AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s America’s Got Talent hometown hero Mama Duke was honored by city council on Thursday, and she gave council meeting attendees the honor of a live performance.
The city issued a proclamation that October 23, 2025, was “Mama Duke Day.” Council Member Krista Laine read the proclamation during the city council meeting on Thursday and presented it to Mama Duke.
Mama Duke performed her viral song “Feels So Good To Be You” after the proclamation, the same song she performed during the audition portion of America’s Got Talent Season 20.
The Austin-based singer and rapper made it all the way through the season, pushing forward to the final round of competition after securing Mel B’s Golden Buzzer during the live Quarterfinals episode back in August.
While Mama Duke didn’t win the competition, she was the first female rapper to make it to the top 10 in the show. And Texas can still claim bragging rights, because another Texas native, Jessica Sanchez, ended up winning the title.
Mama Duke gave a brief speech after accepting the proclamation at the council meeting Thursday.
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The city issued a proclamation that October 23, 2025, was “Mama Duke Day.”
(KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) -
The city issued a proclamation that October 23, 2025, was “Mama Duke Day.”
(KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) -
The city issued a proclamation that October 23, 2025, was “Mama Duke Day.”
(KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala)
“Today is a big win for the underdogs,” she said. “I am deeply honored and grateful. My journey on America’s Got Talent was a testament to the power of stepping outside our comfort zones. Sometimes, to be truly appreciated, we need to venture beyond our familiar environments, but that doesn’t mean we abandon our roots; it means we return, bringing back new perspectives and planting seeds of growth and change.”
“While I loved being in LA and appreciated its fast-paced energy, you can ask anyone at the very end of the finale, I kept saying, ‘take me back to Texas,'” Mama Duke said. “Austin, Texas is a vibrant and diverse city, and it is more than one image or stereotype. When our community or state doesn’t reflect our values and they try to paint over us, we don’t flee, we stay and show what’s possible,” she continued.
“I want to remind everyone that you are enough, exactly as you are. Sometimes it just takes stepping into a new environment for others to fully appreciate your art, your words, and your talent. But that doesn’t mean abandoning your roots, it means bringing that growth back home and showing our community what’s possible.”
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