ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Sparkling dresses, sharp suits and a roaring sense of excitement filled Archer Music Hall during the annual InnaStar Trailblazer Awards — a night dedicated to celebrating Black and Latino artists across the Lehigh Valley.
The red-carpet ceremony, founded by actress and film producer Jacinth Headlam, shone a spotlight on creativity and leadership in the arts, entertainment and the community.
Now in its fourth year, the event recognized excellence across 17 categories, honoring everyone from seasoned entrepreneurs, actors, models, and filmmakers to emerging young talent.
The Saturday night gala opened with a dynamic ensemble medley inspired by "The Lion King" and featured the music of Beyoncé.
Throughout the night, seven community trailblazers were highlighted — each celebrated for their inspiring contributions and achievements.
Headlam created the InnaStar Trailblazer Awards in 2022 to uplift and empower youth, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
The ceremony aired live on PBS39's YouTube courtesy of Lehigh Valley Public Media, home to PBS39, 91.3 WLVR, and LehighValleyNews.com.
Art and innovation
Also in attendance were several local leaders, including U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Allentown City Council Vice President Cynthia Mota, who presented official proclamations to this year’s InnaStar honorees.
Among those recognized were actor and singer King Moore; Jane Heft, vice president and design director at City Center Group; Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce; actress Juanita Renay; actor and former Arizona State University football player Jamaal David Lewis; and visual artist and author Bartholomew “Bart” Cooper.
Heft spoke on her work shaping downtown Allentown’s skyline through projects like Archer Music Hall and the Moxy Hotel — venues she said “bring art, architecture and innovation together.”
Calling the music hall one of her most prized designs, she noted the awards ceremony, like the Archer, offers emerging artists a platform to shine.
“We’ve had art ceremonies before, but not ones that celebrated expression [in all its forms], and this program does that,” she said.
A rising star
Throughout the night, attendees enjoyed live performances by Jus Tammy, Cyrie Melody, Zay Money, the Bia Dancers and the youngest and perhaps most beloved act onstage, King Moore.
"My goal is to inspire the next generation and show you that anything is possible when you believe in yourself and put in the work." <br/>Young actor King Moore
The 10-year-old actor and singer was honored with the Youth Trailblazer award before belting out covers of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and Soul for Real's "Candy Rain."
Moore, a contestant on season 20 of "America's Got Talent," also performed tunes from his new album and offered some sage advice to his peers.
"My goal is to inspire the next generation and show you that anything is possible when you believe in yourself and put in the work," Moore said.
"Kids always remember to follow your dreams, never give up — practice, practice, practice, and always have a great team that will help you grow and learn."
'A real community'
The young artist wasn't the only winner of the night.
“The Lehigh Valley has a melting pot of creativity,”Kwesa the Artist
Northampton-based Kwesa the Artist tied with Mark Johnson for the "Best Filmmaker" award.
It was Kwesa's fourth win for his animated short, "Going Rogue," a self-produced project for which he created both the animation and original music.
“It started as a passion project,” he said, adding that the film also earned awards at the Allentown Film Festival.
“Lehigh Valley has a melting pot of creativity,” said Kwesa, who started learning about anime via tutorials on YouTube.
“There are so many layers of it — people that should be here, people doing amazing things. Just to be nominated with them is amazing.”
He added that supporting emerging artists is as simple as showing up and sharing.
“When you see someone putting out a project, share it — it costs nothing,” he said.
“We have to keep lifting each other.”
Actor and filmmaker Jamaal David Lewis flew in from Los Angeles to attend the ceremony.
He recently wrapped a Christmas film with director Jahmar Hill, and remarked that the InnaStar Awards stand apart from the glitz of Hollywood.
“This feels more like it’s bringing people together and actually displaying local talent,” he said.
“In L.A., it’s all premieres and red carpets — this is a real community.”
To learn more about the InnaStar Trailblazer Awards and for the complete list of winners, visitInnaStar's website.
