The HUDSYS is a new Oscar’s-style community awards show and fundraiser honoring the artists, educators, and connectors that make the Hudson Valley a more creative, united, and inspiring place to live. Featuring a glam cam, award presenters, high production value, Brasskill brass band Live, and more. In addition to the awards ceremony, there will be an after party with DJ Shaman Vybez, dancing, beverages and food included.
The winner of each category will have a short documentary film created about them by HUDSY that celebrates their work and impact in the community, a prize valued at $15,000 each!
The HUDSYS was created from a simple belief: that stories have the power to connect communities. More than a traditional awards ceremony, each honoree’s work is celebrated through a short documentary film produced by HUDSY later in the year, transforming community impact into visual storytelling that can be shared for years to come.
CREATE:
Celebrates a person, organization, or project that exemplifies creative excellence or innovation through storytelling or artistry across any medium, and makes a positive impact on the community through their work.
Finalists: Broadway in Beacon, Paul Thompson, Unshattered
EDUCATE:
Honors a person, organization, or project who creatively inspires learning, shares knowledge, and empowers others through education, mentorship, or skill-building.
Finalists: Andrea Velasquez, Career InTouch, Community Matters 2, Inc
CONNECT:
Recognizes a person, organization, or project that brings people together to create meaningful community experiences and/or relationships in the Hudson Valley.
Finalists: ConnectHV, Erica Brown, Upstate Color
THE GOLDEN HUDSY:
A lifetime achievement style award for a person, organization or project that exemplifies all three pillars: CREATE. EDUCATE. CONNECT.
Finalists: The Sanctuary for Independent Media, Woodstock Film Festival, Youth FX
Over 100 nominations were received from the community and a committee chose the top three finalists in each category. A community voting period took place in January and close to 950 votes were received, helping HUDSY’s committee choose the winners.
The winner of each award will be announced LIVE during the ceremony on March 25th and will each have a short documentary film created about them by HUDSY that celebrates their work and impact in the community, a prize each valued at approximately $15,000!
The Sanctuary for Independent Media began as a group of independent media artists doing editing work in the basement of a historic church in Troy, NY in 2005 and has blossomed into a one-block campus for arts and cultural exchange focused on social and environmental justice.
Our wide range of programming includes film screenings, book talks, live music, participatory media making workshops, and talks by artists and journalists. From our multi-media production facility and low-power radio station to arts-and-ecology education lab and community health space, these spaces were created in response to our community’s articulated interest in understanding how social and environmental justice and personal lives intersect, often resulting in poorer experiences for youth in our neighborhood than in other areas of the city, county, and region. Our programming is designed to be participatory, inviting the community in to be the creator of the media, arts, and sciences.
“It is an honor to be recognized by HUDSY, an organization which understands and shares our vision of storytelling as a powerful tool to connect and uplift communities.”
Named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of its Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, the Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) is the landmark film festival of Upstate New York and an Academy Award®–qualifying festival for Short Narrative, Short Documentary, and Short
Animation.
Now entering its 27th year, WFF has grown from a passionate dream into one of the country’s top indie film festivals and a year-round arts organization serving the Hudson Valley. Each fall, the Woodstock Film Festival takes place across Woodstock, Saugerties, Rosendale, and Kingston, presenting dynamic, thought-provoking independent cinema alongside panels, Q&As, live music, and extensive filmmaker participation. Throughout the year, WFF extends this work through screenings, filmmaker conversations, educational programs, and community partnerships that support independent artists and bring people together to inspire conversation, education, and connection through film.
https://woodstockfilmfestival.org
“We’re incredibly grateful to HUDSY for this nomination and proud to be part of a community that values creativity, education, and connection through the arts!”
Youth FX empowers young people ages 10-25 by teaching them the technical and creative aspects of digital film making and media production. We work with diverse groups of youth from communities that have been historically under-served and in need of opportunities to learn filmmaking and acquire skills in emerging media technologies. Youth FX hands-on programming develops leadership skills, creativity, and critical thinking, through the collaborative and artistic process of making films, amplifying the voices of young people in the capital region of New York State and around the world.
“We’re excited and humbled to be a finalist for the Golden HUDSY award! Youth FX is rooted in creativity, empowerment and community and has been built and sustained through our artistic relationships locally, regionally and nationally. This recognition affirms the impact the young artists in our programs are having through the power of their visionary storytelling!”
Broadway in Beacon has quickly become the Hudson Valley’s most popular musical theatre open mic and one of the hottest tickets in town – producing 29 shows in under 2 years. Our monthly show brings Broadway professionals together with talented community members and we celebrate young artists at our Rising Stars open mic for high schoolers and younger.
We always feature original material that has gone on to go viral on Instagram, reaching 150K+ views, and every show always has a Broadway “Mad Libs”—a co-creation with the audience each night—performed live and unrehearsed. We’ve taken our open mic from wine bars to Hudson River boat cruises, and have been featured in the Highland Currant, Chronogram, and the American Dream TV Show.
Through Broadway in Beacon Presents, we’re expanding to produce more elevated shows beyond our open mic like concert readings of new musicals, bringing musical theatre magic into the heart of the Hudson Valley community. At Broadway in Beacon, the applause is for all of us.
Paul is a multidisciplinary media creator who works across a wide range of productions, including documentaries, narrative-driven music visuals, and impact-driven storytelling. He has produced projects featuring Cardi B, Dapper Dan, and Peter Gunz, as well as content for brands such as Target. He works as a videographer, editor, and creative producer. For 11 years, Paul worked with The Art Effect and Forge Media in Poughkeepsie, NY, as a media educator, mentoring thousands of youth media apprentices. Many of his former students have gone on to work at Politico, HBO, Hallmark, Showtime, Netflix, and highly respected animation and editing companies.
