Look To The Stars News: Katie Melua

Angelina Jolie Awarded At Cinema For Peace Gala In Berlin

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:20:00 +0000

“10 Years of Cinema For Peace” was the theme of the Cinema for Peace Gala on February 13 at Berlin’s famous Gendarmenmarkt Concert Hall under the patronage of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, featuring guests of honor Angelina Jolie and Bob Geldof.

For the last ten years, Cinema for Peace has been supporting the fight for human rights, social justice, humanitarian missions, and environmental protection through captivating social film expression. Recognized as one of the world’s most important film events, the Cinema for Peace gala now has partner events in both New York City and Los Angeles, with many projects funded by generous sponsors and private donations.

This year’s Cinema for Peace gala focused on Bosnia and Burma through Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut “In the Land of Blood and Honey”, which was presented with a special Award for Opposing War and Genocide. In November 2011, the Cinema for Peace Foundation opened an office in Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina, as recognition of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, which is the primary focus of the foundation. The foundation hopes to conduct over 10,000 interviews with witnesses and survivors of the massacre in order to bring clarity to the horrific event. The interviews will be made available in an online library and eventually the subject of documentary. Students, scientists and non-government organizations will provide detailed insight regarding the event of the massacre in Srebrenica during the war in former Yugoslavia. The international criminal court for former Yugoslavia has placed 161 accused war criminals before the court.

Stars To Come Out For Nordoff Robbins Christmas Carols

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Now in its 15th year, the annual Nordoff Robbins Christmas Carol Service is one of the most popular events on the fundraising calendar, bringing together family, friends and supporters in a celebration of music at a special time of year.

This year’s event, which is generously sponsored by Coutts, will take place in the beautiful St Luke’s Church in London on Wednesday 14th December and will be dedicated to Willie Robertson, founding supporter of Nordoff Robbins.

Join Sir Terry Wogan For Celebrity Charity Show

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:15:00 +0000

On Sunday 30 October, British broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan will take his Radio 2 show to the Savoy Theatre on the Strand for the BBC Children in Need charity.

Currently home to the hit musical Legally Blonde, the Savoy Theatre has been an integral part of the Strand since opening it’s doors in 1881. Gary Barlow, Joss Stone, Michael Ball, The Ronnie Scott Jazz Band, Katie Melua and Englebert Humperdinck are among the guests joining Sir Terry on stage for a very special live show.

The afternoon continues with a champagne reception and banquet lunch in the beautifully refurbished Ballroom of the Savoy Hotel. Attended by Sir Terry and many other celebrity guests, the lunch will also include a charity auction hosted by Christopher Biggins.

Rock Stars Feature In Celebrity Charity Cookbook

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

A number of music legends – including Brian May, Roger Daltrey, Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller – have shown they have more than just music in common with a new celebrity charity cookbook.

In aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, over 60 musicians have come together for Love Music Love Food, a Rock Star Cook Book that merges iconic portraits with captivating recipes, accompanied by personalised interviews.

Whether you share Ellie Goulding’s love for sushi or Madness’ soft spot for pie and mash, it’s a book that will open your eyes to food in a unique way.

Robert Pattinson And Others Raise Their Hands For Charity

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:30:00 +0000

Robert Pattinson has put his hand up for charity – by joining other celebrities to support The Body Shop’s Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People campaign.

The Twilight actor has joined stars such as Sienna Miller, Naomi Campbell, Jamie Oliver, Katie Melua, Ben Kingsley and Joanna Lumley in tracing around their own hands to promote the campaign’s online petition to stop human trafficking.

“Human trafficking exists in countries all over the world, not just the poorest,” explains a release from the campaign. "According to the United Nations, it is the third-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, with more than 1.2 million children and young people trafficked every year.

Status Quo Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Veteran British rockers Status Quo have been honored by the Queen for their services to charity and music.

The band’s two founders – Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi – were awarded OBEs in the Queen’s New Years Honors List.

