Hours before Glenn Close danced “Da Butt” and Rita Moreno announced Nomadland as the best picture of the year, the Elton John AIDS Foundation had already raised $3 million during its annual Oscars pre-party.

This year, for the first time ever, the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Pre-Party was a virtual gala, which meant that viewers across the globe could tune in, join the celebrities and help fight HIV/AIDS. If you missed the 29th annual HIV fundraiser, the program will be rebroadcast Monday night, April 26. You can get your $19.99 tickets to the show’s final stream here (and also in the Facebook post below)

THANK YOU! Last night, for the first time ever, supporters of the Foundation were invited to attend the iconic...

Posted by Elton John AIDS Foundation on Monday, April 26, 2021

Actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the preparty alongside Elton John and his husband, David Furnish. Dua Lipa performed a mini-concert of her hits—including “Levitating” and “Don’t Start Now”—and dueted with John on “Bennie and the Jets” and “Love Again.” Joining the party were several actors from HBO’s recent hit miniseries It’s a Sin, about the early years of the AIDS epidemic in London (the show also starred Harris).

Cast members of the HIV-themed series “It's a Sin” at the 29th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party

Cast members of the HIV-themed series “It’s a Sin” at the 29th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing PartyCourtesy of Getty images for the Elton John AIDS Foundation

“We haven’t missed a year yet, and we certainly weren’t going to miss our 29th annual Oscar Party to benefit my Foundation—even if it meant going virtual,” said John in a press release. “It was so much fun to perform with the gorgeous Dua Lipa and open up our [party to supporters all over the world. I’m so grateful to Neil for hosting, everyone who attended and all my friends who participated so that we could continue this legendary event to raise vital funds to end the AIDS epidemic.”

Actress and singer Cynthia Erivo speaks at the 29th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in London

Actress and singer Cynthia Erivo speaks at the 29th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in LondonCourtesy of Getty images for the Elton John AIDS Foundation

According to the foundation’s website, this year, the group was raising money “for young people at risk and living with HIV all over the world. This age group are smart and savvy and require health care services and support in different ways than adults do, and the Foundation will work to ensure that HIV care is tailored to young people. The COVID‐19 pandemic has forced the world to explore many modes of virtual health care and we need to ensure that this continues in a digital era to serve young people affected by HIV.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us in unimaginable ways, but we must ensure that one pandemic does not override another,” wrote the foundation, adding, “Young people represent 25 percent of the world’s population but are disproportionately affected by HIV, making up 36 percent of new infections.”

Youth advocacy isn’t the sole focus of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. For more, see “Rocketman Elton John Launched $1M COVID-19 Fund for HIV Care [VIDEO],” “Elton John Streams Classic Concerts to Raise HIV and COVID-19 Funds [VIDEOS]” and “‘AIDSfree’ Fundraiser to Help Six Cities Worldwide, Including Atlanta.”

POZ April May 2021 cover

In related news, National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) was observed earlier this month. For this year’s  NYHAAD, young activists led an effort to repeal discriminatory HIV crime laws. The current cover story of POZ magazine, pictured above, highlights youth advocates seeking inclusive sex education for their peers. For more, read “Raising HIV Awareness Among Young People.”