Atlanta’s Jermaine Dupri, Kat Graham Honored at PETA’s 40th Anniversary Event
For Immediate Release:
December 13, 2020
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
Last night, PETA’s all-virtual 40th Anniversary and Holiday Party celebrated the group’s four decades of victories for animals and honored the celebrities who helped make them happen with Humanitarian Awards. The event was cohosted by Alan Cumming and Edie Falco—with special appearances by Sir Paul McCartney, Patrick Mahomes, Iggy Pop, Joaquin Phoenix, Dolly Parton, and others—and its honorees included Jermaine Dupri and Kat Graham.
Mariah Carey presented the prize to her longtime pal Dupri, who was featured in PETA’s “Feel the Beets, Lose the Meats” vegan campaign and hosted a vegan Thanksgiving for people in need in Atlanta last year.
“I’ve known Jermaine for a long time, and he is one of a kind. Not only is he a genius at producing music, he’s also a vocal animal rights advocate, why is why we are joined here today. I am most proud to see how Jermaine has become a powerful voice in PETA’s vegan campaign,” she said. “J.D., keep doing what you do. And PETA, I can’t wait for the next 40 years of groundbreaking success.”
Accepting his award from his studio in Atlanta, Dupri said, “Here in Atlanta, it’s been amazing to be a part of the growing vegan community. I became vegan for my own health, but the longer I’ve been at it, the more it became about others: the animals, food justice for our community, and the health of our planet. I urge you all to get involved and start building a vegan movement in your community.”
Graham, whose PETA videos encourage everyone to go vegan and fight speciesism, the human-supremacist worldview that animals are ours to exploit and kill at will, was also recognized. Joined by rescued animals at Georgia’s Full Circle Farm Sanctuary, where she gave her acceptance speech, Graham—who moved to the state after filming The Vampire Diaries there—said, “We can all change the world by leading by example, and that is what PETA has always done so beautifully.… [Sheep] are not sweaters. Cows aren’t burgers. Mice aren’t lab equipment. They feel. They understand. And they’re not ours to dominate.” She proclaimed, “Let’s change the world. Let’s change the way we eat. Let’s change what we wear. Let’s change how we live.”
The event also featured a segment highlighting the numerous superstars who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals over the years, including former Falcons player Tony Gonzalez, who posed with his wife for the group’s iconic “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign.
Video clips are available here and more information about the event is available here.
