Chicago Youth Awards

CHICAGO YOUTH AWARDS 2025

CROWD CONTROL - MUSIC NOTE KID

At just 15 years old, this talented DJ showcases his versatility by mastering seven musical instruments. As a dedicated student-athlete and entrepreneur, he excels academically as an honor student at the prestigious University of Chicago Laboratory School, where he is proudly navigating his freshman year. His impressive skills also extend to event management, as he takes on the important role of overseeing crowd control at the upcoming 2025 Chicago Youth Awards.

Introducing, Music Note Kid.

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KHI - HOST

CROWD CONTROL - MUSIC NOTE KID

Khi, known as "Khi Got the Clout," is an unstoppable force at just 8 years old. This talented actor and hip-hop artist from the vibrant South Side of Chicago is already making waves. Currently in the second grade, he stands out as an honor student at ITAV Charter School, which exemplifies the spirit of community and achievement.

Though he may be small, his talent is immense. Last year, he claimed the prestigious title of "Hip Hop Artist of the Year," proving he’s a true trailblazer in his craft. This year, he’s taking the stage as the charismatic host of the Chicago Youth Awards, where he will inspire and captivate his audience. Keep a close eye on this rising star—his journey is just beginning!

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LA SHAWN K. FORD HUMANITARIAN AWARD

The La Shawn K. Ford Humanitarian Award is given to a single child that has performed an extraordinary act of kindheartedness or service to the community. This young person has demonstrated goodwill, compassion for the less fortunate, and has worked diligently to care for others.

2025 La Shawn K Ford Humanitarian Award Recipient

Harper Anthony

Harper Anthony is a 12-year-old entrepreneur, actor, model, and youth advocate. He is the owner of Harper Anthony, LLC where he operates a successful visual media company called Harpix Visions 360. In an effort to bring more attention and acknowledgement to youth on positive paths, especially academically, Harper recently launched a nonprofit called “The Build Different Initiative.” As the founder and CEO, Harper is looking to build anti-violence programs while partnering with businesses and organizations to offer incentives to youth for academic and behavioral achievement. Additionally, Harper serves as the youngest board member of Raw Talent Performing Arts, NFP, as a youth community advocate and enjoys participating in community service efforts.

Harper has been in the fashion industry since he was 3 years old. His love for modeling has landed him bookings with major brands resulting in magazine publications, national ads, and plenty of fashion shows in Chicago, Miami, Atlanta and in New York during New York Fashion Week. His sense of style, especially with suits, has caught the attention of millions, branding him the title, “The Kid with the Suits.” Several of his photos have gone viral, being shared by millions around the world and celebrities including Chris Brown, Ludacris, Tracee Ellis Ross, Common, and more. As an actor, Harper has had the luxury of co-staring in a series, booking regional and national commercials, a stage play at the famous Goodman Theatre, and even is in a Disney series that will debut next year.

Harper continues to excel in the classroom as well. He has earned 20 consecutive quarters of straight As, was accepted into the Monster Education Foundation Program, the National Junior Honor Society, and currently attends the 6-year Academic Center program at Lindblom Math & Science Academy where he holds a 5.0 GPA. Harper is also the 2022 Foley and Lardner MLK Oratory Competition Winner, Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award recipient, The BE Impactful Award recipient, 2024 Chicago Youth Award MVP, and a Student Ambassador for the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning. No stranger to sports either, Harper is a soccer player, volleyball player, basketball champion, and a 2x Flag Football champion where was the starting Quarterback.

Harper Anthony intends to continue his academic success and attend either Howard University or Morehouse College. Although he never wants to stop acting, he plans to pursue a career in Law and ultimately run for President of the United States in 2048.

THE NOMINEES HAVE BEEN SELECTED!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination! We are absolutely delighted to unveil the list of nominees BELOW. Our dedicated nomination committee has poured their passion into carefully reviewing each submission and selecting the remarkable individuals we celebrate today. One shining winner will be honored in each category, with the exciting announcements set for July 27th.

**Attention, Esteemed Nominees:** To secure your opportunity for an award, we kindly ask you to send us a photo, your school name, age, social media handle to chicagoyouthawards@gmail.com. Please ensure that "Nominee Information" is included in the subject line to help us keep everything organized.

