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LTTS Exclusive - The Variety Club 57th Annual Showbiz Awards

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Look To The Stars’ UK Correspondent Richard Barker was lucky enough to attend the Variety Club’s 57th Annual Showbiz Awards and filed this exclusive report and photos.

I was delighted to spend some time with A-list celebrities from music, film, theatre and television on the Red Carpet. The event was in aid of one of UK’s longest running children’s charities, The Variety Club, as it celebrated its Diamond Jubilee.

London saw some of the brightest stars from the showbiz world light up London’s West End as they congregated on the Red Carpet at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London W1 to show their support for one of UK’s longest running charities dedicated to sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people – The Variety Club – and to honour the most talented individuals from the world of entertainment at The Variety Club’s 57th Annual Showbiz Awards 2009. Don’t worry readers if you are based in England but weren’t there on the night – you’ll get a chance to watch the glitz, the glamour and hear the gossip on FIVE on Sunday 22nd November 2009 at 3.35pm.

The evening’s star-studded event commenced with an array of international A-list celebrities, industry stalwarts and leading luminaries from the worlds of film, television, comedy, theatre, popular music and classical music gracing the Red Carpet. The guest list welcomed names such as Kevin Spacey, Ben Kingsley, Patrick Stewart, Kelly Brook, Alesha Dixon, Dame Kelly Holmes (Ambassador for The Variety Club), David Suchet, Jon Culshaw, Alan Carr, Justin Lee Collins, Pixie Lott, Spandau Ballet, The Saturdays, Daniela Lavender, Faryl Smith and Joe Calzaghe. The stars shined for cameras as they made their way to an exclusive reception where champagne flutes were overflowing, as a prelude to a gourmet banquet and the coveted awards ceremony, which took place against a theatrical backdrop of exclusive world-class entertainment, including dazzling performances by Spandau Ballet, Pixie Lott and Faryl Smith.

The only event of its kind to honour the entire showbiz industry, this year’s winners included: Kevin Spacey, who was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre by fellow actor David Suchet; Justin Lee Collins, who was presented with the Television Presenter of the Year Award by Alan Carr; and Spandau Ballet, who were presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Popular Music by The Saturdays.

On receiving his award, Sir Ian McKellen said, "This is an over-generous recognition of a career which, in truth, has been its own reward. Acting is working with friends and entertaining people and that’s quite enough for me. The Variety Club is having its 60th birthday, which means I was ten years old at the time in 1949, living in the north of England in Wigan, Lancashire. I was, without knowing it, preparing for a life in show business.

The Variety Club is the essence of life for kids who desperately need the help to get healthy. I am full of admiration for the work you have done for the past 60 years and hope you carry on with the work you do. I am extremely honoured to be associated with this charity and this award."

The Variety Club Showbiz Awards is one of the most eagerly anticipated entries on the British entertainment calendar and has become an international celebrity institution in itself. Nearly every showbiz personality of note from the past 60 years has been honoured by The Variety Club, renowned for its strong links with the showbiz world, including Tommy Trinder, Dame Vera Lynn, Lord Laurence Olivier, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Sir Alec Guiness, Sir Michael Caine, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judy Dench, Ben Kingsley, Diana Dors, Daniel Craig, Keira Knightley, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Al Pacino, Peter Sellers, Tommy Cooper, Ricky Gervais, Alan Carr, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Katherine Jenkins and Hayley Westenra.

The Variety Club Showbiz Awards raises significant funds for and awareness of the work The Variety Club undertakes to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people. Celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year, the charity has raised over £200 million and improved the lives of more than a million children and young people since its inception. Among its tireless work, the charity provides Sunshine Coaches, Easy Riders electric wheelchairs, exciting and educational trips, equipment for children’s hospitals and life enhancing equipment.

Also at this year’s Showbiz Awards, The Variety Club, in partnership with The Co-operative, revealed the face of its 2010 Gold Heart campaign – Alesha Dixon. The Gold Heart badges will be sold in Co-operative food, bank, travel and pharmacy stores from 28th January 2010. Owned by its members, The Co-operative has a long and proud history of supporting charities, community groups and other good causes. Every £1 donated in-store to the fund will help The Variety Club to provide vital, life-changing equipment to those children that need it most.

John Sachs, Chairman, The Variety Club Showbiz Awards comments, "Once again, the Showbiz Awards has honoured the UK’s top entertainment personalities embracing television, film, comedy, theatre, classical and popular music. As The Variety Club also celebrates its Diamond Jubilee this year, there was even more glamour, showbiz magic and star appeal than ever before.

The prestigious event also helped raise awareness and funds for The Variety Club’s praiseworthy work and as one of the UK’s longest serving charities dedicated to helping sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people, our sole and primary focus is to make sure every child and young person is given the chance to reach their fullest potential."

Here are some facts about The Variety Club:
The Variety Club provides practical solutions to allow sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people across the UK to reach their full potential. This year sees The Variety Club celebrate its 60th year of bringing hope, independence and freedom to children and young people. In the past 60 years The Variety Club has raised over £200 million and helped more than a million children and young people. The Variety Club has donated more than 3,300 Easy Riders electric wheelchairs and mobility aids since 1981, put 4,890 Sunshine Coaches on the road and given around £20 million to children’s hospitals. To find out more information or donate go to www.varietyclub.org.uk. Follow the Variety Club on twitter here.

Celebrities Inspired By Music For Charity

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A new book in which celebrities share how music has changed their lives is set to raise money for the Prince’s Trust.

