Katy Perry and Anita Hill Honored at the DVF Awards
Katy Perry was among the honorees at the 10th Annual DVF Awards on Thursday night. The singer was recognized for her advocacy work with both UNICEF and the LGBTQ community.
“Music has opened the doors for so many opportunities for me,” she said while accepting the inspiration award. “The ability to meet people and champion their stories, to be a voice for those who may not have a voice to be heard. … I have been truly transformed by my experiences. … There is a constant fight to bring equality to the forefront.”
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Guests, including presenters Allison Williams and Julia Stiles, along with Seth Meyers, Fran Lebowitz, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, and Maye Musk, gathered at the Brooklyn Museum to honor the “Firework” singer at the event started by legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.
The audience applauded her as Arianna Huffington presented her on the stage “not for being a musical superstar, but for being an unwavering North Star guiding us.”
The musician lightened things up when she first approached the podium and revealed, “I’m nervous because my Spanx shorts have rolled all the way up and they are really hitting my thighs!”
Later in the night, Gloria Steinem presented the lifetime leadership award to Anita Hill, who famously accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.
“I cannot believe I am being honored for a lifetime achievement award. I feel like I am just getting started,” Hill said. “When the government fails, I want you to commit to standing with the women who need to be heard, deserve to be heard and have the right to be heard.”
The master of ceremonies, von Furstenberg herself, graciously thanked all for attending and honoring those who commit to women’s causes. From the stage she summed up the importance of the work of people’s voice award recipient Susan Burton, and international award winners Award Nadia Murad and Hadeel Mustafa Anabtawi.
“We all know that character is the one thing that we have total control over,” she said. “We can lose our health. We can lose our wealth. We can lose our family. We can lose our freedom. But we can never lose our character.”
The evening also included a performance by Chloe x Halle, who belted out “Where Is the Love?” and “Cool People.”
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