Andra Day is set to receive the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at WhyHunger’s Chapin Awards Gala on May 6 at Cipriani 25 in New York City. WhyHunger is a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger and advancing the right to nutritious food.
Day is best known for her hit “Rise Up,” which brought her a Grammy nomination for best R&B performance in 2016, and for her Oscar-nominated performance as jazz legend Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. She won a Grammy for that film’s soundtrack album in 2022.
“‘Rise Up’ began as a personal reminder to keep going when the world feels heavy, and I never imagined it would become an anthem for resilience and justice,” Day shared in a statement. “To me, justice isn’t abstract — it means no one goes hungry, every child has nourishment and every community has hope. If this song has helped even one person have more compassion or be healed, I’m grateful.”
The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner and live music. Previous event honorees include Pat Benatar and 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.
Day’s participation in the 2020 PlayOn televised benefit concert helped raise more than $7 million to support WhyHunger and the NAACP LDF. Beyond hunger, Day’s charitable work has championed social and racial justice, gender equality, girls’ and women’s rights, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and juvenile justice system reform.
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 and more. In the last five years, the nonprofit has connected 6.6 million people to food and invested $9.6 million in community-led solutions globally.
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