Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces Brass Queens Wins the First-Ever MTA Music Under New York Riders’ Choice Award

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the winner of the first-ever WE❤️NYC Riders’ Choice Award, which invited New Yorkers to vote for their favorite of the MTA’s Music Under New York’s roster of subway performers. Governor Hochul was joined in Times Square by MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and by representatives of Partnership for New York City, Atlantic Records recording artist and Brooklyn native ENISA, and others to find out which “busker” riders are most excited to encounter during their travels on the subway. After a week of public voting, Brass Queens took home the grand prize with 55.7 percent of more than 55,000 votes cast and will receive a recording session with Atlantic Records.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the event is available here.

PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

There we go, New York. Welcome, New York. We feeling a little hot out there, New Yorkers? Well, that's because this is one smoking hot city, right? It's all right. It's all right.

We are here to celebrate all that is great about New York City. Now, we went through some tough times, but you are here to witness the greatest comeback in our nation's history.

We are stronger than ever before. We are more energized than ever before. And my friends, we are more fun than ever before, and it starts with celebrating music – because music is life.

When you are walking the streets or even below ground, and you happen to capture the sounds of a performer, it stops us in our tracks. It makes us just take a breath. We slow down, we walk over, we watch, we listen, and we have that sense of joy that lifts our spirit.

And as more people start coming back to the subways – and they are coming back – we want to make it an incredible, memorable experience for them so when they leave the subway, they have an extra smile on their faces.

So I want to thank, “We Love New York City” and this campaign that we launched here just a few months ago for recognizing that this civic engagement, meaning the civic engagement of the people to find different ways we can lift each other up, has been genius.

And I want to thank Kathy Wylde, the head of the New York City partnership for bringing this to life. Thank you very much, Kathy. And Janno Lieber, who runs the subways. He doesn't get a lot of love all the time, so give this man a lot of, “We Love New York City” love. And ENISA, thank you for sharing your talents with us here today and reminding us what makes this place so special.

We have had a number of performers underground sharing their talents, making us smile and feel the gift of joy. And today, we have asked New Yorkers – this is not the politicians picking the winners, this is the people picking the winners. You will decide who you love the most, and the winners will be able to receive the very first ever New York City Riders Choice Award. And what this means is that they'll be able to get a recording contract with Atlantic Records, which I guarantee is going to propel them to stardom and famedom, right starting here in New York City.

So let's carry on and I'm going to be announcing the winner. We have had great contestants, Afro Dominican. Augie Bello is another contestant. Thank you for what you do. And the Brass Queens have blessed us with their gifts as well. So ladies and gentlemen, I will make you wait no longer to find out the biggest news of the day, and that is going to be the winner of New York City's inaugural – which means very first – Riders’ Choice Award.

And the winner is – Brass Queens. Come on up and receive your award.