Global Citizen’s VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World brought together world leaders, musicians, philanthropists, and more to call for the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses around the world and to inspire confidence in vaccines to end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere.

It was a night of hope, celebrating the achievable prospect of COVID-19 coming to an end as new commitments to vaccine equity are made and more people choose to get vaccinated when they’re able. 

But VAX LIVE would not have been such a success without the guidance of the concert’s host: multi-platinum recording artist, actress, and producer Selena Gomez.

Gomez has been a staunch supporter of Global Citizen’s efforts around vaccine equity and ending the pandemic. She has used her platform to call on government leaders to donate vaccine doses and asked wealthy corporations to make monetary contributions to COVAX, the vaccine pillar of the ACT-Accelerator that aims to provide COVID-19 vaccine doses to low-income countries.

Gomez also tweeted at pharmaceutical company Moderna to commit to providing vaccines at not-for-profit prices to help reach countries and people everywhere.

.@moderna_tx & @NoubarAfeyan, thanks for developing a vaccine for COVID-19 but we need your help to get it to everyone, everywhere. Will you follow others in providing it not-for-profit for the countries most in need? #vaxlive

— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) April 24, 2021

She’s an advocate for other causes, too. Speaking out about the importance of mental health resources, her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, donates 1% of all sales directly to the Rare Impact Fund, which works to increase access to mental health services in educational settings.

While hosting VAX LIVE, Gomez wowed the audience by speaking about the importance of vaccine sharing and encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when they have the opportunity. With such a special host, it’s no wonder that VAX LIVE was able to mobilize more than $302 million in funding and secure 27 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for countries in need.

Here are our favorite moments from Selena Gomez during VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World.

1. When she opened the show by thanking essential and frontline workers.

VAX LIVE was made up of a live audience of fully vaccinated essential workers who have helped the world fight against COVID-19. To honor their bravery and celebrate them for all the work they do, Gomez opened up the concert by thanking the very people who never stopped fighting to end the pandemic.

“No one has been more reliable than the brave people in our audience tonight,” Gomez said. “Essential and frontline workers like nurses, paramedics, postal employees, and teachers. Many of us got to stay home. You didn’t have a choice. And you set an example for all of us, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

2. When she celebrated commitments from corporations to support vaccine equity — but said more has to be done.

Gomez thanked corporations like Cisco and P&G for donating millions of dollars to support the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

“We can’t underestimate the urgency of this moment and want to get everyone on the planet vaccinated,” Gomez said. “And I'm very happy to report Cisco and P&G are each contributing an incredible $5 million to the effort.”

She also thanked Mastercard for committing $25 million to ensure vaccine equity.

“Tonight we are calling on leaders from around the world, governments, businesses, and philanthropists to donate dollars and doses to parts of the world where the vaccines have not yet been reached. And I would like to say a big thank you to Mastercard who are also donating an incredible $25 million to this effort.”

But Gomez did not shy away from the biggest point of VAX LIVE, which is that more governments, businesses, and philanthropists must step up and donate resources and vaccine doses to people in need. It is not enough to say they support vaccine equity — these groups need to take action.

“We need to get more doses to people around the world who need them.”

3. When she encouraged everyone to get vaccinated — not just for themselves, but for others, too.

The COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available have been proven to be highly effective against the coronavirus, protecting vulnerable populations from contracting COVID-19. But before we can end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere, we need to make sure that vaccines are widely available and that people are getting vaccinated.

Gomez stepped up during VAX LIVE to ask people to take their responsibility as Global Citizens seriously, and get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves and everyone else in the world from contracting the coronavirus.

“If you’re on the fence about getting vaccinated, if you don’t think you need it to protect yourself, I’m not going to lecture you. I’m going to beg you,” she said.

“Please, please get vaccinated. For your family, your neighbors, and every single person you come in contact with!”

4. When she called on G7 leaders to support vaccine donations.

In addition to announcing vaccine equity commitments, Gomez made sure to demand wealthier nations put their money where their mouth is and make a substantial commitment to donating funds, resources, and vaccine doses.

Earlier this week, Gomez tweeted at President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about the importance of vaccine sharing to end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere.

Prime Minister @sanchezcastejon, I'm excited to join you at #VaxLive. We need your help to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere. Will you agree to donate dollars or doses to help everyone access the vaccine?

— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) April 24, 2021

While hosting VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, Gomez made a direct appeal to members of the G7 — the world’s wealthiest countries consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — asking more of them to share their extra supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

“And many governments have heard this call and will share millions of vaccines with frontline health workers in the poorest nations,” Gomez said. “But we need more governments, including all of the G7, to step up and commit to sharing now.”

5. When she thanked women around the world who stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women, particularly women of color. Gomez made sure to draw attention to the millions of women around the world who have fought against COVID-19 and thanked them for all they have done for the world.

“A little while ago I found out that of the nearly 27 million people in the health care workforce in the developing world, three-quarters are women,” she said. 

“They’re our mothers, caregivers, daughters, and sisters. They have stepped up in this moment in history and every other moment to see us through. So if you haven’t already, get vaccinated, and then give that woman in your life a hug when you see her next. She’s earned it.”

As part of Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World campaign, VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World brought together artists, entertainers, world leaders, and more to ensure equitable vaccine distribution around the world, tackle COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and celebrate a hopeful future.

You can still catch the concert on the Global Citizen YouTube channel and on various channels and platforms. Be sure to join us in taking action to end the pandemic and ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to COVID-19 vaccines. Then, head to our multimedia hub VAX BECAUSE to join candid conversations about the pandemic and find answers to your biggest questions about the vaccines.

Want to take home part of the show? Check out our VAX LIVE merch at the Global Citizen official store.