Inside The 27th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party
The 27th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party hosted by Sir Elton John and David Furnish raised over $6.3 million for the global effort to end AIDS. The gala, which took place on Sunday, February 24, at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, was generously supported by Presenting Sponsors IMDb and Neuro Drinks.
Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for EJAF
Guests arrived at the Academy Awards Viewing Party for cocktails followed by a gala dinner and viewing of the 91st Academy Awards® telecast. For the 15th year, Chef Wayne Elias and Crumble Catering designed and prepared the delicious gala dinner enjoyed by guests. For the first time, IMDb broadcasted its annual IMDb LIVE streaming companion show from the event, co-hosted by Aisha Tyler and Dave Karger, offering viewers four hours of celebrity studded conversation and unique, entertaining and informative coverage of Hollywood’s biggest night. Wines were provided courtesy of Domaine Bertaud Belieu and cocktails by CÎROC Vodka and Tequila Don Julio.
During the auction lot for Rocketman: an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John, Alexander Gilkes of Paddle 8 welcomed to the stage actor Taron Egerton, star of the upcoming motion picture film. Following a short preview of the trailer and a round of bidding on a trip to London premier of the film, the audience was taken by surprise when Gilkes asked Taron to sing one of Elton John’s songs. Only agreeing to the performance if Elton played the piano, guests were brought to their feet as they watched Elton John take his position on the keys while Taron belted out the lyrics to one of his most beloved ballads, “Tiny Dancer.”
The auction also featured a Yahama piano signed and played by Sir Elton John at the Lion King 20th anniversary concert, studio sessions for the Devil Wears Prada Musical in Las Vegas and Toronto, as well as at this year’s Academy Awards Viewing Party. Additional auction items included the silkscreen print with faceted Swarovski crystals, Lightness of Being (Her Majesty) 2013 by Chris Levine, a Catherine Opie Photograph with a tour of the private Elizabeth Taylor Archive, a neon artwork by Tracey Emin, The Heart Has Its Reasons, a week-long vacation to JOALI Resort in the Maldives, and invitations for two to the Vanity Fair after party.
Guests included Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mädchen Amick, Patricia Arquette, Alina Baikova, Jamie Bell, Thora Birch, Chad Buchanan, Candace Bushnell, Charlie Carver, Kristin Chenoweth, Erika Christensen, Chris Colfer, Chace Crawford, Terry Crews, Kaitlyn Dever, Taron Egerton, Dexter Fletcher, Peter Fonda, Isabeli Fontana, Georgia Fowler, Bryan Fuller, Toni Garrn, Willie Garson, Jeff Gum, Tiffany Haddish, Harry Hamlin, Marcia Gay Harden, Colton Haynes, Paris Hilton, Emile Hirsch, Scott Hoffman, Madison Iseman, Alex Israel, Paris Jackson, Lauren Jauregui, Brody Jenner, Kaitlyn Carter Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, Quincy Jones, Lala Kent, Gus Kenworthy, The Killers, Ilana Kloss, Heidi Klum, Amy Landecker, Diane Lane, Sandra Lee, Damaris Lewis, Leona Lewis, Judith Light, Adriana Lima, Lorna Luft, Kate Mara, Eric McCormack, Neal McDonough, Miles McMillan, Jesse Metcalfe, Janet Mock, Luisa Moraes, Stephen Moyer, Petra Němcová, Kathryn Newton, Jasper Pääkkönen, Anna Paquin, Busy Philipps, Corinne Bailey Rae, Nikki Reed, Christina Ricci, Lais Ribeiro, Kieron Richardson, Lisa Rinna, Diana Ross, Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson, Jasmine Sanders, Cara Santana, Nico Santos, Nicole Scherzinger, Jane Seymour, Shanina Shaik, Maria Sharapova, Sophie Skelton, Josephine Skriver, Ian Somerhalder, Cole Sprouse, Lakeith Stanfield, Lewis Tan, Bernie Taupin, Ty Dolla $ign, Lindsey Vonn, Shane West, Matt Wilkas, Rumer Willis, Mary Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Katheryn Winnick, Bellamy Young, Billy Zane, DJ Zedd, among others.
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