The city of Gainesville’s One Nation One Project (ONOP) GNV Talent Search Winner Emmanuel Garilus joined the ranks of Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Lauryn Hill with a saxophone performance on Wednesday that won the 90th season of Amateur Night at the Apollo.
It marks the first time in memory that a contestant finished first at each of the four competition levels, and is possibly the first time the grand prize has been awarded to an instrumental musician, according to a city of Gainesville press release.
Amateur Night, introduced in 1934, is known as one of New York City’s most popular live entertainment experiences. The competition attracts artists from around the world to the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem. Garilus played Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and won the final round of the nation’s longest-running talent.
“Just everything — it’s a humbling process,” Garilus said in a conversation with Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry, who called with congratulations shortly after his win. “Just to see what God has been doing in my life and where he’s taking me. I’m in awe, honestly.”
Garilus started his journey to the Apollo last summer when he auditioned for a citywide youth talent search led by ONOP GNV Artistic Director and long-time Amateur Night producer Marion Caffey. The One Nation One Project initiative was championed on the Gainesville City Commission by Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker, and it became an important project supported by a portion of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Caffey, a Gainesville native, was convinced the best way to conclude the city’s two-year ONOP project, which focused on using arts and culture to reduce youth gun violence, was by celebrating young performers. Garilus won that talent search and was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to perform at the Apollo.
“He really has something special,” Caffey said in the press release. “He has an unquantifiable connection to that saxophone and the audience. They love him. He doesn’t overplay. He’s modest. He’s humble. But when he’s onstage it’s really extraordinary.”
For winning the Grand Finale, Garilus will receive the top prize of $20,000; his and hers special edition Bulova watches designed by the company as a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald in honor of her history at the Apollo; and a weeklong professional development experience in Los Angeles working with producers at the Coca Cola recording studios.
For Garilus, this is the latest in a growing list of accomplishments for the Gainesville musician and 2021 graduate of UF’s Arts in Medicine Program. He was a featured performer on the city of Gainesville float in the 2024 A Very GNV Holiday Parade and has been appointed as a consultant to the city’s Cultural Affairs Board. To date, his performances have more than 1 million views on YouTube and over 100,000 monthly listeners.