Event Recap: Lady Jade Presents: Local Love Awards 2017

Over the weekend, Lady Jade (of K104) held her first annual Local Love Awards at Noah’s Event Venue, in Las Colinas. Hosted by DeDe McGuire and Michael Shawn of K104’s “DeDe in the Morning” radio show and featuring several performances, it was THE place to be in the Dallas area on Saturday night, with the best of the best in the city in attendance.

The night began with a mixer, in an area with two bars, several vendor booths and a step and repeat set up on the red carpet. Everyone was wearing their best, the gentlemen in suits and the ladies heels and evening dresses, and there was the constant flash of cameras and camera phones. We were let in the main room around 7 p.m., to a beautiful set up of several tables, all with dinner salads and drinks, that some had the misfortune of beginning to eat before Pastor Omar Jahwar had blessed the food. Misfortune because Michael Shawn let them know about their heathen ways, all in jest, of course. Dinner (prepared by Chef Jared Pierre) was then served, and ShySpeaks lead the show off with a powerful spoken word performance that set the tone for the evening.

DeDe played the straight (wo)man while Michael Shawn was the funny man, their dynamic was engaging and hilarious. They presented most of the awards and introduced the acts while keeping the energy up and keeping the crowd involved. And be sure to buy tickets to Michael Shawn’s upcoming show, as it never sells out (one of those “you had to be there to get it” jokes).

Hiawatha Williams received the Heart of the City Award, for his work in the community and for his entrepreneurial venture, the Dallas staple, Williams Chicken. A video of Lady Jade’s sit-down interview with Williams played on the projection screen and we were introduced to the man behind the franchise. From his rural upbringing to his getting passed over for a promotion at Church’s Chicken while still a young man, both of these things (and many others in between) played a role in his venturing into his own business and establishing one of our most recognizable local brands, particularly for us long-time Pallasites.

Throughout the night we were treated to several acts from the DFW area, including the all-female high school dance group The Waves, neo-soul/R&B artist Yavanté and 10-year-old singing sensation J. Alex, all of which wowed the crowd. One standout of the evening was the friendly competition, instigated by Michael Shawn, between DJ Steve Nice and VKeyz, the bubble gum-popping pianist known for her ability to play by ear. Steve Nice challenged her to play a piano rendition of several popular songs he had cued up on his turn tables and she did impress. She went five-for-five with Nice’s selections, playing back songs like 2Pac’s “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” and Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles,” and then running through a medley of Alicia Keys’ greatest hits, to end her performance.

The night concluded with a surprise award, the Pioneer Award (Year of the Woman), being presented to DeDe McGuire, by her “baby sister,” Lady Jade. She accepted, in tears. After praising Jade the entire evening for the great accomplishment of putting together such an extravagant production that night, the tables had turned and now she was the one being recognized. It was a fitting end to a wonderful event, and Jade and DeDe received a well-deserved standing ovation. Lady Jade’s charity Project 16 was the big winner of the night, as they received all of the proceeds, which will go to assist in the education of under-privileged children. We definitely #COSIGN the Local Love Awards and look forward to next year’s sequel.

The Awards in the order they were presented. Congratulations to the winners and the nominees.