At the end of her 'Nothing Compares 2 U' performance during the In Memoriam segment, the Tourists vocalist speaks out about the Israel-Hamas conflict onstage.
- Feb 5, 2024
AceShowbiz - Annie Lennox has made use of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards to voice her stance in the Israel-Hamas conflict. When taking the stage to pay tribute to Sinead O'Connor during the In Memoriam segment, she called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
At the Sunday, February 4 event, the Tourists vocalist honored the late Irish musician with a cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U". Joining forces with fellow 1980s icons Wendy & Lisa, she delivered a moving performance of the 1990 hit.
As the song came to a close, Lennox, who had a single glitter-encrusted tear painted on her face, raised her first into the air and shouted, "Artists for ceasefire! Peace in the world" The 69-year-old performer is also known as a political and social activist.
In 2003, she took part in the "No war on Iraq" campaign and expressed her criticism of the war on her album "Songs of Mass Destruction". She also signed an October 2023 open letter of artists for ceasefire during the Israeli counterattack in Gaza.
Following Lennox's performance, many praised her decision to speak out about the Middle East conflict. "annie lennox finishing sinead o'connors song by calling for a ceasefire was perhaps the most meaningful and honest way to honor sinead's memory," one person reacted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Annie Lennox the first person in awards season to call for a ceasefire on tv," a second user gushed. Another viewer commented, "Annie Lennox called for a ceasefire during her tribute to Sinead O'connor at the Grammy's. This is what you're supposed to use your visibility for."
"annie lennox just called for a ceasefire publicly on stage!! keep fighting for gaza and sudan and congo and niger and somalia and all of the other countries facing genocide and displacement," a fourth person added.
Lennox's performance aside, the In Memoriam segment also featured Stevie Wonder performing "For Once in My Life" in honor of Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste singing "Lean on Me" in honor of Clarence Avant, as well as Fantasia Barrino covering "Proud Mary" to pay tribute to Tina Turner.
