where she’ll be recognized for her dynamic career as a singer, model, actress, and creative director. The award marks a full-circle moment for Taylor, who was born and raised in Harlem and deeply understands the cultural significance of the iconic venue.
“Growing up in Harlem, The Apollo has always been a source of inspiration and Black excellence,” Taylor said in a press release. “Being honored in my hometown by this iconic institution is beyond anything I could have dreamed.”
The Apollo’s 2025 Spring Benefit will mark the historic theater’s final fundraiser before it undergoes its first full-scale renovation and modernization in its 90-year history. This year’s event serves as a multigenerational celebration of The Apollo’s continued legacy, helping to launch and sustain the careers of thousands of Black artists, offering them not just a stage, but a livelihood.
“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.”
In addition to Taylor, Grammy-winning producer Clive Davis will receive the Legacy Award and be inducted into The Apollo’s legendary Walk of Fame for his pivotal role in the music industry.
“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,” Davis said. “I am truly honored to receive the Legacy Award and to join The Apollo’s Walk of Fame.”
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