Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kiesza, Hedley, Marlee Matlin and Tavi Gevinson Added to the Lineup of Inspirational Speakers and Performers for WE Day Toronto


TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - September 22, 2015) -

  • Apply for media accreditation to attend WE Day at www.weday.com/press
  • Full bios, photos and information on WE Day available at WE Day Toronto
  • MTV to broadcast a one-hour special on November 25, 2015 at 10 p.m. EST
  • WE Day is free for thousands of students and educators thanks to partners led by National Co-Title Sponsors RBC and TELUS

Click to tweet: .@weday @mtvcanada announces #WEDay #Toronto lineup @ddlovato @nickjonas @carlyraejepsen @Kiesza @Hedleyonline @MarleeMatlin @tavitulle

WE Day, a powerful series of events that combine the energy of a live concert with the inspiration of extraordinary stories of leadership and change, announces the full list of speakers and performers attending WE Day Toronto on October 1, 2015 at the Air Canada Centre. In partnership with MTV, and alongside National Co-Title Sponsors RBC and TELUS, WE Day Toronto will bring together over 20,000 students in an inspirational setting, celebrating the commitment they have made to take action on local and global causes they care about. The event will be streamed live at www.mtv.ca/weday and taped for broadcast on MTV premiering November 25, 2015 at 10 p.m. EST.

Taking the stage this year, alongside previously announced Hozier, Nina Dobrev, Shawn Mendes and Earvin "Magic" Johnson, is a cast of new faces and returning favourites, including Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Carly Rae Jepsen, Hedley, Tavi Gevinson, Marlee Matlin, Kiesza, Henry Winkler, Francesco Yates, Silken Laumann, Michael "Pinball" Clemons, Kardinal Offishall, Spencer West and more. Co-hosted by CTV's ETALK reporter and Much host Liz Trinnear, this star-studded lineup will join international activists and WE Day co-founders, Craig and Marc Kielburger, to share their passion for change and international experiences, and energize the crowd with unforgettable performances and motivational speeches.

"I've performed at several WE Day events and I can't wait to take the stage again in Toronto," said multi-talented recording artist and actor, Nick Jonas. "I'm excited to support an organization that's inspiring students and celebrating their commitment to making the world a better place."

Joining the lineup above on stage will be local young people with inspiring personal stories, like Leanne Prendergast, 20 years old. Worn down by the torment of constant bullying in high school, Leanne contemplated suicide but instead, at her breaking point, Leanne turned to her mother for support. Through her mother's advice, Leanne took to writing to share her struggles. At 14, Leanne and her older sister Laurence co-authored Getting to Know Me, Love Our Lives: Girls Empowering Girls Into Action, shedding firsthand light on the challenges teenage girls face in today's world. Leanne is just one of the many young people who will share their stories to motivate their peers in attendance.

WE Day is an inspirational event like no other, bringing together like-minded individuals and providing a platform for youth to learn about some of today's most pressing issues. WE Day celebrates and inspires this generation's shift from me to we -- towards acting with intention, leading with compassion, and a belief in the power of community. Taking the philanthropic world by storm with 14 stadium-sized events in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., WE Day is one of the world's largest registered non-profit initiatives on social media, with more than five million followers.

"WE Day is a growing movement of young people taking action locally and globally to create a better world for today and the generation of tomorrow," said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE Day. "The impact youth lead to achieve transformative outcomes is helping the world think more about we and less about me. Annually, 200,000 students coast to coast, from over 8,000 schools, earn their tickets to WE Day through the yearlong WE Schools program creating tangible benefits for the community it serves, as well as demonstrating positive long-term social impacts for the youth involved."

More than a one-day event, WE Day is connected to the year-long WE Schools program, which provides hands-on, student-led campaigns designed to enhance a school's existing social initiatives or to spark new ones. WE Schools helps young people turn the day's inspiration into sustained action. By taking action on one local and one global cause, students are equipped with the tools to succeed academically, in the working world and as active citizens. Together, WE Day and WE Schools are a blueprint for building the next generation of change-makers.

