💌 Love Philly? So do we. Let’s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today.
It was that time of year again at WHYY in Philadelphia. No, not the holidays … it was The Billies of course.
Billy Penn’s seventh annual Billies Awards brought together community advocates, artists, local personalities and a plethora of lively supporters Thursday night for an evening celebrating the people who make Philadelphia a better place to live, work and play.
The first floor of WHYY’s headquarters was packed with honorees, friends, family and members of the Philadelphia community for a night filled with heartfelt speeches, memorable moments and some especially lively raffle winners.
Founded in 2014, Billy Penn, WHYY’s hyperlocal news outlet, covers the people, places and happenings that make Philadelphia unique. The annual Billies Award extends that mission by recognizing individuals and groups whose contributions truly embody the spirit of the City of Brotherly Love.
“Billy Penn has a knack for uncovering what makes Philadelphia a unique city,” said WHYY President and CEO Bill Marrazzo.
For longtime Billies attendee Tony Heriza, the evening offered an opportunity to see people from different backgrounds and neighborhoods come together.
“It brought different communities and interests together for a unified reason that spanned across neighborhoods,” Heriza said.
This year’s ceremony recognized 10 recipients and groups whose contributions ranged from preserving Philadelphia’s history and advocating for their local communities to creating unconventional works of art and finding joy in unexpected places.
This year’s 2026 honorees included:
Truth Tellers Award
Rosalyn McPherson, Michael Coard, Mijuel Johnson and Raina Yancey: Four dedicated advocates fighting to preserve public memory and restore the President’s House exhibit honoring the nine people George Washington enslaved there.
Sarah McAnulty: The executive director of “Skype a Scientist,” who blends community bike rides with ecological activism.
Clancy Philbrick: A Philadelphia artist who replicated the FIFA 2026 World Cup trophy out of human nail clippings to critique global labor exploitation.
Jacqui Frazier-Lyde and Peter Lyde: Sports advocates and community champions keeping “Smokin’” Joe Frazier’s gritty legacy front and center by successfully having the famed boxer’s statue moved to the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art after 15 years of being situated in South Philly.
Elana Flehinger: The creative mind behind a sidewalk community treasure chest where neighbors swap small toys and trinkets for a burst of neighborhood joy.
Samantha DiMarco: A beloved Citizens Bank Park fixture who went viral after selling popcorn during Phillies games for 10 years while balancing full tubs of the treat on her head. The Billy Penn story emphasized how loved she was upon her announcement that she would be taking a break.
Step Outside Team: Street artists who temporarily transformed the recently reopened Center City concourse into a public graffiti and a “no walls” interactive gallery with different pieces throughout.
Ashton and Zach Smith: Newlyweds whose viral encounter with a crowd of Croatian soccer fans turned into an unexpected, life-changing extra honeymoon to Croatia. They weren’t on hand for the awards because they were – in Croatia of course.
Tyriq Glasglow and Samaya Brown: Local activists who led a triumphant six-year campaign to rename Taney Street after Caroline LeCount, a 19th-century civil rights activist.
Jane Golden: She recently stepped down after four decades of transforming Philadelphia’s landscape as a pioneering public art visionary. As the founding executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, she changed the face of the city through over 4,000 community-driven murals.
While the honorees contributions varied, the evening was filled with reminders of how even the most unconventional ideas can bring people together.
In one memorable moment, Jacqui Frazier-Lyde treated the audience to a rendition of her father Joe Frazier’s cover of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Audience members joined in, filling the room with song and cheerful energy.
For attendees like Michele Brogan, the variety of honorees was part of what made the evening worthwhile.
“Tonight gave people an idea and an introduction to a group of people I did not know about,” Brogan said. “I never knew I lived just three blocks away from the Step Outside Team street gallery”
The takeaways
Beyond the awards and celebrations, a consistent message emerged throughout the evening. The importance of community and what people can accomplish when they work together.
Sarah McAnulty encouraged attendees to look beyond their own circles and find creative ways to connect with others across Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia is a place that values authenticity and grit and silliness above all else,” she said.
McAnulty urged community members to collaborate across different interests, from science and street art to other creative spaces, and to make their messages heard.
“Think about how you can connect with other groups,” she said, encouraging attendees to share their message in ways that are authentic, playful and inviting.
It was a sentiment shared through all the speeches given by the award recipients and speaks to the broader message of the power of community and helping your neighborhood or as Samantha DiMarco, beloved Citizens Bank Park popcorn vendor, calls it “paying it forward”
And while their contributions differed, the honorees shared something in common, the willingness to take an idea, passion, cause or just the urge to brighten a stranger’s day and turn it into something meaningful for those around them.
The Billies offered a reminder that making a difference in Philadelphia and beyond does not always look the same. And that there is no one way to make Philadelphia a better place. Sometimes it’s years of advocacy, a neighborhood initiative or even something as unexpected as a trophy made of nail clippings.
