WhyHunger Honors Acclaimed Singer, Songwriter & Actress Andra Day Alongside Radiolab Founder Jad Abumrad At Chapin Awards Gala In NYC
Raising Over $523K To End Hunger At Its Root
(Credit: Diane Bondareff)
Thursday, May 7 – WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger and advancing the human right to nutritious food, held its annual Chapin Awards Gala at Cipriani 25 in New York City, raising $523,435 to end hunger and the injustice at its root.
The event honored GRAMMY® and Golden Globe Award-winning, Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter, activist, and acclaimed actress Andra Day with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award and 4x Peabody Award winner, MacArthur Fellow, and founder of Radiolab Jad Abumrad with the Bill Ayres Social Justice Award. Both honorees were recognized for their contributions towards building a more just-hunger free world by using their talent, voice and influence to inspire change.
Featuring moving remarks and a special performance by Andra Day, the evening brought together Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, 6x GRAMMY®-nominated artist and actress Yola, Chopped judge Chef Amanda Freitag, therapist and influencer Shahem McLaurin, USA Today Woman of the Year recording artist and disability advocate Lachi, The Summer I Turned Pretty actor David Iacono, The Good Wife actress Rachel Hilson, Tony Award®-nominated Broadway star Melissa Errico, and her husband, former professional tennis player, broadcaster and ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe, as well as hundreds of supporters for a cocktail reception, dinner and program – all in support of WhyHunger’s mission to end hunger and address its root causes.
Melissa Errico & Patrick McEnroe, Lachi & Yola (Credit: Diane Bondareff)
Bottom: Rachel Hilson, David Iacono, Chef Amanda Freitag & Jenique Jones, Shahem McLaurin
(Credit: Diane Bondareff)
Additional event highlights included a menu with select ingredients sourced from WhyHunger’s grassroots partners, video messages from actor André Holland and Radiolab co-hosts Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, and, to close the night, a special rendition of Harry Chapin’s hit “Circle,” led by 3x GRAMMY® Award-winning singer-songwriter Tom Chapin.
“Because rising up isn’t just about personal strength — it’s about collective care,” said Andra Day. “It’s about asking: who around me needs support? Who is being overlooked? And what can I do — not someday, but right now — to be part of the solution? That’s what organizations like WhyHunger stand for. Not just awareness, but action. Not just charity, but justice.”
Previous honorees have included Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Grace Potter, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Harry Belafonte, Jackson Browne, Jason Mraz, John Mellencamp, Jon Batiste, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, and Tom Morello.
“We can no longer insist that our job is just to accumulate facts. This next phase, I would argue, is more about bridge building,” said Jad Abumrad. “The deeper work is to simply listen in stereo. And to show others how to do the same.”
Bottom: Jenique Jones (Credit: Diane Bondareff)
“Food is a human right. And if you believe that, if you feel that, if you know that this world can be different, then do not leave here inspired. Leave here committed. Because ending hunger is not a dream. It is a decision,” said WhyHunger’s Executive Director Jenique Jones.
In 2025, WhyHunger celebrated 50 years of impact and raised $1.4 million from its 40th Annual Hungerthon fundraiser involving Bruce Springsteen, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, SAINt JHN, Yola, Young the Giant & more. In the last five years, WhyHunger has connected 6.6 million people to food and invested $9.6 million in community-led solutions globally. The nonprofit works in the United States and 24 countries around the globe to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food for all.
Members of WhyHunger’s Board of Directors & Staff
(Credit: Diane Bondareff)
The 2026 Chapin Awards is sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Collection 18 and the Secunda Family Foundation. To learn more about WhyHunger and how you can support the movement to end hunger, visit www.whyhunger.org, and follow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X.
(Credit: Diane Bondareff)
About Andra Day
Andra Day is an Emmy® Award-winning, GRAMMY® Award-winning, Golden Globe® Award-winning, and Academy Award®-nominated singer, songwriter, actress, and activist whose influence transcends music, film, and culture. A generational talent, her voice and presence have proven to be powerful forces for impact and inspiration. In her very first on-screen acting role, Andra captivated audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of the legendary Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Her emotionally raw and transformative performance made her only the second Black actress in history to win the Golden Globe® for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She also earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress and took home a GRAMMY® for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Following her breakout acting success, Andra won a Children and Family EMMY® Award for her work as a writer and performer in We The People, and continued to expand her screen presence with powerful performances.
Most recently, she starred in the Netflix hit The Deliverance, which debuted at number 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 and added to her growing acclaim as an actress. She also starred alongside Andre Holland and Aunjunue Ellis in the critically acclaimed Exhibiting Forgiveness. Next up, she is sharing the screen with Bradley Cooper, Laura Dern, and Will Arnett in Is This Thing On?, directed by Bradley Cooper. She will also portray the iconic goddess Athena in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. On the music front, Andra’s voice first reached a global audience with her 4x platinum anthem “Rise Up” from her debut album Cheers to the Fall. That debut earned two GRAMMY® nominations and introduced a powerful new voice in R&B and soul. In 2024, she returned with CASSANDRA (Cherith) to widespread acclaim from The New York Times, People, W Magazine, and more. She continues to make history with performances like her stirring rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the Super Bowl LVIII pregame show and remains deeply committed to activism—supporting organizations like Global Citizen, The Kering Foundation, Faith Moves Only No Fear and GiveDirectly. With more music, more films, and more impact on the horizon, Andra Day’s voice—and her presence—will continue to shape culture for years to come.
About Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad is a composer, artist and journalist and the creator of Radiolab, Dolly
Parton’s America, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, and many other podcasts which collectively have been downloaded over a billion times. He’s been called a “master of the radio craft” for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling and impersonal approach to explaining complex topics, from the stochasticity of tumor cells to the mathematics of morality. Jad studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. He composed much of the music for Radiolab, and has composed music for film, theater and dance. Jad has received four Peabody Awards, the highest honor in broadcasting and two DuPont Awards. And in 2011, he received the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. He’s currently a Distinguished Professor of Research at Vanderbilt University.
About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 25 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment.
