Five decades in the spotlight. Now she shines it on young people.
Dawnn Lewis's career began in Broadway musicals and has spanned five decades of stage, television, film, and voice work, from beloved sitcoms to Star Trek, The Simpsons, and Netflix's Nemesis. She is a Grammy Award-winning singer, a multiple ASCAP and BMI Award-winning songwriter, a Women Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and a Trumpet Award honoree. In 2017 she turned a lifetime of service and advocacy into A New Day Foundation.
When Dawnn calls, people show up. Her A New Day: Concert for a Cause has brought together more than 40 artists, civic leaders, and performers, from Patrice Rushen and Doug E. Fresh to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, to fund community organizations. ANDF puts that reach to work for young people.
- Grammy Award-winning singer
- Recording artist and vocalist
- ASCAP & BMI Award-winning songwriter
- Multiple-award recipient
- Women Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee
- Inducted with its first class, 2021
- Trumpet Award honoree
- Celebrating Black achievement
- SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors
- Former National & LA Chair, Singers Committee
- National Advisory Board
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
- Next Dimension University, 2019
- B.M. in Musical Theatre, magna cum laude
- University of Miami
Rooms most teens never get to walk into.
Every outing is chosen to widen what a young person thinks is possible: a forensic lab, a national museum, a wind tunnel, a recording studio. Small groups of 8 to 20 teens, with guest speakers who share how they got there.
Programs That Transform Lives
From music to technology, mentorship to community engagement — our programs create lasting impact.
Why partners choose ANDF
Sponsorships, employee mentoring, in-kind support, and program underwriting, shaped around what your organization wants to accomplish.
- Put your people in the room
- Your team can mentor teens face to face at conferences, Topgolf Family Experiences, workshops, and career visits. Partners have included Google, PepsiCo, Northrop Grumman, and the LA Lakers.
- Fund skills that compound
- Focused N F.I.T. gives college students and high schoolers and their parents classes in finance and technology, plus 6 to 12 scholarships a year, before the big decisions about college.
- Reach beyond Los Angeles
- ANDF programs and events have reached Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis, with room to grow into your markets.
- Stand beside a name people trust
- Dawnn Lewis brings artists, civic leaders, and executives to every program, and program highlights stream on A New Day Now, so your support is seen.
Powered by Partnership
We collaborate with organizations that share our vision of empowering youth.
See it for yourself
Recaps and highlight reels from this year's programs, straight from A New Day Now.