Selena Gomez‘s fourth annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit was a night of music, philanthropy and powerful reminders of why mental health advocacy matters.
Held Wednesday night (Oct. 14) at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium, the event raised nearly $3 million for youth mental health initiatives and introduced a new award honoring the legacy of Martin Short’s late daughter, Katherine Short.
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For Gomez, who launched the Rare Impact Fund alongside Rare Beauty in 2020, the evening represented a vision that began alongside the best-selling beauty brand.
“I honestly get more excited about this than most events I’m invited to, and I think that’s because of what I’ve witnessed the Impact Fund has truly done,” Gomez told Billboard on the red carpet ahead of the event. “We created this fund before we even sold a single product, so this has always been our mission.”
The singer, who has been candid about her own mental health journey, said she was proud to see more people learning about the fund’s work.
“I’ve always been honest and upfront about my mental health and things that I will continue to struggle with and learn how to live with,” she continued. “But overall, I’m just proud that people come, and I’m proud that people are becoming aware of what we’re doing, so it’s really special.”
One of the evening’s most notable moments was when Gomez introduced the inaugural Katherine Short Legacy Award in memory of Katherine, a clinical social worker who died by suicide in February at age 42. The award recognizes individuals committed to mental health and serving their communities, carrying forward Katherine’s dedication to helping others through difficult times.
Gomez’s longtime friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star Martin Short joined her onstage to help present the honor to its first recipient, La Familia Counseling Center, a Sacramento nonprofit recognized for more than five decades of community service.
Short spoke candidly about his family’s grief, emphasizing the importance of treating mental illness as a disease, highlighting the Rare Impact Fund’s sharp focus of expanding access to mental health support while breaking the negative stigma that can prevent people from seeking the help they need.
That overarching message seemed to be a common theme for why many were in attendance, including singer/songwriter Bella Kay, who told Billboard that supporting a cause she believes in made participating in the benefit extremely purposeful.
“It means everything [to be here]. I feel like there’s nothing more important than giving back to the community and being a part of causes that you believe in,” said Kay, who also performed at the event. “But yeah, it’s an honor.”
Asked what advice she would give to young people struggling with their mental health, Kay reflected on how songwriting and creativity helped her navigate hardships growing up.
“Honestly, I feel like having that creative process and kind of falling into something like that is one of the things that helped me the most when I was growing up,” she said. “Just having an outlet and something that you can kind of fall into when it all just feels like too much.”
She encouraged people to remember that they aren’t alone, even when their circumstances make the world feel smaller than it is.
“I would also say it’s important to know that you’re not alone and kind of just be able to see the world and know the world is a lot bigger than it feels sometimes,” she added.
Leon Bridges, who also performed at the benefit, echoed the importance of making mental health a shared priority.
“Mental health is universal, and I think it’s awesome to be able to give back,” he told Billboard. “Even for myself, starting a foundation in my own community, paying it forward is important.”
Since its launch, the Rare Impact Fund has raised more than $30 million and supports nonprofit partners working to expand access to youth mental health services and education around the world. Wednesday’s benefit brought artists, advocates and nonprofit organizations together in support of that ongoing work. Through paddle raises and a live auction, the evening raised roughly $3 million to further the fund’s mission.