35th Film Independent Spirit Awards – Arrivals – Santa Monica, California, U.S., February 8, 2020 – Jennifer Lopez. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson. 77th Golden Globe Awards – Arrivals – Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 5, 2020 – Taylor Swift. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni. Oprah Winfrey speaks at the opening celebration of the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island in New York, U.S., May 15, 2019. REUTERS/Demetrius Freeman. Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala – Met Gala – Camp: Notes on Fashion- Arrivals – New York City, U.S. – May 6, 2019 – Lady Gaga. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
LOS ANGELES – Pop music superstar Lady Gaga has announced a worldwide telecast, featuring Paul McCartney, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and others to support healthcare workers responding to the global coronavirus outbreak.
Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Oprah Winfrey have joined the global broadcast special telecast, airing this weekend. The program will recognize the efforts of workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers said on Tuesday.
The event, called “One World: Together at Home,” will be shown on multiple television and digital networks around the world on April 18th. It will be hosted by late-night television comedians Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert.
A combination of music, comedy, and stories from essential service workers, the event will also provide an additional six-hour streaming event. The stream will include appearances by major sports stars, including British Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton, U.S. women’s World Cup soccer player Megan Rapinoe, World Cup skier Lindsey Vonn and dozens of other singers, actors and social media influencers.
The streaming event, also taking place on April 18th, will precede the two-hour show to be broadcast across multiple North American and international television networks on Saturday evening in the biggest effort so far to show solidarity with frontline workers.
Gaga, who said she helped curate the celebrity lineup, called into World Health Organization’s coronavirus briefing on Monday to unveil the project, a joint effort with advocacy group Global Citizen.
All those taking part in the event will appear remotely due to social distancing and shutdowns aimed at curtailing the spread of the disease that has killed more than 124,000 people worldwide.
“Our hope for the special is that everyone will come away believing that we, as a shared humanity, can emerge from this moment forever grateful for the work of doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store workers, and all those who are the backbone of our communities,” Hugh Evans, co-founder, and chief executive of Global Citizen, said in a statement.
Since Gaga’s announcement, the event has expanded dramatically. It now includes some of the biggest celebrities in the world, including Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, John Legend, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin, Andrea Bocelli, and Michael Buble.
While the special is not billed as a public fundraiser, it will encourage philanthropists and companies to dig into their pockets and contribute to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Gaga said last week that more than $35 million had been raised from corporations.
“When we do air live on April 18th, put your wallets away, your credit cards away, anything away that you need to and sit back and enjoy the show that you all very much deserve,” Gaga says.
—Reuters