You can't buy a ticket to WE Day -- students from across the country earn their way by the actions they take on local and one global causes of their choice. WE Day is free of charge to the thousands of students and educators in attendance, thanks to the generous support of partners led by National Co-Titles RBC and TELUS.

The full list of speakers, performers and presenters announced to date includes:

  • Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) -- Singer, songwriter and actress
  • Hozier (@Hozier) -- Award-winning singer and songwriter
  • Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) -- Multi-talented recording artist and actor
  • Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) -- Award-winning singer and songwriter
  • Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) -- Multi-platinum GRAMMY® nominated singer and songwriter
  • Earvin "Magic" Johnson (@MagicJohnson) -- NBA legend, two-time Hall-of-Famer, entrepreneur and philanthropist
  • Nina Dobrev (@ninadobrev) -- Award-winning actress
  • Hedley (@Hedleyonline) -- Multi-platinum, Juno and MMVA Award-winning recording artists and Free The Children ambassadors
  • Tavi Gevinson (@tavitulle) -- Editor-in-Chief of Rookie Magazine
  • Kiesza (@Kiesza) -- Singer and multi-instrumentalist
  • Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) -- Academy® Award-winning actress and devoted social activist
  • Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) -- Actor, director, producer and author
  • Kardinal Offishall (@KardinalO) -- Award-winning rap artist, music producer and Free The Children ambassador
  • Francesco Yates (@FrancescoYates) -- Canadian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
  • Silken Laumann (@SilkenLaumann) -- Olympian, inspirational speaker, author and child advocate
  • Michael "Pinball" Clemons -- CFL Hall of Famer, Vice Chair of the Toronto Argonauts
  • Joseph Boyden (@josephboyden) -- Novelist and short story writer
  • Spencer West (@spencer2thewest) -- ME to WE motivational speaker, Free The Children ambassador and author
  • Liz Trinnear (@liztrinnear) -- ETALK reporter and Much host, and co-host of WE Day Toronto
  • Tyrone Edwards (@mr1LOVETO) -- E! and Much host, speaker
  • Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO) -- Members of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra
  • Craig and Marc Kielburger (@craigkielburger) -- International activists and co-founders of WE Day
  • Elliot Miville-Deschênes -- Actor, singer and activist
  • Alex Deans (@alexmdeans) -- Innovative youth artist, inventor, and leader
  • Chris Studer (@getrealmovement ) -- Co-Founder of the Get REAL Movement
  • Leanne Prendergast -- Founder and President of Love Our Lives
  • Dextrous ONE -- 7 year-old DJ and Guinness World Record holder as world's youngest DJ
  • Tonika Morgan -- Motivational speaker and social change activist
  • Annaleise Carr (@Annaleise_Carr) -- Award-winning author, inspirational speaker and youngest person to swim across Lake Ontario
  • Ryan Scheel Dance Group -- Toronto dance crew led by dancer and choreographer, Ryan Scheel

Stay connected on the latest news and updates on WE Day:
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And learn more at www.we.org

About WE Day
www.weday.com

About the WE Day Movement
WE Day is the movement of our time -- a movement of young people leading local and global change. WE Day celebrates and inspires this generation's shift from me to we -- towards acting with intention, leading with compassion, and a belief in the power of community. WE Day is one of the world's largest registered non-profit initiatives on social media, with more than five million followers. This year alone over 200,000 young people will come together in 14 stadium gatherings across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. to take part in this unprecedented educational initiative.

More than a one-day event, WE Day is connected to a year-long free educational program, WE Schools, which provides educational resources and campaigns to help young people turn the day's inspiration into sustained action. WE Day and WE Schools are cause inclusive, empowering young people to find their passion and create the change they want to see. Together WE Day and WE Schools are a blueprint for building the next generation of global change-makers. For more information, please visit www.we.org

About MTV
http://www.mtv.ca

Contact Information:

For more information on WE Day or to request an interview, please contact:
Alison Clarke
Associate Director PR & Publicity, WE Day
416-706-3652
Alison@freethechildren.com

Sarah Evans
Manager PR & Publicity, WE Day
647-462-0654
Sarah.evans@freethechildren.com

For more information on MTV, please contact:
Camila Ossa
Music and Entertainment
416-384-2594
camila.ossa@bellmedia.ca