‘No One Achieves Anything Alone’: Inside Variety’s Power of Women Event With Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Stone, Pearlena Igbokwe and Melissa McCarthy

Jennifer Hudson, Pearlena Igbokwe, Melissa McCarthy and Sharon Stone were the guests of honor at the starry Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime event in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, during which the musician, executive and actresses were commended for both their outstanding accomplishments and their dedicated commitment to a number of key causes.

The annual event, hosted by multi-hyphenate comedian Iliza Shlesinger, brought a long list of influential talents to a packed Beverly Hills Hotel for an evening centered on both the Power of Women honorees and the accomplished women profiled in the annual Women’s Impact Report, which highlights leaders in the entertainment industry. And while Hudson, Igbokwe, McCarthy and Stone all have much to brag about, each of the women used their time on stage to turn the focus to the charities they were supporting and highlight the many different ways the term “powerful” can be applied.

Following introductory remarks from Variety‘s co-president and publisher Dea Lawrence, co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton — plus a show-stopping opening performance of “I Will Always Love You” by Hudson — the first honoree of the night was Igbokwe, introduced by Queen Latifah. The chairman of Universal Studios Group, Igbokwe spent more than 35 years helping shape the medium of television across prestige cable, broadcast, studios and now streaming. She used her speech to support the nonprofit A Better Chance.

“A Better Chance not only introduced me to Kent Place but also supported me when I got there with test-taking workshops, mentoring, and sometimes emotional encouragement — resources I would not have had otherwise. This set me up for an Ivy League education, transforming the trajectory of my life and that of my entire family,” she said. “So yes, my origin story started with hard work, but someone had to give me an opportunity. No one achieves anything alone.”

After an introduction by Molly Sims, Paige DeSorbo took to the podium next to receive the Courage Award presented by the Purina Purple Leash Project, a charity that helps create pet-friendly shelters for survivors of domestic abuse. DeSorbo discussed opening up about her experience surviving an abusive relationship as a teenager, why she decided to speak about it on her podcast “Giggly Squad and how her cat, Daphne, helps her feel safe.

“Daphne has been there for the version of me that nobody else sees,” she said. “She just curls up on my chest and purrs and everything, for a second, feels right again. No context needed. No story to tell. Just presence. I think that’s the incredible thing about our pets. They don’t need us to explain what we’re going through. They just stay. They give us a sense of safety and remind us that we are loved, even when we don’t feel our strongest. And that’s why the Purple Leash Project means so much to me.”

“The Jennifer Hudson Show” was honored with the Variety Changemaker Award, presented by Waymo. Hudson, along with many of the show’s producers, accepted the award after an introduction by the company’s chief marketing officer, Suzanne Philion. Later in the evening, Hudson also took to the stage to spotlight the Jennifer Hudson Foundation and her show once more.

“Our mission was always to highlight and accentuate the positive, and that is what we strive to do at ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ each and every day,” Hudson said. “That brings me to power. Power is an interesting idea. I think we’ve been taught to shy away from embracing power. We are told to be strong, never told to be powerful. But power can be good, and in the right hands, power can change the world for the better. And what better hands than those of a woman?” She continued: “Power can open doors, create a seat at the table, build a platform, protect a neighbor and lift a voice. So I am honored to be in a room where we’re celebrating power, good power.”

Next, McCarthy’s former “Gilmore Girls” collaborator Lauren Graham welcomed her to the stage, and the “Bridesmaids” star used her time to shine the light on the Joyful Heart Foundation and two of the women in her life she considers powerful: Mariska Hargitay and Gloria Steinem. Steinem passed away earlier this month. “When I say powerful, I don’t mean tough or strong, though they certainly are. For me, the greatest display of power are those willing to roll up their sleeves and help bring change,” she said. “I am humbled to support the Joyful Heart Foundation, and I am honored to be a part of this room tonight. And I hope that we all can leave here inspired to roll up our sleeves and make a difference.”

An acoustic rendition of “Motivation” by Normani helped lead in Emmy Award-nominated actress, writer, producer and entrepreneur Issa Rae, who received the Variety Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by U.S. Bank senior executive vice president Courtney Kelso.

“I can decide who I’m around for the most part, who I work with, who I champion, who I invest in, whose stories I help tell, who I platform, who I respond to,” said Rae. “I can use the power I do have to pour into my little community to make sure whatever success I’m lucky enough to have doesn’t stop with me. And even when I’m tired, pissed off, or deeply uninspired by what’s happening around me, I can honestly say that nothing can stop me from trying to figure out where I can be useful, because as discouraged as I may get, I’m never going to stop trying.”

Sharon Stone closed out the night, taking the stage following remarks from actor and podcaster Marc Maron. The Academy Award-nominated, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and producer reflected on her career and how she’s become the on- and off-screen icon she is today.

“You have to claw your way to the top. So, for those of us who got here, it’s the top of our heads that broke that glass ceiling that you’re all getting the benefits of,” she said. “And I have gone the distance. I have gone the distance from being a sex symbol … and I did it by keeping both of these tired feet that hurt from wearing four-inch heels on poured concrete floors. I kept them firmly planted on terra firma because there is no gray in the red, white and blue. So the power that I feel in the power of women, I get because I am standing in the middle of you, and I do not stand alone when I stand here.”