The Boston Arts Academy Foundation hosted its annual Honors gala, an incredible night at the MGM Music Hall in the city’s Fenway neighborhood – raising money for the city’s only public performing arts high school – while honoring Bostonians who have excelled in music, dance, civic engagement, fashion, visual arts, film and television, and for lifetime achievement.
“The power of this night lies in what our students show us — that art is not just a subject, it’s a lifeline,” BAAF President and CEO Denella Clark told the Boston Globe. “Tonight’s performances remind us that when we invest in arts education, we invest in Boston’s future leaders, creators, and changemakers.”
Six BAA students joined recording artist Johnny Gil, of New Kids on the Block, on stage: Zay Riffe, Nate Codio, Jordan Jones, Jordan Campbell, Ausar Nau MacKenzie, and Ezra Schwarz-Bart.
The 2025 Honors awardees were singer, actor, and producer Donnie Wahlberg, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; tap legend Dianne Walker in the dance category; noted designer David Josef in the fashion category; renowned event designer Ieasha James in the visual arts field; philanthropist and wellness practitioner Eliza Dushku Palandijian, a former television and movie actor, in the TV and film category; Johnny Gill, the two-time Soul Train-winning singer and songwriter; and St. Mary’s Credit Union President and CEO Grace Lee for civic responsibility.
Photography by: Michael Blanchard