Inspired By Music features photos and stories from Take That, Al Pacino, Mark Ronson, Sharon Osbourne, Kevin Spacey, Bill Nighy, Bear Grylls, Ben Ainslie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Boris Johnson, Cerys Matthews, Gary Lineker, Gerald Scarfe, Jane Asher, Lemar, Michael Sheen, P. Diddy, Paul Gambaccini, Richard E. Grant, Ozzy Osbourne, Sir George Martin, Tony Blair and many more.

The book features a forward by Prince Charles, and award-winning photographer Cambridge Jones took exclusive portraits for it. Proceeds will go to the Prince’s Trust, which offers support by training, mentoring and financial assistance to help disadvantaged young people achieve their potential.

“[Music] seems to me that music is a fascinating phenomenon because, on the one hand, it is a truly universal language that knows no barriers of origin, creed or circumstance, and therefore has the capacity to engage us all,” said the Prince. “On the other, its expression and enjoyment is entirely personal, and so often the memory of a particular piece of music is bound up with an event in our lives.”

The book goes on sale in the UK on Friday at Starbucks stores and selected bookshops.

Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:21:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and celebrities are doing their best to make holiday shopping easy this year. Several charity auctions have already kicked off to raise money for good causes, including one that may be eBay’s largest sale of celebrity items… ever!

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS online auction will open on December 1, World AIDS Day, and will feature over 1000 specially signed items, ranging from posters to iPods. The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity, and in the past has raised up to $175,000.

The array of memorabilia up for sale this year is simply colossal, with perhaps the most interesting items being a series of “Lend a Hand to LIFEbeat” cards that feature the handprints of over 100 celebrities. Stars such as Britney Spears, Jack Black, and Kathy Griffin traced around the outlines of their hands and decorated their artworks for the auction, and the finished products will make a unique addition to any Christmas stocking.

Also included in the auction is a selection of signed musical instruments. Rapper 50 Cent has donated the tambourines he used during his performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and Metallica and the Foo Fighters have both donated guitars. There are also over 200 official RIAA gold and platinum record awards up for sale, from artists such as Annie Lennox, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Green Day. Rare tour crew jackets from Guns N Roses, Cher, George Michael, and Prince are also available.

There are a stack of autographed CDs and DVDs on offer in the auction, from Mariah Carey, Elton John, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Val Kilmer, as well as books signed by Madonna, Bill Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Martha Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Ethan Hawke. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Elijah Wood, and Usher have all signed posters for the auction.

For those people after something a little different, the auction also includes an iPod designed by Yoko Ono, a box of cereal signed by Will Ferrell, Borat’s hat signed by Sacha Baron Cohen, and a Spiderman action figure autographed by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

And if nothing mentioned so far whets your appetite, there are also signed items from Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Nelly, Joan Collins, John Travolta, Kanye West, The Cure, Jay-Z, Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham, Robin Williams, Hilary Duff, Jason Alexander, Jack Nicholson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adam Sandler, John Legend, Jessica Simpson, Whoopi Goldberg, Aerosmith, Denzel Washington, Good Charlotte, James Blunt, Jeremy Piven, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Norah Jones, Razorlight, Wyclef Jean, and many more… far too many to list here.

More information and a full list of items can be found at www.bid2beataids.com.

As if this wasn’t enough choice for Christmas shoppers, there are also several other auctions and events on the go at the moment. The biggest of these is the 10th Annual Collaborating For A Cure Benefit Dinner and Auction, a massive black tie gala to be held on November 29. It also happens to be one of the highest grossing charity events held every year in New York, and last year raised over $4 million for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that has provided over $55 million in grants to cancer research, and has been instrumental in the development of new cancer drugs.

The gala dinner and live auction will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue, New York City, and over 1200 guests are expected to attend. The host for the evening is Chevy Chase, and attendees will be treated to a very special performance by Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh, members of 70’s rock group, the Eagles.

Selected items up for auction on the night as well as online include dinner with Chevy Chase, the chance to play tennis with Andre Agassi, and a meet and greet with Aerosmith.

More information can be found at www.charitybuzz.com.

Also on the Charitybuzz website is an auction to raise funding for Stand Up For A Cure, an organization dedicated to lung cancer research and awareness.

The auction runs from November 28 until December 12, and features unique items such as the chance to have Andrea Bocelli perform in your own home, the opportunity to have Patti LaBelle host your cocktail party, and VIP tickets to see Céline Dion at Madison Square Gardens.

And if you still can’t find a suitable gift, have a look at the Have A Heart Auction on Charitybuzz. All proceeds from the auction, which features the chance to meet Avril Lavigne, a copy of “An Inconvenient Truth” signed by Al Gore, and a “Godfather II” DVD signed by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, will benefit HEART, an organization that aims to foster compassion and respect for all living beings.

But you have to be in quick, as the auction ends on November 29.

Charlize Theron Hosts Children's Benefit Auction

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:23:03 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Charlize Theron hosted an auction on June 27th to raise money for children in her native South Africa. The event in Los Angeles drew the support of other Hollywood celebrities, and raised $140,000 to help families in need.

The auction was attended by stars such as Lindsay Lohan, and items up for auction included a jacket from Will Smith, signed DVDs from Tom Hanks and an original Scarface poster donated by Al Pacino.

The Charlize Theron African Outreach Project benefits Oprah’s Angel Network and helps support vulnerable children in rural South Africa.

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