The glitz of award season took a charitable turn last night as celebrities, influencers and Hollywood elite celebrated the biennial UNICEF Ball at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Straight off the heels of his Golden Globe win, praise for United Nations Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas continued as he was honored with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Peace Award for his enduring commitment to the survival and wellbeing of the world’s children. The evening’s emcees Matt Damon and Jerry Weintraub also honored Ghada Irani, U.S. Fund for UNICEF Southern California Board Chair, with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award for her support in furthering UNICEF’s mission.
In accepting his honor Douglas surprised emcee Matt Damon with an award for his humanitarian work. Damon has championed for increased access to clean water and sanitation for the 780 million people who currently live without it.
Attending in support of Douglas and Irani, fellow guests included Don Cheadle, Anna Kendrick (wearing Reem Acra), James Marsden, UNICEF Ambassador Téa Leoni, Michael Sheen, Laura Marano, Sylvester Stallone, Leah Remini, Sasha Alexander, UNICEF Ambassador Alyssa Milano and CEO and President of U.S. Fund for UNICEF Caryl Stern, among others.
The evening also featured special performances by Dancing With the Stars’ Cheryl Burke and Val Chmerkovskiy and concluded with Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth serenading the crowd with a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
