April 8, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

John Legend

John Legend

EGOT-Winner and Critically Acclaimed, Multiplatinum Singer-Songwriter

MORE ABOUT JOHN LEGEND

EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multiplatinum singer-songwriter John Legend has garnered 12 Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award, among others. Legend is the first African-American man to earn an EGOT and one of only fifteen people in the prestigious EGOT club. Legend has released seven celebrated albums over the course of his career and is also a coach on The Voice.

Legend is the first African-American man to earn an EGOT and one of only fifteen people in the prestigious EGOT club. Legend has released seven celebrated albums over the course of his career, including, Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), Evolver (2008), Love in the Future (2013), Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas Deluxe (2019), and Bigger Love (2020). Currently, Legend’s “All of Me” ties with Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” as the highest certified track in Recording Industry Association of America’s history.

Legend starred as Jesus in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert in April 2018. That year, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie and won an Emmy as a producer in the category of Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for the show.

Legend joined The Voice for Season 16 (2019) and is currently a coach on Season 20. In October 2018, Legend released his first Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas, and closed out the year with his A Legendary Christmas tour. He released a special A Legendary Christmas Deluxe version in 2019.

Beyond his music career, John, along with partners Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius, is a principal of Get Lifted Film Co. Most recently, Get Lifted produced David E. Talbert’s acclaimed holiday film Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey for Netflix, the HBO, IDA Award-winning docu-series Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, the IFC and AMC comedy series Sherman’s Showcase and Sherman’s Showcase: Black History Month Spectacular, and Rhythm + Flow for Netflix. Their other recent projects include the documentary 40 Years A Prisoner on HBO Max and the documentary Giving Voice, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is available for streaming on Netflix. Their forthcoming projects include the film Monster, which was recently acquired by Netflix, and the film adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s novel Blacktop Wasteland. Recently announced, Get Lifted and Erik Feig’s PICTURESTART formed Picture LIFT, a joint venture focused on developing, producing and financing multiple films in the $10M range, featuring diverse filmmakers and inclusive casts. 

From a young age, Legend aspired to use his position in the entertainment industry as a platform for social change. In an essay competition Legend won at age 15, he wrote of his dream to become a star recording artist and to use his influence and resources to give back to his community. And that is exactly what he has done – throughout his career, Legend has committed his time, energy, and resources to social justice and equality.

Through supporting the work of grassroots organizations on the ground, John Legend has played a significant role in achieving cutting-edge policy victories across the country – in places as different as California (Proposition 47 in 2014, Proposition 57 in 2016), Louisiana (Comprehensive piece of reform legislation in 2017, and Amendment 2 in 2018), Florida (Amendment 4), New York (Close Rikers Campaign and the bail reform bill in 2019), and the federal Ban the Box policy.

From a young age, Legend aspired to use his position in the entertainment industry as a platform for social change. Throughout his career, Legend has committed his time, energy, and resources to social justice and equality. His philanthropy and advocacy has focused on building just, equitable, and thriving communities. Legend initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign in 2015 to change the national conversation surrounding our country’s misguided criminal justice policies and to end mass incarceration. In 2007, Legend started The Show Me Campaign, to give every child access to a quality education as well as address systemic issues in our criminal justice system that disproportionately impact the poor, minorities, and disadvantaged.

In addition to Legend’s signature initiatives, he serves on the Board of Directors of Harlem Village Academies and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and on the Advisory Board for The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Teach for All.


Learn more about our other speakers

Peyton ManningAnderson CooperJesmyn WardDavid Brooks