Go-Go Awards 2026: Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow help celebrate sound of DC
Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow visit FOX 5 DC
Hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Kurtis Blow visited FOX 5 DC ahead of the 2026 Go-Go Awards celebration.
WASHINGTON - Hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Kurtis Blow, along with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, will celebrate the District’s official music Tuesday at the 2026 Go-Go Awards.
The awards, presented by the Go-Go Museum & Café, will honor five decades of Go-Go music history. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre.
READ MORE: Go-Go Museum in DC will celebrate District's distinctive musical sound
DC’s Go-Go Museum celebrates grand opening (Ramirez / WTTG)
Go-Go, a distinctive offshoot of funk driven by congas and call-and-response rhythms, has long been central to D.C.’s musical identity. The genre was popularized in the early 1970s by the late Chuck Brown, with bands like Rare Essence and Trouble Funk helping bring it to wider audiences.
The celebration will feature performances by Fresh, Blow, the Chuck Brown Band, the Go-Go Allstars, the A Team, and a collaborative set by DJ Kool and DJ Wiz. Comedians and D.C. natives Joe Clair and Jay Cole will co-host.
Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow perform on FOX 5 DC
Hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Kurtis Blow visited FOX 5 DC ahead of the 2026 Go-Go Awards celebration.
DC’s Go-Go Museum celebrates grand opening (Ramirez / WTTG)
The Source: Information in this article comes from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.