00:00This is a, my God, this is like a five Kleenex morning, isn't it?
00:04I mean, Adele was in tears and I was in tears.
00:09Girls, it's so fantastic to see your faces, your excitement, your energy, your commitment.
00:16It's fantastic to see the next generation.
00:19So congratulations and we can't wait to see what you do.
00:23It's great.
00:25And anyway, hello.
00:28It's me.
00:30Well, actually, it's not.
00:36It's Adele.
00:43So that line is taken by the woman we're gathered to celebrate here this morning,
00:48a woman whose accomplishments are already so legendary.
00:52I have six Grammys, an Emmy, an Oscar, 12 Brit Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards and two awards for Songwriter of the Year.
01:05I mean, if I started name checking them all, we'd be here through lunch tomorrow, actually.
01:12Oh gosh, you know, there are moments in life that you never forget.
01:18And none more so, you know, when you first hear an artist and a song that's truly different from anything that's come before and really speaks to you.
01:28And I'll never forget the first time I had that experience was when I heard Edith Pia sing.
01:34And then when I heard Elvis Presley sing.
01:38And I had exactly the same reaction a few decades later.
01:42I think it was about 2008, maybe, when I heard Adele singing Hometown Glory.
01:49And this shiver went down my back.
01:54You know, that chill that comes just a few times in your life when you realize you're listening to a brilliant and game-changing artist.
02:04And I thought, wow, a goddess walks amongst us.
02:15And then I heard her speak.
02:18And then I'll never forget the first time I heard her speak on a radio interview.
02:24And I thought, oh my God, not only is she a goddess, but she's an ordinary Londoner just like me.
02:31I mean, what an extraordinary rare combination of being one of us, but also having a talent and a tenor that can take us, transport us to somewhere truly otherworldly.
02:47And how endearingly and magical that, Adele, your everyday speaking voice is transformed in the recording studio and on the concert stage into something so pure and so powerful.
03:01You know, I read in an interview recently where Adele was called the voice of her generation, and I totally disagree with that.
03:09Her voice is one for the ages.
03:11It is truly timeless.
03:20Her voice is an instrument, as we all know, don't we, that mesmerizes music fans of every generation and makes others fall in love with music for the very first time.
03:32Honestly, I'm not a very musical person, actually.
03:34I'm sorry to say we've got such great music artists here, and I'm so unmusical, but I can hear it.
03:43I can hear it.
03:44There are so many things about Adele that I so greatly admire.
03:50You know, her passion, her soulfulness in her songs, her brilliance as a songwriter.
03:55And, of course, I cannot fail to mention her incredible work ethic.
04:01Just imagine her Las Vegas residency.
04:04It began in 2022 and continues through June.
04:10My God.
04:12I get exhausted in Las Vegas after 24 hours.
04:16That's about it.
04:17But even more so, that voice that, like an angel, comes from a place of great authenticity.
04:26She's a songwriter whose creations resonate with all of us.
04:30They are both universal and, of course, at the same time so personal and so authentic.
04:38And her words and music grant us access to her inner life as a woman.
04:43And, you know, the best-selling author, Brene Brown, said it best.
04:51Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.
04:56Truth and courage are not always comfortable, but they're never weakness.
05:01Song after song, performance after performance, Adele sings her truth with courage.
05:07And her vulnerability becomes our secret strength.
05:11And strength and courage, of course, define the person for whom tonight's award is named.
05:19The pioneering first woman to head a Hollywood studio, a North Star for every woman in this room.
05:27The Sherry Lansing Leadership Award recognizes trailblazers and philanthropists in entertainment and media.
05:34Women, like Adele, who leveraged their precious time, extraordinary talent, and hard-earned platform to inspire and help others.
05:46Though her voice can fill any hall of her choosing, Adele makes an extraordinary contribution when no one is looking.
05:55And this is her other side, her secret, her private side.
06:00She is, in so many ways, a silent philanthropist, who quietly, in her own way, is making an immeasurable difference in the lives of others.
06:10Time and again, she is given to those in need.
06:13Through her commitment to SANS, an organization dedicated to saving babies' lives and supporting bereaved families.
06:22Her efforts on behalf of Drop for Drop and its mission to bring access to clean water for all.
06:29And her determination to bring light in moments of darkness to the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in London,
06:37which was a terrible, terrible tragedy in our hometown.
06:41Put simply, Adele, the human being, sings just as beautifully out of the spotlight as she does at the microphone center stage.
06:53For her immeasurable cultural, professional, and philanthropic impact, it is my great honor, my great privilege,
07:01to present the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award to my fellow Londoner, Adele.
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