John Legend was this year’s headline performer. Gregg Field led a band of studio musicians, and DJ Jason Eldredge and singer-songwriter Ledisi were also among the night's entertainment acts. ShowPro handled the night's sound.
Vanity Fair’s bash took place beneath an elegant glass-walled structure in a new location at 8680 Sunset Boulevard, which represented a larger event space than the party’s former Sunset Tower location. The New York Times reported that architect Basil Walter designed the venue, invitations came in hologram form, and "tiers of exclusivity” invited guests in half-hour time slots after dinner in descending order of importance.
Montgomery explained that Essence recently "delivered to market some pretty eye-opening research about how black women view themselves in media. A great deal of messaging around confidence and beauty rose to the top.” To that end, the clear-top cocktail tent included a Target-sponsored “Power of Our Presence” wall where guests could pull a message of inspiration; as the messages were removed, images of Champions honorees appeared beneath the star-shaped installation. Other integrated sponsorships included Lincoln's video capture, the L'Oréal Paris lip bar, and Colgate Optic White red carpet shots that guests could upload and share. Activity around the event’s hashtag, #EssenceRedCarpet, was robust.
On February 26, Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey joined Variety and Unite4:Good for the first ever Unite4:Humanity event held at the Sony Pictures Lot, where glittering, illuminated chandeliers hung overhead. Andy Samberg served as M.C. for the inaugural event, and Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker.
