A group shot from the 2025 Danny Awards, which returns this weekend at Town Hall.
Photo courtesy of Daniel’s Music Foundation
]Daniel’s Music Foundation (DMF) will celebrate 20 years of impacting the music scene with the 7th Annual Danny Awards on Oct. 18.
DMF was founded in 2006 by the Trush family with the premise that music is a right, rather than a privilege. Co-founder Daniel Trush was the inspiration for DMF — at the age of 12, he survived a life-altering brain aneurysm and spent 30 days in a coma, and he used music to aid during his recovery.
As a nonprofit, DMF provides free music programs for people with disabilities of all ages, both in New York City and online. The Danny Awards were created to recognize disabled musicians and showcase their talents.
The finalists for the Danny Awards were selected from hundreds of global entries by a panel of 13 judges, including Nick Cucci, Senior Executive Director, Recording Academy® New York Chapter; Omar Grant, Senior Director & Creative A&R, Sony Music Publishing; and George Dennehy, Singer-Songwriter & Just Call Me By My Name® Artist. The 10 bands, instrumentalists, and soloists will perform in front of a live audience during the awards.
This year’s finalists include:
- Adrian Anantawan & Leigh McAllister, a Boston-based classical duo who both use adaptive techniques for limb differences
- Vernon Barnard, a blind South African pop recording artist and finalist on “The Voice South Africa”
- Natalie Te Paa, a London-based blind singer-songwriter and disability advocate
- Ryan Gilfillian, a Philadelphia-based paralyzed soul/R&B singer-songwriter
- Elena Petry, a Leola, PA-based classical cellist who was born without arms and plays dynamically with her feet using custom adaptive equipment
- Dani Saldo, a Toronto-based disabled Filipino-Canadian indie pop songwriter
- Summer Dennis, a Maryland-based two-time WAMMIE Award-winning R&B singer and former NCAA D1 gymnast living with chronic pain
- Chris Hendricks, a North Carolina-based Americana-pop singer-songwriter living with cerebral palsy
- Panah, an Austria-based vocalist and dance/R&B producer who uses a wheelchair
- Real V.I. (Cosmo Watson), a Jamaica-based reggae and dancehall recording artist who uses a wheelchair
Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid weekend in New York City where they will have a welcome brunch at DMF’s fully accessible state-of-the-art music center, a posing workshop and photoshoot. Winners also will be able to take part in The Recording Academy New York Chapter’s Business of Music Workshop and 12-week Mentor Program, led by Grammy® award-winning artists and Recording Academy professionals, earn an opportunity to perform at the Danny Awards and attend an after-party hosted at Planet Hollywood in Times Square sponsored by AccessWave, and get consideration for DMF’s Record Label Just Call Me By My Name®.
For the first time, attendees of the Danny Awards, both in person and online, will vote live during the show for the $5,000 Community Choice Award winner.
The night will also include performances from DMF Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jeff Moyer and Daniel Trush & Gerard Powers.
The Danny Awards will take place at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 at Town Hall, located at 123 West 43rd St. Tickets for The Danny Awards are on sale starting at $20 at www.danielsmusic.org/thedannys. The link to register for the livestream is also available on the DMF website.
Details
What: The 7th Annual Danny Awards
Where: Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St., also available virtually
When: Oct. 18, 4 p.m.
Price: Tickets start at $20 for in-person