“To be perfectly honest with all the hard work we have put in over the years I accept it graciously – I do think we deserve it with all that work and what we have done for charity,” said Parfitt. “We’ve worked hard over the years and done a lot for Nordoff Robbins, the Prince’s Trust and the Heart Foundation and other charities, so I thought there had been a chance that we may have got something, but I had kind of given up hoping.”

The Stars Come Out For Tilly

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

A host of stars were out in the weekend to support a young British girl who contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia as a baby and lost her hands as a result.

Last year, Look To The Stars brought you the story of Tilly Lockey, who contracted a deadly form of flesh-eating meningitis for which there is no vaccination. It was every mother’s nightmare, and for four weeks Tilly fought back in intensive care. After ten blood transfusions later she was finally pronounced out of danger. Unfortunately her hands and toes were already dead, and had to be removed.

Tilly recently received her first set of prosthetic hands. According to her parents, “these need to be replaced as she grows, consultants have told us that they will need to be changed a minimum of once every year if not twice up until she is 18 years old! We received the invoice for the hands and they are costing £23,464.00 a pair. Therefore if we need to have a target of raising approx £800,000.00 to cover the costs up until Tilly is 18 years old.”

Celebrity Handprints To Be Auctioned For Tilly

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Last year, Look To The Stars brought you the story of Tilly Lockey, a young girl who contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia as a baby and lost her hands as a result.

A number of stars, such as JK Rowling, Linford Christie, David Jason, Cliff Richard, David Prowse and Alan Shearer showed their support for Tilly’s cause by donating handprints and casts for a charity auction to give her new hands. Look To The Stars is now happy to announce that the 2009 Celebrity Handprint Auction will take place on September 5 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel in the UK.

The gala evening will feature entertainment from Paul Lytton, Michael Donoghue and Richard Fleeshman, as well as a Champagne Reception and 3 course dinner.

Keep Your Feet Dry With Celebrity Designed Boots

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:00 +0000

As winter starts to wrap it’s icy fingers around the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to start pulling your seasonal clothes out of the bottom of the drawers and closets. And if you want something a little different to go splashing through the puddles and snow this year, why not check out the celebrity boot sale currently on eBay.

Jay-Z, John Mayer, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Noel Gallagher, James Blunt, Katie Melua, The Arctic Monkeys, Kate Moss and a host of other stars decorated boots at this year’s Glastonbury Festival in the UK, and now the footwear will raise money for Water Aid, an organization that provides clean water, sanitation and hygiene education in Africa and other parts of the developing world.

“We are really excited about the Water Aid Celebrity Boot auction on eBay,” said Naomi Irving, corporate development manager at Water Aid. “We’re so grateful to all the celebrities involved who have signed a pair of Hunter for Water Aid wellies [boots], including KT Tunstall, The Fratellis and Noel Gallagher.”

Status Quo Rocks The Auction House

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Last week’s special charity auction featuring works from some of Status Quo’s celebrity fans was a huge success.

Over US$158,000 was raised for the Prince’s Trust in the auction, which featured artworks created by Brian Wilson, Rolf Harris, Alice Cooper, Brian May, Chris Tarrant, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Paul Rogers and 50 other stars. Every artwork represented one of Status Quo’s album or single covers from the last 40 years, with one painting by David Shepherd attracting bids in excess of $26,860.

“It’s marvelous because normally these things can go down a damp squib,” said Quo frontman Francis Rossi. “The fact that we reached GBP100,000 is very nice. The Prince’s Trust is for young people that are not articulate or come from a poor background. Nobody gives them a chance. It’s such an unusual charity. It’s not the kind of charity that most people give to. People are not usually concerned about some young kid from a council estate background.”

Status Quo's Celebrity Friends Help Out

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000

British rockers Status Quo have asked some of their celebrity fans to create works of art to be auctioned off for charity.

Brian Wilson, Rolf Harris, Alice Cooper, Brian May, Chris Tarrant, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Paul Rogers and 50 other stars have stepped up to the challenge to benefit the Prince’s Trust as part of the launch of the band’s new CD box set and double album being released to mark their 40th anniversary.

