Battle Of The NYC Boroughs Announced At Amateur Night At The Apollo, July 26

On Wednesday, July 26, 12 contestants from across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, and New Jersey will take the famed Amateur Night at the Apollo stage to compete for bragging rights, and a chance to win $20,000. In a night of neighborhood rivalry, artists from the five New York City boroughs and New Jersey will bring their singing, dancing, and more to Harlem and to the nation's original talent show, Amateur Night at The Apollo.

Will the birthplace of hip-hop, the Boogie Down Bronx, where Jennifer Lopez and Fat Joe made a name for themselves, come out on top? Or will it be Brooklyn, the borough that gave birth to legendary artists such as Jay-Z and Maxwell? Or might it be Manhattan, Alicia Keys's old stomping grounds, and home to Broadway and countless iconic theaters? Will it be Queens, the home to so many genre-defining rappers like Nas? Or the never to be forgotten borough, Staten Island, where Wu-Tang made their name? Or perhaps the Garden State, home to talents from Queen Latifah to former Amateur Night contestant Lauryn Hill to Whitney Houston.

Since its inception in 1934, The Apollo's signature Amateur Night continues to gain global recognition for launching the careers of thousands of performers and attracting audiences from all over the world. Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience where up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, and where audience responses can help make or break a career.

Amateur Night is hosted by the comedian Capone. Each show begins with a festive pre-party with the longtime Amateur Night band featuring video and music by DJ Jess and Set It Off Man Greginald Spencer, and throughout the show CP Lacey, the resident “Executioner,” sweeps booed contestants off the stage.

Tickets for the 89th year of Amateur Night are on sale now at www.ApolloTheater.org. Auditions for Amateur Night happen twice yearly in person at The Apollo and are accepted on an ongoing basis online at https://www.apollotheater.org/amateur-night/auditions/.