Madonna Stole the Show at the WSJ Innovator Awards
When Dr. Dre took the stage last night at MoMA to receive a WSJ Innovator Award for entrepreneurship, his perfectly cut suit was the subject of some speculation at table 19. Was it Burberry? No. Armani? No one seemed sure. But whatever the clothing, the elegance and impressive voice were undeniably his. “My life is amazing,” he told the audience, to applause.
Indeed, the evening confirmed that for many people in the room, life was amazing. The recipients of this year’s Innovator Awards included artist Kara Walker, fresh off her Domino Sugar Factory show, Nicolas Ghesquière, Reshma Saujani, René Redzepi, and more.
Highlights of the night included Madonna’s delightfully unhinged, meandering speech in honor of dancer Lil Buck. Equal parts irritated mom and supportive mentor, the queen of pop complained, “Buck shows up uninvited at my house for dinner all the time,” but went on to praise his tenacity, grace, and talent. Midway through her speech, she scolded a man in the audience for taking a photo of her at the podium. None of that mattered once Lil Buck took the stage and performed his now-famous “Swan” dance. He received both the Performing Arts Innovation award and a standing ovation from the crowd.
The treat of the evening came after dinner when guests were invited to a private viewing of the Matisse exhibit, where none of the many guards enforced the “no photographs” sign and guests like Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany walked leisurely through the galleries. If that’s not the epitome of luxury, then we’re not sure what is.
Click through the slideshow to see all of the glamorous crowd, including Joan Smalls, Liya Kebede, Karlie Kloss, the winners, and many more.
