By Brisa Gomez
DoSomething.org is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Celebs Gone Good, which honors stars who use their fame and influence to create positive change! The 2017 winners are judged in three categories:
- Top 20 Celebs Gone Good, the overall winners
- Celebs Gone Good to Watch, first-time nominees prepped to make a huge impact next year
- Content Creators Gone Good, internet stars-turned-activists
This year’s list features several newcomers, and the overall winner jumped an amazing 11 spots from last year! Without further ado, here are the 2017 Celebs Gone Good.
TOP 20 CELEBS GONE GOOD
Judging criteria is based off 1) online votes via social media shares, 2) STARmeter ranking on the Internet Movie Database, and 3) opinions of the Celebs Gone Good Advisory Committee.
20. Bruno Mars
The “That’s What I Like” singer donated $1 million from a concert on the 24K Magic World Tour to The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Michigan which addresses the water crisis there.
19. Miley Cyrus
Her Happy Hippie Foundation teamed up with Converse to promote the 2017 Converse Pride Collection, with all net proceeds going to the It Gets Better Project, which supports LGBTQ youth.
18. John Legend & Chrissy Teigen
This powerhouse couple is one to love and adore. This year, Legend received the Salem Advocate for Social Justice Award for the creation of his Show Me Campaign and more recently, the #FREEAMERICA campaign. This campaign fights for criminal justice reform and calls for the end of mass incarceration. Teigen, meanwhile, used her platform and her own experience to raise awareness and fight stigma around postpartum depression.
17. Ava DuVernay
In addition to her advocacy for diversifying Hollywood, the award-winning director's ARRAY company teamed up with Netflix to create a documentary, Teach Us All, which focuses on America's public education crisis.
16. Demi Lovato
The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer regularly uses her platform spread awareness and fight stigma surrounding mental illness. Lovato is a Global Citizen Mental Health Ambassador and a spokesperson for Be Vocal, which advocates for individuals living with mental illness. She also released her Beyond Silence documentary, inspired by her own journey.
15. Shawn Mendes
A staple of the Celebs Gone Good list, the singer helped raise money for earthquake victims in Mexico. Mendes also helped rally his fans to save the elephants as part of Ellen Degeneres’s #BeKindToElephants campaign.
14. Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo helped organize One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief, the Puerto Rico benefit concert and telethon, which raised over $26 million for those affected by Hurricane Maria.
13. Lauren Jauregui
The Fifth Harmony star has used her social platforms to speak up on important issues including net neutrality and sexual orientation inclusivity. In January, she wrote an open letter to Donald Trump about the Muslim Ban he signed.
12. Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Hamilton star and creator has been working with the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund for Puerto Rico. He also joined many well-known artists to record “Almost Like Praying” in efforts to help generate donations for those recovering from the hurricane. The song became the most-downloaded song the week of its release. For the holidays, he helped collect over 20,000 toy donations for children in Puerto Rico!
11. Nicki Minaj
Knowing how difficult it is for students to pay off their student loans, Nicki helped pay off dozens of fans’ student loan debts.
10. Bethenny Frankel
Partnering with Delivering Good, the TV star and entrepreneur created the B Strong program for women and their families in crisis during the Puerto Rico disaster. Joining forces with community partners on the ground, they assess the most pressing needs and provide assistance.
9. Zendaya
In addition to donating to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, the actress and singer asked that fans donate through the Convoy of Hope website for her birthday. In her October Glamour magazine cover story, the actress expressed the importance of every young person understanding the power of their voice.
8. Yara Shahidi
The Black-ish star was one of the keynote speakers at Teen Vogue’s inaugural summit, where she interviewed Hillary Clinton. Yara is a part of a group of leading voices in areas of civic leadership, social justice movements, technology, science, and creative minds in fashion and beauty.
7. Kesha
In 2017, Kesha — who for years has battled producer Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (aka Dr. Luke) in a highly-publicized sexual assault case — emerged as an inspiring figure in the face of abuse, sexism, and inequality. As survivors around the world raise their voices against sexual assault, the singer’s crusade for justice is exactly what the country, and the world, needs right now.
6. JJ Watt
The NFL star helped raise over $37 million to help those in Houston recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Watt, who plays for the Houston Texans, announced that the money will be donated to AmeriCares, Feeding America, SBP, and Save the Children over a period 18 to 24 months. According to his statement, that money would be spent to help "rebuild homes, restore child-care centers, provide food and address health needs of those affected most by Hurricane Harvey.”
