Event chair Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that longtime supporter of the cause and renowned award-winning songwriter Diane Warren will be honored with the “Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award” at The 38th Carousel of Hope Ball on October 5, 2024 at The Beverly Hilton.
Diabetes activist, songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Jam will be honored with the “Brass Ring Award”. Presented by Dexcom, the global leader in real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for people with diabetes, the biennial event will once again bring together the biggest names from the film, television, music, and business industries to support increasing awareness of type 1 diabetes, and raise funds for clinical care, prevention, and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.
“I have attended the Carousel of Hope Ball many times and am honored and flattered to have been selected to receive the ‘Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award’ and to be part of an event that helps shed light on all the wonderful work being done at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes,” said Diane Warren.
“My son Max was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of two, so receiving this ‘Brass Ring Award’ is particularly personal for me. Max had previously vowed, ‘I promise to stay in this fight and find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.’ I thank Barbara Davis for keeping that dream alive for Max and our family,” said Jimmy Jam.
Jay Leno and David Foster will return to support the event in their roles as Host and Music Director respectively. Clive Davis and Quincy Jones will reprise their roles as Music Chairmen, while George Schlatter returns to produce the show.
“We are so thrilled to honor the enormously talented Diane Warren this year, along with the legendary Jimmy Jam, and bring together our Carousel of Hope family to raise awareness and funds to fight this life-altering disease,” said event chair Barbara Davis.
The Carousel of Hope will celebrate all the remarkable things the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes has accomplished and brought to the forefront of diabetes care, as well as the exciting research and influential moments the Barbara Davis Center has been a part of since its inception in 1978.
Diane Warren is one of modern music’s most celebrated songwriters. She has penned nine #1 and thirty-three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award from the organization in June 2024. Her distinguished catalog features beloved songs including “Only Love Can Hurt Like This,” “Un-Break My Heart,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Rhythm of the Night.”
Warren has received 15 Academy Award nominations, is a GRAMMY winner with 15 nominations, an EMMY winner, and a two-time Golden Globe winner whose songs have been featured in more than 150 films, including chart-topping hits “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (Mannequin, 1987), “Because You Loved Me” (Up Close and Personal, 1996), “How Do I Live” (Con Air, 1997), “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon, 1998) and “Til It Happens To You” (The Hunting Ground, 2015). In November 2022, Warren became the first songwriter in history to receive an Honorary Oscar, as voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors. Most recently, she wrote the original song, “The Fire Inside,” performed by Becky G for the film Flamin’ Hot, directed by Eva Longoria, which marked her 15th Oscar nomination.
She is the sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs, the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry. Warren is a recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a nod to her legendary career, having worked with many of today’s most popular artists, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, H.E.R., Snoop Dogg, Paloma Faith, Jon Batiste, Maren Morris, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Andra Day, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson and Janelle Monáe, in addition to having written songs for iconic artists such as Whitney Houston, Cher, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and many more.
Five-time GRAMMY Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Jimmy Jam is a world-renowned songwriter, record producer, musician, entrepreneur, and one-half of the most influential and successful songwriting/production duo in modern music history, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Along with Lewis, his 40-year business partner and 50-year best friend, Jimmy’s accomplishments have elevated him to iconic status within the music industry.
The duo have collaborated on over 100 Gold, Platinum and/or Diamond-certified recordings for a diverse array of artists across all genres including Prince, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Sting, Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Beyoncé, Luther Vandross, Rihanna, Rod Stewart, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Willie Nelson, New Edition, Sounds of Blackness, Morris Day, The Time, Janet Jackson and more.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have also written and/or produced over 200 albums and singles that have reached Gold, Platinum or Diamond status. To date, they have tallied 26 Billboard #1 R&B singles and 16 #1 Hot 100 hits giving the duo more Billboard #1’s than any other songwriting/production team in chart history. Their “warm for a long time” philosophy of career progression has allowed them the rare feat of delivering chart topping hits across the last five decades.
Since Jam and Lewis’ first GRAMMY Awards win in the coveted Producer of the Year category in 1986, they have amassed a total of 11 Producer of the Year nominations, which is the most in GRAMMY history. As songwriters, Jam and Lewis have garnered over 100 ASCAP Awards, including the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award nine times. The pair also have received the ASCAP Voice of Music Award for giving voice to the spirit of a generation and the ASCAP Golden Note Award for achieving extraordinary career milestones in songwriting.
This year marks the second time that the "Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award’’ has been bestowed to honor an individual with an incredible legacy and lasting impact. Previously, the inaugural honor had been awarded to Sir Sidney Poitier in 2016.
The “Brass Ring Award” was named after the elusive brass ring that carousel riders would try to catch when the ride first became popular. Now universally recognized as a symbol of achievement, the brass ring represents the ultimate goal of finding a cure for diabetes. “Brass Ring Award” recipients exemplify the dedication and strength that brings the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center one step closer to finding a cure. Past “Brass Ring Award” recipients include Diane Keaton, George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, Frank Sinatra, Jane Fonda, Stevie Wonder, Sherry Lansing, Halle Berry, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Hillary Clinton and President Gerald R. Ford, among many others.
This year marks The 38th Carousel of Hope Ball, where guests will enjoy cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner, exciting entertainment, and musical performances. Since its inception in 1978, the iconic event has been a Hollywood favorite, uniting entertainment, sports, and business industry leaders from all areas for a night dedicated to raising awareness and, ultimately, finding a cure for diabetes. Diabetes, which afflicts over 463 million people, is rapidly on the rise. Each year, approximately 64,000 Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Of those, approximately 30,000 are children. The Carousel Balls have raised more than $115 million to date, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC). Funds are raised through sponsorships, dinner tickets, a live and silent auction, and contributions.
The 2024 Carousel of Hope Ball is presented by Dexcom. Underwriting support is provided by Sanofi. Additional sponsorship generously by American Airlines, the Official Airline of The Carousel of Hope, and The Beverly Hilton.
