Billie Eilish Pledges $11.5M Tour Proceeds to Climate and Food Equity at Innovator Awards

At the 2025 WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards, Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to call on the ultra-wealthy to give back. The Music Innovator Award recipient pledged a donation of $11.5 million from proceeds from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to causes focused on food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution, and combating the climate crisis.

“Billie Eilish will be donating proceeds from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to support organizations, projects, and voices dedicated to food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution, and combating the climate crisis. That donation, ladies and gentlemen, will be $11.5 million. That's wonderful. Billie, on behalf of humans everywhere, thank you,” Stephen Colbert shared as he introduced Billie.

In her remarks, Eilish addressed a star-studded room that included figures such as Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, and George Lucas, underlining how celebrity giving is drawing global attention. “We're in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark, and people need empathy and help more than, kind of, ever, especially in our country,” Eilish told the audience. “I'd say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”

She paused and then pushed further: “Love you all, but there's a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you're a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.” The audience reaction ranged from applause to appreciative laughter; reports note that Zuckerberg reportedly did not join the applause.