Save the date for the stunning reveal of our winners at the 2025 Chicago Youth Awards Show, scheduled for July 27, 2025, at the magnificent Kehrein Center for the Arts, located at 5628 West Washington Blvd, Chicago, Illinois, 60644. You won’t want to miss this extraordinary event—tickets are available now on our website! Wishing the best of luck to all our incredible nominees; we can’t wait to celebrate your outstanding achievements together!

2025 NOMINEES

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR)

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

· CT Marsmillow

· Pharrell Bryan

· Zaire (Zairegotskills)

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

· Malachi Henigan – Brother Rice HS

· Achilles Anderson

· Kenric Williams – Kenwood High School

· Jahkil Jackson – Crane High School

· Elijah Sirleaf

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR) )

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR) )

· Justice Metcalf

· Zaire (Zairegotskills)

· Lia Moski

· Emmy Extra

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR) )

· Zia Janaye

· Kid Fusion

· Melissa Moreira

· Cory Dean Jr

YOUTH CHOIR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

· Soul Children of Chicago

· Leo High School

· Uniting Voices of Austin

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

· Chaos Bulldogs

· Cheer Destiny

· Cheer Extreme AllStars

· CBY Cheer

· TES Cheer

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

· Kenwood High School

· Michelle Clark High School

Hales Franciscan HS

Chicago Infinity Cheer

· Chicago Bulls High School

YOUTH SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR (junior)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

Abigail Davis – Holy Angels School

Khi

Skylar Wallace

YOUTH SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

YOUTH SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

· Tyler Rush (IMSA)

· Colin Williams

· Jamiyah Abraham – Prosser High School

· Egypt Murray – Kenwood High School

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)

· Jade & Joy Lee

· Serenity Sweets Deluxe

· Dylan Hawkins – Distressed Clothing

· Lil Drippy (Cohl Da King)

· Tay – Hardlife LLC

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

· CircEsteem

· Steppenwolf Theater Young Adult Council

· Guitars Over Guns

· Ladies of Virtue

· The Bloc Chicago

YOUTH CONTENT CREATOR

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

· Emmy Extra

· Jade & Joy Lee

· LJ, A Chicago Kid

· Lia Moski

· Lil Drippy

Youth Hip Hop Artist of the year (Junior)

· LJ, A Chicago Kid

· KY From The Chi

· Kid BJ

· Khi

· CT Marsmillow

Youth Hip hop artist (senior)

Youth Hip Hop Artist of the year (Junior)

· Lil M.U.

· Star Bandz

· Baby Chief Do it

Litty Gang Twinzz

Youth DAnce team of the year (junior)

Youth Hip Hop Artist of the year (Junior)

Youth dance team of the year (seniors)

· Sankofa Dance

· RIZE Youth Company

· Empiire

· Royalty Elite

· Black Girls Dance

Youth dance team of the year (seniors)

· Astronaut Flee

· Ultimate Threat Dance Team

· Julian High School

· Trap House Dance Team

· Chicago Tech Academy High School

hottest twins of the year

Youth dance team of the year (seniors)

hottest twins of the year

· Litty Gang Twins

· Kayce & Kayson

· Samirah & Sorayah

Milah & Nilah Smith

YOUTH MVP

Youth dance team of the year (seniors)

hottest twins of the year

· Collin Williams – University of Chicago Laboratory School

· LJ, A Chicago Kid

· Tyler Rush -Illinois Math & Science Academy

2024 AWARD WINNERS

Congratulations to the remarkable recipients of the 2024 Chicago Youth Awards! We are thrilled to celebrate your hard work, immense talents, and unwavering dedication. Your achievements inspire us all, and we wholeheartedly support you on your journey. Well done!