Alongside his teaching, he directed video productions for local businesses and nonprofits, training young people on set and providing invaluable hands-on production experience. At the core of Paul’s work is a commitment to community and impact. He is driven by uplifting people who are doing exceptional work and creating opportunities for others to grow. Whether producing content for the public or mentoring individuals on set, he approaches every project with the goal of creating meaningful, lasting change.
https://soundasleepmedia.com/paul-thompson-portfolio/
“Grateful and excited for the nomination. It’s a privilege to do this work.”
Unshattered is a 501c3 nonprofit social enterprise whose mission is to end the addiction relapse cycle by providing pathways toward economic independence and sustained sobriety. We employ women in recovery to design and handcraft premium handbags and accessories from upcycled materials, transforming both the fabrics and the lives of the women who create them. We are a healing-centered, long-term employment community where women can build confidence, social capital, and success as they continue their journey beyond sobriety toward healing and growth.
“We are truly honored to be named a finalist for the inaugural HUDSYS Community Awards in the CREATE category. Creativity has always been at the heart of Unshattered, from the way our bags are designed to the stories of possibility they carry for women rebuilding their lives on the other side of addiction. To be recognized alongside other impactful changemakers in the Hudson Valley is deeply meaningful, and we are grateful to everyone who believes in using artistry, storytelling, and purpose to strengthen our community.”
Andrea Velasquez is a violinist and orchestra teacher who grew up in White Plains, NY and later moved to Wappingers Falls, NY where her passion for music really took off. She spent 12 years making music with the Stringendo Orchestra School of the Hudson Valley, participating in their orchestra program, fiddle program, and summer camps as a student and has now been teaching in the organization since 2018. She is currently director of the Mulberry fiddle group, orchestra director of the Overture and Tarantella Orchestras, and teaches private lessons with the Stringendo program. Teaching orchestra and playing violin are her two biggest passions, she is immensely grateful to be able to live out her dream career.
“I feel extremely honored to have been nominated for the Educate category for The HUDSYS Awards! I am so grateful to anyone and everyone who helped me along my journey of being an educator. I have wanted to be an orchestra teacher ever since I was 10 years old; I can’t believe this is my 8th year of doing what I love!”
Calief “Cai” Housen, Founder and CEO of Career InTouch Inc., is a dynamic force in educational advocacy. A first-generation graduate from Kingston, NY, he holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from the University at Albany. Cai’s vision for Career InTouch Inc. is to empower students through mentorship, fostering essential soft skills and self-awareness for academic and personal success. His work champions the underrepresented, driving social change and enhancing student success and mobility.
“Super Grateful, super honored! Thank you Hudsy for acknowledging our work, our community, and most importantly, our students.”
Community Matters 2, Inc. (CM2), headquartered at 50 N. Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie, NY, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by local community advocate and CEO L’Quette Taylor. CM2 empowers youth, strengthens families, and advances neighborhood pride through youth development, workforce readiness, STEAM enrichment, and transformative community service initiatives. Signature programs include the Dutchess County STEAM Enrichment Summer Camp (ages 6–12), which combats summer learning loss through project-based learning and technology exploration, and workforce development efforts that provide job readiness training and youth employment through OTDA’s Youth Employment Program (YEP) and SYEP, representing over $350,000 invested in youth opportunity.
CM2’s impact includes 1,000+ youth served, 13 city-wide cleanups, 3,000+ community service hours, 5,000+ volunteer hours, 70+ collaborations, and 10,000+ meals served through “Let’s Feed Poughkeepsie.” CM2 has received numerous honors including NYS Senate and Assembly recognitions, proclamations from Mayor Rob Rolison and County Executive Mark Molinaro, and awards such as the Community Builder Award and the Richard K. Wagner Inclusive Champion Award. In 2024, CM2 opened its community center on Poughkeepsie’s Northside and is working to reopen the historic Catherine St. Center as a legacy community resource.
“We are beyond excited to be nominated for a HUDSY Award! We are grateful for the support, the journey, and everyone who has helped make this moment possible.”
ConnectHV is the homegrown community for Hudson Valley creatives, professionals, and small businesses. It’s built by lifelong Hudson Valley resident Jordan Koschei (me!), a software designer and engineer whose greatest passion is using those skills to grow and strengthen our local community. ConnectHV started as an online directory, and has since grown to include a vibrant group chat where almost 1,500 locals are sharing opportunities, finding jobs, and broadcasting their ideas; and monthly in-person meetups where people from all walks of life gather to meet one another, no matter how much they hate traditional networking events.
“I am so honored to be nominated for a HUDSY! Building ConnectHV has been a years-long labor of love, and it feels both validating and humbling to realize that my efforts at strengthening our community are resonating with the people and places I care most about.”
Erica Brown is a Kingston native and the Community Engagement Coordinator at Radio Kingston, where she thrives on managing multiple projects and building connections across the community. Passionate about access, inclusion, and diversity, Erica works closely with nonprofits to support services and programs that empower individuals and strengthen the city as a whole. She also serves on the boards of the TMI Project, Good Work Institute, and the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, where she fosters collaboration between local organizations. Erica holds two degrees from SUNY New Paltz—a Bachelor’s in Business (2010) and in Psychology (2016)—and is grateful every day to do work that reflects her belief that it takes a village to create lasting community change.
“When I opened up the email, I felt overwhelmingly loved! As I read through the nomination details, tears streamed down my face. If I can make people feel connected, I am living my life’s purpose! It’s a beautiful thing to be recognized for the ONE thing you really aim to do <3”
Upstate Color (UPCO) is a BIPOC volunteer-run community cultivating a sense of belonging by engaging and connecting with each other and our Hudson Valley surroundings. We are here to create and hold space together. UPCO is by color, for color.
