Artists and Creatives Dazzle at National Black Theatre’s Inaugural Fall Fête
John Legend, Sanford Biggers and Nona Hendryx were among the 2026 honorees
The National Black Theatre held its inaugural Fall Fête on Wednesday in New York City to honor remarkable forces across theater, music, film, and fine art. The annual gala, hosted by television personality Bevy Smith, took place at Chelsea Piers and featured a sumptuous dinner, cocktails, and performances by the iconic John Legend.
“The Fall Fête is an opportunity to gather in joy and celebrate the extraordinary artists, cultural leaders, and community who continue to imagine what is possible alongside us,” NBT CEO Sade Lythcott told Galerie. “For nearly six decades, NBT has believed in the transformative power of Black artists and Black storytelling, and in creating spaces where our community can see the fullness of ourselves and the futures we want to inhabit.”
Founded in 1968 by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, an award-winning performer, director, visionary entrepreneur, and champion of the Black Arts Movement, NBT has a ground-breaking legacy: as the country’s first revenue-generating Black art complex, the longest continually run Black theater in New York City, and one of the oldest theaters founded and consistently operated by a woman of color in the nation.
Since its founding, NBT has invested over $10 million in 350-plus original works by Black artists and garnered numerous accolades, including NYTimes Critics Picks, Obie Awards, Lortel Awards, and Tony and Emmy nominations. NBT has also been included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
“As a young adult, my mother would bring me to the International Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina every summer,” NBT Co-Chair Sonja Warfield added. “Serendipitously, this is where I first encountered National Black Theatre’s work and was so inspired by their visionary founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer. She made me fall in love with Black theater, and what it means to tell OUR stories.”
Today, NBT’s core mission remains the same: to educate, enrich, entertain, empower, and inform national consciousness around social justice issues that impact the country.
The spirited evening concluded with an award ceremony honoring musician John Legend, producer Mike Jackson, and their Los Angeles-based multimedia production company Get Lifted Film Co., investor and business leader Margaret Anadu, artist Sanford Biggers, and musician and songwriter Nona Hendryx.