Youth Humanitarian Award – Jakhil Jackson -Crane High School

Youth MVP Award – Harper Anthony – Lindbloom High School

Youth Choir of the Year - Austin Neighborhood Choir, UNITING VOICES

Student Athlete of the Year (Elementary) – LAMONT BRUCE – BURNHAM SCHOOL

Student Athlete of the Year (High School ) – DERRICK DAVIS – LEO HIGH SCHOOL

Youth Organization of the Year - BUILD Chicago

Youth Entertainer of the Year (Elementary) – LJ A Chicago Kid

Youth Entertainer of the Year (High School) – Zia Jenaye

Youth Model of the Year – Tia james

Youth Entrepreneur of the Year – Distressed Clothing – Dylan Hawkins

Cheer Team of the Year ( Elementary )– Kaos Bulldogs

Cheer Team of the Year (High School) Lady Warriors

Youth Scholar of the Year – Bri’Nyiah Washington – St Lutheran School

Youth Content Creator of the Year – Skylar Wallace

Youth Drill Team of the Year – Golden Knights Drill Team

Youth Hip Hop Artist of the Year – Khi

Youth Dance Team of the Year (Juniors) Ultimate Threat Dance Team

Youth Dance Team of the Year (Seniors) Empiire Dance Company

Crowd Rocker – Landon Reed

2024 NOMINEES

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (ELEMENTARY)

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

KARTER MALONE - WHISTLER ELEMENTARY

DAKOTA SIRLEAF - CATALYST CIRCLE ROCK

LAMONT BRUCE - BURNHAM ELEMENTARY

CAYDEN HILLIARD - ROBERT BLACK ELEMENTARY

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

ELIJAH SIRLEAF - DE LASALLE HS

Kiaya Johnson - KIAYA JOHNSON - WHITNEY YOUNG HS

TAYLEN REED - BUTLER COLLEGE PREP

DEVIN CLEVELAND - KENWOOD HS

PRESTON HUJBAR - ST LAURENCE HS

DERRICK DAVIS - LEO HS

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (ELEMENTARY)

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

J Leel Tha Boss

CT Marsmillow

LJ A Chicago Kid

SKYLAR WALLACE

LITTY GANG TWINS

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

Zia Jenaye

Blake Shaffer

KID FUSION

TUTTIE

DECLAN CHILDS

YOUTH CHOIR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

LEO HIGH SCHOOL

AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CHOIR, UNITING VOICES

ST SABINA YOUTH CHOIR

BS ROSEBUD CHOIR OF MESSIAH TEMPLE

CHOZEN YOUTH CHOIR, LIGHTHOUSE OF ALL NATIONS CHURCH

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

YOUTH ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (HIGH SCHOOL)

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

TES ATHLETICS ALLSTAR CHEER

CHICAGO STORM ALL STARS

CHEER DESTINY ALL STARS

KAOS BULLDOGS CHEER

TECHNIQUE GEMS

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

LADY WARRIORS

TECHNIQUE GEMS

PROSSER ACADEMY CHEER

LADY TROJANS CHEER

CRANE MED PREP CHEER

YOUTH MODEL OF THE YEAR

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

Tia James

Bryson Alexander

LJ A Chicago Kid

Dhenim Kaye

NIVEA SANDAVOL

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH CHEER TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

DISTRESSED CLOTHING - DYLAN HAWKINS

RILEY’S WAY FOUNDATION

BELA NOELLE -

A CHICAGO KID APPAREL - LJ, A CHICAGO KID

YOUTH SCHOLAR OF THE YEAR

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Osheanna Tyler Hudson

Bri'Nyiah Washington

Lyn'Nayzah Washington

DARION MITCHELL

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

BUILD CHICAGO

THIS IS LIFE

KIDS KORNER

AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS

FATHERS WHO CARE YOUTH INTERNSHIP

YOUTH CONTENT CREATOR

YOUTH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

SKYLAR WALLACE

ZIA JENAYE

JACOB HILL

K5FIVEE

DRILL TEAM OF THE YEAR

DANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

NEW GENERATION DRILL TEAM

SOUTH SHORE DRILL TEAM

GOLDEN KNIGHTS DRILL TEAM

DANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (JUNIORS)

GEEK SKQUAD

ULTIMATE THREAT DANCE CORP

GOLDEN ELITE DANCE TEAM

NEXT LEVEL

SECOND II NONE PERFORMANCE ACADEMY

DANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

DANCE FORCE ELITE

EMPIRE DANCE COMPANY

ASTRONAUT FLEE

BOT DANCE TEAM

TRAP HOUSE DANCE

YOUTH HIP HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

DANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (SENIORS)

J Leel Tha Boss

LJ A Chicago Kid

King Youngin

STAR BANDZ

KHI

2025 CHICAGO YOUTH AWARDS