Lynda Carter, Nicola Verses, and Dionne Warwick to Be Honored at the 2026 Angel Ball

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research announced that its signature fundraiser, the Angel Ball, will take place on Monday, October 19, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The event is hosted by co-founders songwriter Denise Rich and her daughters, Daniella Rich Kilstock and Ilona Rich Schachter. The star-studded, black-tie event is held annually in memory of Denise’s daughter, Gabrielle Rich Aouad, who passed away at age 27 from acute myelogenous leukemia. Now in its 28th year, the gala honors individuals who have made significant humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to cancer research.

Photo Credit: Noah Galai

The 2026 Angel Ball will recognize three honorees for their philanthropic impact. Lynda Carter is a singer, actress, and philanthropist first known to audiences as television’s Wonder Woman. She is being honored for her exceptional devotion to philanthropy and her commitment to advancing awareness for blood cancer research. Carter established the Robert & Lynda Carter Altman Foundation in memory of her late husband, Robert A. Altman. Her giving has funded the Robert A. Altman Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins, as well as the Robert A. Altman Center for Surgical Education at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She has also supported research into new therapies for myelofibrosis patients with City of Hope and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, alongside her broader advocacy for women’s rights, public health, disability rights, and social justice.

Photo Credit: Team Gelb

Nicola “Coco” Verses, a Palm Beach-based entrepreneur and founder of VERSÉ, a fine jewelry house inspired by poetry and storytelling, is being honored for her unwavering dedication to charitable initiatives. Verses serves on the Board of Directors of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the largest cage-free, no-kill dog rescue in the United States, where she supports programs including its Veteran Dog Training Program. She is also involved with the American Arts Conservancy’s work preserving and promoting American visual arts.

Photo Credit: Team Gelb

Dionne Warwick, the six-time Grammy winner and multi-platinum recording artist, rounds out this year’s honorees. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hitmakers in U.S. chart history, with 56 singles reaching the Hot 100 and a total of 80 charting across the Hot 100, R&B, and adult contemporary charts, placing her at No. 74 on Billboard’s list of the Hot 100’s Greatest Artists of All Time. She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the R&B Music Hall of Fame, and the Apollo Theatre Walk of Fame, alongside a 2023 Kennedy Center Honor and a 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Warwick recently announced “DWuets,” the final album of her 65-year recording career, a full album of duets written by 17-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren and produced by Damon Elliott, including collaborations with Cynthia Erivo and John Legend.

Photo Credit: Sequoia Emmanuelle Photography

Grammy and Tony-nominated singer and actress Deborah Cox, currently starring as “Unsinkable” Molly Brown in Broadway’s Titanique, will emcee the event. The evening will feature a performance by Shaggy, the multi-Grammy winner and the only diamond-selling dancehall artist in music history, alongside special appearances by Star Jones, Dr. Stephen D. Nimer, and others.

Kathy Hilton will serve as Dinner Chair, with Elizabeth Elting as Honorary Chair. Skye Hankey, Tina Knowles, Ofira Sandberg, Lorraine Schwartz, and Simone I. Smith will serve as Gala Chairs, alongside a co-chair roster including Ayaan Ahmed, Hugh Barton, Alana Kramer, Yelena Feuerman, Nicoletta Kolpakov, Norah Lawlor, Shari Liu Fellows, Becca Morris, Danielle Merollo, Camilla Olsson, Alex Pita, Michele Rella, Mia Rowe, Tara Rudes Dann, Leelila Strogov, Lauren Summa, Charlie and Lauran Walk, and Lauren Wesley Wilson. The Art Committee includes Fer Da Silva, Christina Lo, Jason Naylor, Lara Pan, and Ross Pino.

The evening is sponsored by Lorraine Schwartz, Valmont, The Four Seasons Naviva, and L’AGENCE, with beverage sponsors including Armand de Brignac, Hunky Dory, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, LALO Tequila, and Rumor Rose. Haute Living joins as a media partner, and Windsor Limo will provide celebrity transportation.

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation will also host an online auction running from October 6 through October 22 at charitybuzz.com/gabrielles, featuring experiences including a table for four at the ultra-exclusive Rao’s, and luxury villa stays at Albany Resort in the Bahamas, The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, and Round Hill Hotel in Jamaica.

Photo Credit: Team Gelb

Since its founding in 1996, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research has funded more than $47 million in research grants supporting early-career scientists focused on finding better treatments, preventions, and cures for leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood cancers. The foundation reports that eighty-eight cents of every dollar raised goes directly to funding research, making it one of the largest non-governmental sources of grant support for blood cancer research in the country.