Annie Lennox calls for Gaza cease-fire at Grammys

by Judy Kurtz - 02/04/24 10:28 PM ET

FILE - Annie Lennox arrives at the presentation of the Gershwin Prize, which honors a musician's lifetime contribution to popular music, hosted at DAR Constitution Hall, March 1, 2023, in Washington. Lennox is not retiring. Though her partner in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Eurythmics Dave Stewart recently posted that Lennox “won’t be touring anymore” and would not be part of the “Sweet Dreams 40th Anniversary Tour” this fall, Lennox told The Associated Press that she will continue to perform. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File) — FILE – Annie Lennox arrives at the presentation of the Gershwin Prize, which honors a musician’s lifetime contribution to popular music, hosted at DAR Constitution Hall, March 1, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)

Annie Lennox took to the Grammy Awards stage to call for a cease-fire in Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The “Sweet Dreams” singer performed during an in memoriam segment at the 66th annual Grammys on Sunday in Los Angeles.

In the final moments of her performance of the late Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Lennox raised one of her fists in the air.

“Artists for cease-fire,” the 69-year-old Scottish entertainer exclaimed to the crowd.

“Peace in the world,” she yelled out.

Lennox was one of many high-profile figures — including Jennifer Lopez, Joaquin Phoenix, Janelle Monáe, Dua Lipa and more — who signed a December open letter to President Biden from the organization Artists4Ceasefire calling for “an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.”

Last week, amid international pressure for a temporary cease-fire, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected any concessions to Hamas, saying Israel is pursuing “total victory” to eliminate the militant group that controls Gaza and launched the Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of The Recording Academy, addressed the conflict in the Middle East in remarks later in the awards show.

Naming attacks at music venues around the world over the years, including Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion in Israel, Mason said: “That day, and all the tragic days that have followed, have been awful for the world to bear as we mourn the loss of all innocent lives.”

“We live in a world divided by so much, and maybe music can’t solve everything. But let us all agree, music must remain the common ground upon which we all stand, together in peace and harmony,” Mason said.

Mason noted that a string quartet that was performing during his comments was made up of a group of musicians “of Palestinian, Israeli, and Arab descent.”

“Now is the time for us, for humanity, to play together, to come together, with empathy and with love,” he said.

Updated at 11:14 p.m. ET

Tags Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza Gaza cease-fire Jennifer Lopez Joe Biden