Lea Salonga recognized her fellow entertainers who “shone a light” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when she received her Time100 Impact Award in Singapore.
The internationally acclaimed singer and theater icon also expressed her disbelief that she is now “called out” as impactful, explaining that she only wanted to make people smile.
“I mean I just wanted to make people smile, I just wanted to entertain. And doing that – creating smiles and entertaining – became so much more important to me over the last two and a half years,” she said.
In her acceptance speech, Salonga recognized her fellow artists who made an impact amidst the pandemic.
She shared: “I want to share this award with my fellow entertainers – all of them, from everywhere all over the world – who, through a time of great uncertainty and darkness, continued to do what they were put on this earth to do.
“To take our minds off our woes and trouble, even just for a few minutes, through song or dance or words. They brought us music virtually from their living rooms, made music and television shows via Zoom, played instruments and sang arias out the windows of their apartment building.”
The Broadway star was one of the visionaries and global leaders who were honored at the National Gallery Singapore because of how they have “gone above and beyond” for their industries.
READ: Lea Salonga among ‘global visionaries and leaders’ to receive Time100 Impact Award