Eight of the paintings will go under the hammer at London auction house Bonhams on November 5 at a special album launch party, with the rest of the collection being sold via a silent auction accessed through the Prince’s Trust website. Entrance to the auction is invitation only.

Young Girl Calls Celebrities For A Hand

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:37:00 +0000

Tilly Lockey is only two years old, but she is hoping for a little magic. At the moment, this bright-eyed toddler is eager and happy, but she lacks the ability to do the things that other two year olds do. She can’t reach out for her toys. She doesn’t know what it is like to clutch a crayon and draw a picture. She can’t even hold her mother’s hand.

You see, Tilly Lockey has no hands of her own. But she wants some. And with a little help, she might just get some.

When Tilly was still a baby, she contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia, a deadly form of flesh-eating meningitis for which there is no vaccination. It was every mother’s nightmare – to see her baby slowly turn purple, then black, tubes coming out of every part of her tiny body, helpless and beaten by a relentless disease. For four weeks Tilly fought back in intensive care, and after ten blood transfusions later she was finally pronounced out of danger. Unfortunately her hands and toes were already dead, and had to be removed.

Melua Calls On TV Bosses To Support Charity

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:57:12 +0000

Katie Melua has asked the producers of the hit British TV talent show The X Factor to donate the proceeds from the show’s forthcoming Christmas single to charity.

The winner of the series final on December 15th will release a for-profit cover of Mariah Carey’s song When You Believe. Melua is herself releasing a duet rendition of What A Wonderful World with late jazz singer Eva Cassidy to raise money for the Red Cross this Christmas, and wants charities to benefit more from the annual race for the number-one spot in the charts.

“In recent years the whole Christmas number one thing hasn’t been focused on the Christmas spirit,” said Melua.

London and Austin host GuitarTown for charity

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:12:00 +0000

Sir Paul McCartney is among a group of celebrities who have donated giant guitars to exhibitions in both America and England, to be auctioned off over the next few months.

The exhibitions are part of the Gibson GuitarTown Galas And Auctions being held in London and Austin, and feature both 10-foot-high and regular-sized guitars designed and signed by artists and musicians. The sculptures have been on show in the cities for 10 weeks, and will soon be removed in preparation for the auctions, which will benefit a variety of local charities.

“I just fancied playing a big guitar!” joked Sir Paul, who signed a sculpture designed by cartoonist Rosie Brooks entitled And The Crowd Goes Wild. “I think this one will hopefully catch the imagination of the public and whoever is going to buy it at the auction, and raise money for The Prince’s Trust, the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy – which are all great charities.”

Butterflies Benefit British Wildlife

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:56:00 +0000

Over 120 British celebrities have put their artistic skills to the test for an online auction, and a dazzling collection of their original drawings and paintings will help raise money to save wildlife.

The artworks, which all feature a colorful array of butterflies and moths, are currently being auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to the Dorset Wildlife Trust, one of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK, dedicated to the conservation of Britain’s unique wildlife. Famous names such as Daniel Craig, Ricky Gervais, and member of the newly reformed Spice Girls, Melanie C, are just some of those who have donated artworks to the auction, which started on September 16 and will run for several months.

“We have had a fantastic and generous response from all our celebrity artists,” said auction organizer, Les Bunce. “And sponsorship of our costs means that all the money raised will go straight to help wildlife in Dorset.”

Stars Deliver For Literacy Charities

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 10:43:34 +0000

Kate Winslet, Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Pryce and Phil Collins are among 40 celebrities who have donated their time and artistic skills to the UK Pitney Bowes Pushing the Envelope campaign.

The stars have each decorated an envelope in order to raise funds for the National Literacy Trust, and the unique framed art is available on eBay until the 20th of October.

This is the third year that the campaign has taken place, and organisers are hoping it will be as successful as last year’s auction, which raised over £11,000 for the Trust.

Melua Single Profits Going To Charity

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 11:35:43 +0000

Jazz singer Katie Melua has announced that proceeds from her next single “Spider’s Web” will be donated to charity.

The charity to benefit from the star’s generous move is Save the Children, for whom the 21-year old is an ambassador.