Daniel's Music Foundation is marking 20 years of free music programming for people with disabilities by bringing its seventh annual Danny Awards back to Manhattan's Town Hall on Oct. 18, with ten finalists from as far away as South Africa, Jamaica and Austria set to perform live for an audience, with a panel of judges.
The nonprofit was founded in 2006 by the Trush family on the premise that music is a right rather than a privilege, according to amNewYork. Co-founder Daniel Trush survived a life-altering brain aneurysm at age 12, spent 30 days in a coma, and used music to aid his recovery, per the outlet's reporting. That grassroots beginning traces back to a rented basement space with a single keyboard class for five participants, according to Manhattan Sideways, after the Trush family found few accessible music options available at the time.
The foundation's growth got a major boost in 2011 when it was selected for the New York Yankees' HOPE Week, performing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium — an appearance that helped expand its active membership from 150 to 200 participants within three weeks, Manhattan Sideways reports. Today the organization operates out of a custom-built, barrier-free 8,700-square-foot music center at 1595 Lexington Avenue, featuring five soundproof studios, a recording studio with a sound booth, and the Snackappella Cafe, according to Daniel's Music Foundation's own description of the facility.
Global Talent Competing for a Spot on Stage
The Danny Awards began in 2020 as a way to showcase international artists with disabilities beyond the foundation's New York City footprint, according to Town Hall's event listing. This year's ten finalists were selected from hundreds of global entries by a panel of 13 judges, per amNewYork, and will perform in front of a live audience as bands, instrumentalists and soloists.
The lineup includes Boston-based classical duo Adrian Anantawan and Leigh McAllister, who use adaptive techniques for limb differences, and blind South African pop artist and Voice South Africa finalist Vernon Barnard. Also competing are London-based blind singer-songwriter Natalie Te Paa, Philadelphia-based paralyzed soul and R&B singer-songwriter Ryan Gilfillian, and Leola, Pennsylvania cellist Elena Petry, who was born without arms and plays with her feet using custom adaptive equipment.
Rounding out the finalists are Toronto-based indie pop songwriter Dani Saldo, Maryland-based two-time Wammie Award-winning R&B singer and former NCAA Division I gymnast Summer Dennis, North Carolina Americana-pop singer-songwriter Chris Hendricks, who lives with cerebral palsy, Austria-based wheelchair-using vocalist and dance/R&B producer Panah, and Jamaica-based reggae and dancehall artist Real V.I., also known as Cosmo Watson, who performs using a wheelchair.
Judges Pulled From Recording Academy and Sony
This year's judging panel includes Nick Cucci, senior executive director of the Recording Academy New York Chapter, and Omar Grant, senior director and creative A&R at Sony Music Publishing, according to amNewYork's reporting. Also serving as a judge is George Dennehy, a singer-songwriter signed to the foundation's own label, Just Call Me By My Name.
That boutique label launched in July 2023 in partnership with Sony's global distributor The Orchard, releasing compilation EPs featuring Danny Award recipients timed to key disability awareness dates, with its debut EP tied to Disability Pride Month, per Music Connection Magazine. To mark the label's launch, foundation artists performed a concert at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. The label's artists work in styles ranging from blues to folk rock to opera and more, the magazine reported.
Winners Get Mentorship, Brunch and a Record Deal Shot
Winners of this year's Danny Awards will receive an all-expenses-paid weekend in New York City, starting with a welcome brunch at Daniel's Music Foundation's fully accessible music center, amNewYork reports. They'll also take part in the Recording Academy New York Chapter's Business of Music workshop and a 12-week mentor program led by Grammy Award-winning artists and Recording Academy professionals.
Beyond mentorship, winners get the chance to perform at the Danny Awards ceremony itself and attend an after-party at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, sponsored by AccessWave, along with consideration for a spot on the Just Call Me By My Name label roster, according to the outlet. Attendees, both in person and online, will also vote live for a separate $5,000 Community Choice Award winner.
The evening will include performances by DMF Lifetime Achievement Award winner Jeff Moyer alongside Daniel Trush and Gerard Powers, per amNewYork's coverage. Last year's ceremony was also held at Town Hall, continuing the foundation's relationship with the Midtown Manhattan venue.
A Landmark Stage Built for Democratic Sightlines
Town Hall, located at 123 West 43rd St., was constructed in 1921 by McKim, Mead & White for the League for Political Education and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012, according to Wikipedia. Its 1,500-seat auditorium was intentionally designed without columns or box seats to guarantee equal sightlines for every attendee, a design that evokes grassroots democracy.
The production itself incorporates accessible design for visually impaired audience members and performers, including live audio description services and printed Braille programs, according to Disability Arts Online. The competition also draws artists from overseas.
Tickets for the Oct. 18 Danny Awards start at $20 for in-person attendance, with livestream registration available through Daniel's Music Foundation's website, amNewYork reports.
