At the 12th Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball, pop star Katy Perry and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made their platonic girl love known. During Clinton’s recent campaign, Perry did all but shout her support for the former presidential candidate from the rooftops — we’re talking patriotic pantsuits, elaborate Halloween get-ups, the works. It was only fitting that Madame Secretary reciprocate the fandom. Which she did last night, as surprise presenter of Perry’s Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award.
“On a personal level, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be here to help celebrate a global megastar,” Clinton gushed to the star-studded crowd at Cipriani Wall Street. (Off-stage, Katy teared up.) “I have seen Katy’s commitment to the causes she believes in firsthand,” Hillary continued. “I’ve gotten to spend time with her and I know how deeply she cares about making our world a better place. She is serious about understanding the complex problems we face and pulling people together to solve them. We need champions like Katy now more than ever. We need her passion, her energy, and, yes, her voice – ‘louder than a lion.’ We all know Katy as a global mega-star. The powerful voice who reminds us; when you get knocked down, get back up.” Not to detract from the seriousness of Katy’s achievement, but is anyone else picturing Hillary Clinton hiking through the woods blasting Roar in her headphones?
Allison Williams and Orlando Bloom at the 12th annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball; Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for UNICEF
Perry, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, earned her statuette by raising over $1 million for the charity over the past few years. Just before the gala’s program began, the pop star added another $50K to that amount by auctioning off a VIP concert experience to one very lucky KatyCat. Her beau Orlando Bloom, also a UNICEF ambassador, opened the bidding. Cue the awws.
Taking the stage in her champagne Marchesa gown, Perry delivered an acceptance speech that kept the waterworks flowing: “I’ve always had a voice — a singing voice — but I’ve never had a voice like I’ve had before. Hillary has lit that voice inside of me, and that light will never go out, it will continue to get brighter and brighter and brighter. Thank you, Hillary.”
In addition to fawning over the one-time First Lady, Katy acknowledged the Award’s equally iconic namesake: “I’m humbled to receive the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award tonight and celebrate 70 years of UNICEF’s lifesaving work for the children of the world. Audrey Hepburn remains a sparkling example in her career as well as her dedication to being a champion of children. Her life is an inspiration most of us will never match, but hopefully we can aspire to. I’m proud to carry on her shine and to use my voice to help bring attention for issues that affect the world’s most vulnerable children.”
Along with serving up our daily dose of girl power, the event raised another $3.9 million for UNICEF’s lifesaving programs benefitting children across the globe. Faith in humanity, restored.
