Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio and Chris Stapleton performed at the 51st annual New York Honors Gala at New York’s Cipriani 42nd Street last night. The evening benefited The T.J. Martell Foundation, a leading music industry foundation that provides funds for innovative cancer research, and ended up raising more than $3.2 million.
Matthews presented his longtime manager and close friend, Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw, with the Lifetime Music Industry Award and spoke at length about their collaborative history during a highly improvised speech. Of note, he discussed Capshaw’s charitable initiatives in his hometown of Charlottsville, VA, particularly his efforts to put together A Concert for Charlottesville: An Evening of Music and Unity in 2017 after The Unite the Right rally caused a riot in the otherwise peaceful college down. While accepting the award, Capshaw touched on his clients’ own charitable initiatives and how he ultimately accepted the foundation’s award after 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold, a Red Light client, passed away earlier this year due to cancer. He also nodded to agent Chip Hooper, who helped look over Phish and Dave Matthews Band during their rise through the ranks but, ultimately, lost his battle to cancer.
“We all get hit by cancer—whether it's an artist we work with, ourselves, friends and family,” Capshaw said. “It makes me think of our friend Chip Hooper. It's been over 10 years now. He left us early, and it's a loss I feel to this minute. He was close to many of us in this room. It’s nice to see such a cross section of the industry here: promoters, agents, labels, publishers, attorneys, and artists we work with,” said Capshaw. “I think what really unites this room, both the musicians and the business side alike, is our industry’s inclination to do good and to give back. Without fail, we really are the go-to industry for fundraising and responding in times of need-whether it be a flood, a hurricane, fire relief, or helping our communities - musicians and the teams behind them, really step up. As we’re hearing tonight, this is the 51st year of this event. Not quite the same ring as the 50th, 60th… 25th… who wants to be 51st? And actually, we’re here together for the first year of the next 50 years of this organization. We hope some real breakthroughs will happen in this next chapter.”
Chair of the Board of Trustees Steve Gawley opened the evening by saying, “Coran and his artists have an incredible spirit of philanthropy.” He went on to add, “When we first asked Coran to help us, he didn’t simply agree to be honored. He brought his team, his artists, his relationships and his whole heart—and look what happened. Tonight, this gala has raised more than $3.2 million for cancer research, making it the most successful New York Honors Gala in more than two decades. But tonight isn't just about the total. It's about what the money allows us to do: it lets brilliant scientists take risks, moves promising ideas forward, and gives people facing cancer what matters most—better treatments, more cures and more time with the people they love."
The evening’s three marquee performers each offered a pair of acoustic songs. Matthews played first, running through two numbers he mentioned that Capshaw liked—his solo track “Save Me” and a version of “Don’t Drink the Water” that included a few lines of Wood Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” He then introduced Anastasio, who offered tender takes on Phish’s “Waste” and “More.” Between tunes, Anastasio discussed his friendship with Capshaw, who he met in 1990 when Phish played Trax, and how his now manager helped him launch his Divided Sky Foundation and recovery center. In a somber moment, he also recounted watching both his sister Kristy and best friend Chris Cottrell succumb to cancer. Anastasio then introduced Stapleton, noting that it was one of the coolest things he has ever been able to do on stage, and the country star went on to perform “Where Rainbows Never Die,” a number he recorded with his former bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, and his hit “Tennessee Whiskey.” He also shouted out his SteelDrivers bandmate and songwriting partner Mike Henderson, who died in 2023. Anastasio’s Phish bandmates Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman and Page MConnell were also in attendance and walked the red carpet while musicians Nathaniel Rateliff and Karina Rykman were also spotted in the audience.
The evening was hosted by T.J. Martell Foundation Chair of the Board of Trustees Steve Gawley (Executive Vice President, Head of Business & Legal Affairs, REPUBLIC Collective) in collaboration with the Foundation’s distinguished Executive Committee which included: Scott Borchetta (Big Machine Records), Tom Corson (Warner Music Group/Warner Records), John Esposito (HEY NOW Records, and Foundation Executive Chairman), Daniel Glass (Glassnote Entertainment Group), Jeffrey Harleston (Universal Music Group, and Foundation Executive Chairman), Michael Huppe (SoundExchange), Rich Isaacson (R I Entertainment), Michael Kushner (Sedlmayr & Associates), Dennis Lord (Gordon Law Group), Marc Reiter (Metallica), Darren Stupak, Julie Swidler (Launchpad Advisors), Andy Tavel (Raines Feldman Littrell), Ron Wilcox (MD Consulting, Treasurer) and Lynn-Anne Huck (The T.J. Martell Foundation, CEO). Live Nation joined as the inaugural sponsor of the New York Honors Gala red carpet reception.
