Updated, June 14, 1:30 p.m. PT: After raising over $13 million for Manchester victims and their families at her One Love concert, Ariana Grande has been named the city’s first honorary citizen.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of the Manchester City Council, told reporters that Grande was full of “love and courage” in the way she responded to the attack and that naming her and others involved in the aftermath as honorary citizens honors the “great many selfless acts and demonstrations of community spirit” that followed.
Honorary citizenship is the highest honor a city can bestow upon an individual in the U.K., according to The Guardian.
If you missed Grande’s benefit concert, see the most moving moments from the show below.
Original story:
The One Love Manchester concert was a rousing success on Sunday, June 4, with plenty of memorable performances to act as a balm during these increasingly troubling times. The case for this was strongest with one uniquely perfect and heartbreaking performance: Ariana Grande’s One Love rendition of “Over The Rainbow.”
More: The Most Powerful Speeches From Ariana Grande’s One Love Manchester Concert
Grande performed the classic song during the One Love Manchester concert, and while there were plenty of songs that could bring tears in their newfound poignancy, it was this cover that really struck a chord. So much so that Grande herself appeared visibly overcome with emotion as she sang. Seriously, try not to well up watching her sing. It’s a stunning and tender moment.
Of course, there was nothing but love in that arena on Sunday night. As the camera panned to the crowd, you could see concertgoers were just as overcome with emotion. “Over The Rainbow” gained a newer, perhaps more bittersweet context at the One Love Manchester concert, becoming an anthem for the lives lost and the call for promises of better things to come our way in the future.
More: During the Manchester Attack, Ariana Grande’s Mother Helped Concertgoers
The concert was an incredible effort and for that hard work, it turned out to be a massive success. Put together in the space of a week, just days after the tragic Manchester attack which took the lives of 22 people, One Love Manchester proved to be a unifying event. Grande headlined and she was also able to bring a great many notable singers to Manchester to perform with her. This included Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Pharrell, Niall Horan, Justin Bieber and Mac Miller. Singers like Bieber and Perry took a moment to address the crowd, speaking with them about the power and necessity of love during these upsetting times.
https://twitter.com/SimoneHeartbeat/status/871473819831193603
The soulful defiance of Ariana Grande singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" right now. This is the world I want. #OneLoveManchester
— Shannon Coulter 🥥 (@shannoncoulter) June 4, 2017
More: Here’s How You Can Watch Ariana Grande’s Manchester Concert in the U.S.
All the performances went over incredibly well at One Love Manchester, but it’s clear that Grande’s performance of “Over The Rainbow” was one of the most poignant highlights of the concert.
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