5. Beyoncé
Queen Bey announced her Formation Scholars program, geared towards encouraging and supporting young and creative women. According to the program’s site, Beyoncé awarded a scholarship to four different colleges, designated to a female incoming, current, or graduate student pursuing studies in creative arts, music, literature, or African-American studies. Also, Beyoncé’s #BeyGood organization supported relief efforts for hurricane victims in her hometown of Houston and partnered with UNICEF to bring clean water to women and children in Burundi.
4. Rihanna
Rihanna launched the groundbreaking Fenty Beauty makeup line. With over 40 shades of foundation for people of different skin tones, Fenty Beauty is a major step forward for inclusivity. Because of Rihanna's work in her native island of Barbados and the charities she has founded over the years, the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations honored her with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award.
3. Ariana Grande
After the bombing at her concert earlier this year, Grande and her manager organized the One Love Manchester concert to benefit victims of the attack and their families. The concert raised $2.6 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
2. Colin Kaepernick
On top of his silent protests, this athlete and activist pledged to donate $1 million to various charitable organizations, including Meals on Wheels and 100 Suits. Kaepernick’s protests and activism have sparked a national conversation about police brutality and racial injustice in America.
1. Chance the Rapper
Congratulations to the 2017 winner of DoSomething.org’s Celebs Gone Good! This year, the Chicago musician and actor launched the New Chance Arts & Literature Fund, an investment in Chicago arts programs in schools. His foundation will help empower the youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement, all while creating an inspiring and positive environment for young people to pursue their dreams and be themselves. This year, Chance has helped raise over $3.2 million in donations for Chicago Public Schools.
TOP 8 CELEBS GONE GOOD TO WATCH IN 2018
In addition to the Top 20 Celebs Gone Good list, DoSomething.org chose eight Celebs to Watch in 2018, highlighting first-year nominees and young stars who are using their talent and their platforms to give back. This year’s winners are:
8. Kiersey Clemons
The Justice League actress joined Native American tribes at Bears Ears National Monument to offer her support with the Sierra Club to preserve national public lands as national monuments.
7. Rowan Blanchard
This 15-year-old Girl Meets World star regularly speaks up about feminism, human rights, and LGBTQ rights. This year, she was a speaker at the Women's March LA and at Teen Vogue’s first meetup summit.
6. Cameron Boyce
Boyce, star of the Disney Channel’s hit movie Descendants 2, joined the Thirst Project, an organization with a mission to end the global water crisis. Over $27,000 was raised for the chance to have lunch with him.
5. Chloe and Halle
This music duo and stars of the forthcoming Freeform series Grown-ish use their platform to speak out on women's rights and inspire other young women. They were also speakers at Teen Vogue’s first meetup summit this year, as part of a group of leading voices and creative minds.
4. Camila Mendes
Mendes, a star of the CW’s Riverdale, joined forces with the Project HEAL foundation, which provides grants for people with eating disorders to get treatment, promotes healthy body image, and encourages a full recovery.
3. Halima Aden
Featured on the Women Who Dare campaign, this refugee-turned-model promotes diversity in fashion and encourages young people to stay true to their values.
2. Skai Jackson
The actress and activist is a long-time advocate of anti-bullying campaigns. This year, she took her impact to the next level by joining forces with DoSomething.org for the Treat Yo Friends campaign, activating young people to combat bullying by celebrating their friends’ uniqueness.
1. Jacob Sartorius
The American singer and internet personality created a GoFundMe for the STOMP Out Bullying Foundation, building awareness and raising funds for the cause.
TOP 5 CONTENT CREATORS GONE GOOD
The Top Content Creators category highlights internet and social media stars who use their influence to give back. Here are this year’s winners!
5. Jenn Im
This YouTube star has launched Eggie, her new clothing line, which features gender-neutral styles. The goal of her line is to push the boundaries of fashion and include a selection of gender-fluid pieces that are inclusive for all.
4. Anna Akana
This YouTube star is an advocate for Crisis Text Line, which offers free, 24/7 support by text message for those in need. Akana credits standup comedy with helping her through a crisis at 19 after her sister died.
3. Lilly Singh
In 2017, Singh was announced as the newest Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. The author, actor, and YouTuber known as IISuperwomanII will use her platform to engage young people and empower them to speak out about the challenges they face.
2. Markiplier
Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, one of YouTube's biggest gaming stars, is also one the most consistently charitable creators. All told, Fischbach has reportedly raised $3 million for various causes to date, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, and Best Friends Animal Society.
1. Jerome Jarre
This Vine/Snapchat star used his platform to generate awareness about the famine in Somalia. He started raising money through Love Army, the GoFundMe crowd-funded campaign, which raised $2.5 million to battle the country’s ongoing famine.
DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change.