Pharrell Williams: He is the new Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO

At a ceremony at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, Pharrell Williams (51) was accepted into the organization’s ranks of goodwill ambassadors. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay personally presented the 13-time Grammy winner with the certificate of appointment as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts, Education and Entrepreneurship.

“Words cannot describe how I feel to have been selected by UNESCO as a Goodwill Ambassador,” explained the visibly moved musician. He is honored to continue the important work for educational equity.

It is no coincidence that the “Happy” artist was chosen. Williams has been involved in various initiatives for disadvantaged communities since 2008. With his organizations “From One Hand to AnOTHER”, “Yellow” and “Black Ambition” he supports entrepreneurial projects and the development of educational and cultural centers.

With his new role as a goodwill ambassador, the 51-year-old joins other prominent representatives such as jazz musician Herbie Hancock (84), the Brazilian artist Vik Muniz (62) and the Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase (55).

As part of the duo The Neptunes with Chad Hugo (50), Williams wrote and produced many internationally known titles such as Gwen Stefani’s (55) “Hollaback Girl” or Justin Timberlake’s (43) “Rock Your Body”. Williams also stood behind the microphone for songs like “Blurred Lines” and “Happy”. He also contributed soundtracks to numerous films, including the “Despicable Me” series.

With his work as creative director of the fashion label Louis Vuitton, he built up another mainstay in 2023. Williams also acts as a film producer. In the biopic “Piece By Piece” he traced his career using Lego figures. The animated film is scheduled to be shown in Germany from January 2025.