Annie Lennox took to the Grammy Awards stage to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The “Sweet Dreams” singer performed during the memorial segment at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
In the final moments of her performance of Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Lennox raised one fist in the air.
“Artists calling for a ceasefire,” the 69-year-old Scottish entertainer shouted to the crowd.
“Peace to the world,” she cried.
Lennox was one of many celebrities to sign the deal in December, including Jennifer Lopez, Joaquin Phoenix, Janelle Monáe, Dua Lipa and more. open letter The Artists4Ceasefire organization called on President Biden to “immediately de-escalate tensions and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before new lives are lost.”
Last week, amid international pressure for a temporary ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on October 7 that Israel was pursuing a “complete victory” to eliminate the militants controlling Gaza. It said it had launched an attack on Israel and refused to make any concessions to Hamas.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. mentioned the Middle East conflict in his speech late at the awards ceremony.
Mason said, citing attacks on music venues around the world over the years, including the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas. All innocent lives. ”
“We live in a divided world, and music probably can’t solve everything. But music remains the common ground for us all to stand together in peace and harmony.” Let’s all agree that we should,” Mason said.
Mason noted that the string quartet that was performing during the comments was made up of a group of “Palestinian, Israeli and Arab” musicians.
“Now is the time for us, humanity, to play together and unite with empathy and love,” he said.
Updated at 11:14 p.m.
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