what to know
- The city inaugurated the first edition of the Riders’ Choice Award to recognize the newest group of artists joining the MTA’s prestigious Music Under New York program.
- The all-girl band Brass Queens took home first place.
- His music blends the woodwind musical traditions of New Orleans with the lively energy of New York.
NEW YORK — New Yorkers have chosen a winner!
After a competition between the three subway bands selected as finalists in the first annual MTA Music Under New York Riders’ Choice Award, the all-girl band Brass Queens took first place.
The Riders’ Choice Award was inaugurated by the city and sponsored by the WE❤️NYC campaign in an attempt to recognize the newest group of artists joining the MTA’s prestigious Music Under New York program.
On Thursday, Governor Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced Brass Queens as the winning group, taking home the most recognition after polling 55.7% of more than 55,000 votes. In this way, they defeated the other two finalists, the Afro-Caribbean soul band Afro Dominicano and the saxophonist Augie Bello, as well as the other 125 performers who initially applied to the competition.
“Being chosen to be a part of Music Under New York was a dream come true and receiving this additional recognition from our peers means a lot,” Alex Harris, trumpeter and co-founder of Brass Queens, told NBC 4 New York. “We couldn’t have done this without our friends, family and fans so we want to thank Queendom for all their love and support.”
Since their debut in early 2019, Brooklyn-based Brass Queens have celebrated the talent of all-female artists. His music blends the woodwind musical traditions of New Orleans with the lively energy of New York, embracing a unique blend of funk, soul, and hip-hop.
Along with this distinction, the band will receive a session in a recording studio with the Atlantic Records label.
“We are still deciding what to record! We’re thinking it would be a great opportunity to record more original music,” Harris said.
This honor has the potential to lead Brass Queens to complete success.
“I guarantee that it will propel them to stardom and fame starting here in New York City,” Hochul said.
