HENDERSON — On Saturday evening, McGregor Hall played host to HUBZone Technology Initiative’s fourth annual Triangle’s Got Talent, an hours-long showcase of talent from near and far, all styled after America’s Got Talent.

Four years in, TGT 2025 was the first time HTI held it in Henderson. Executive Director Mark Williams hopes to keep the show at McGregor Hall — which he described as the best venue of its size in the state — for years to come.

Throughout the evening 17 acts took to the stage and performed a variety of acts — song and dance, largely. Despite the name, a good chunk of performers came from outside the Triangle — some call Henderson home.

Only one could win the $1,000 grand prize — and that was Haydan Valentine, a dancer out of Mooresville who brought a nearly acrobatic routine to the stage — front flips, back flips, side flips, cartwheels and so forth.

The second-place trophy went to Henderson’s own Blakely Bates, who performed some rousing gospel music beside Jocelyn Benson. That night was the first time they’d performed as a duet — though the judges were fooled. Bates has been singing for 33 years, since he was three years old.

The same goes for Kirk Baron and Spencer Paoloni, two Franklin County students who performed “Stay Gold” from the Broadway musical “The Outsiders” complete with some props to recreate the story of the piece. The duo won third place.

After each act, the three judges chimed in to provide comments. Miss Henderson Evan O’Geary, Miss North Carolina Sophia Kellstrom and big-shot voice coach Paula Walters each presented a trophy of their own to candidates.

Samridh Battacharya, an 8-year-old out of Apex, brought his prodigious piano skills. He won the Sophia’s Crown Jewel trophy for his near-perfect performance of a medley of Beethoven and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

O’Geary, standing in for beauty queen Maya Bryant, who could not attend, presented the Maya’s Rising Star award to Carson Ohrel for his performance of “Past Is Catching Up to Me” from the Broadway adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.”

And Walters presented Paula’s Prodigy to 12-year-old Aubree Weeks, a two-time first-place winner who sang “Heal.” Olivia Furer, danced and sang at the same time, to boot. Both demonstrated excellent voice control, the judges said.

Three local high schoolers presented a unique performance — Tanea Skipwith danced, Andrea Bullock and John Tran painted a portrait simultaneously.

Jayden Watkins emceed the event, keeping the crowd going and getting the performers to open up a little, sharing their thoughts on the performance. Each was perfectly humble and glad to have the opportunity to perform.

The event raised over $25,000 for HTI.

“It was inspiring to see so many people come together to celebrate local talent and support digital inclusion,” said Williams. “Every dollar helps us put refurbished laptops and free digital-skills training into the hands of neighbors who need them most.”

The event goes to show that folks around the state don’t balk at coming to Henderson, said Williams.

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