Jan 6 | The Go-Go Museum + Café presents the 2026 Go-Go Awards

This event is sold out!

The Go-Go Museum & Café will celebrate 50 years of go-go music at the 2026 Go-Go Awards, on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, historically known as the city’s Black Broadway. This year’s theme, “Returning to Our Roots and Embracing the Diaspora,” promises an unforgettable evening honoring the culture and legacy of Washington, D.C.’s official music.

Co-hosted by DC natives and comedians Joe Clair and Jay Cole, the night will feature star-studded performances from:

Chuck Brown Band

Kurtis Blow

Doug E. Fresh

Go-Go Allstars — performing iconic go-go hits spanning the last five decades

A Team (house band, recently featured on Front Porch with Patti LaBelle)

DJ Kool (hip-hop and go-go music pioneer) + DJ Wiz (of Kid N’ Play) — a high-energy joint set spotlighting the historic bond between go-go and hip-hop

Special honorees include:

Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor, legendary hip-hop producer

Cathy Hughes, media icon and founder of Radio One

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, for their leadership in preserving go-go music

Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, author, scholar, and chief curator of the Go-Go Museum & Café

Legends and rising stars of the go-go community