Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) has added more star power to its ninth biennial roadblock televised fundraising special. The telecast will feature performances by Jonas Brothers, Noah Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw, Marcus King, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay, and CeCe Winans – joined by Nashville Community Gospel Choir, all lending their talents to help raise critical funds for cancer research. The special will also include pre-taped segments featuring Kevin Bacon, Jamie Foxx, Tim McGraw, Zoe Saldaña, Keith Urban, and Reese Witherspoon. Grammy® Award-winning artist Sheryl Crow will serve as the evening’s host and also perform, along with remarks by SU2C co-founder Katie Couric. Music icon Dolly Parton previously participated in a tune-in campaign to raise awareness for the Nashville telecast.
This year’s show airs Friday, August 15, @ 8PM ET and PT / 7PM CT, marking the first time the biennial special will be broadcast from Nashville, bringing SU2C’s mission to the heart of Music City. The telecast will feature powerful stories from survivors whose lives were transformed by research that was made possible through donor support. Viewers will also hear from SU2C-funded researchers about recent breakthroughs in early detection and cancer treatment, along with the growing potential of AI to accelerate progress in the field.
The one-hour commercial-free special will air simultaneously on over 30 participating media platforms across the United States. All four major U.S. broadcast networks will carry the show, with broadcasters donating prime time slots to support the cause. The telecast will also be available to watch on-demand across multiple digital and streaming platforms, ensuring broad and flexible access to this one-night-only event.
As a lead-up to the televised special, SU2C has launched the #Up2Us to #StandUpToCancer campaign, which runs through Sunday, August 31. Now in its fifth year, this month-long fundraising initiative brings together creators from across Twitch, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube to support groundbreaking cancer research. The campaign features diverse livestream content, from gaming to other engaging genres. Creators will host fundraising streams to raise awareness and support SU2C’s mission to fund research aimed at detecting, treating, and ultimately curing all cancers. Notable participating streamers and creators include Tess Bohne, Neebs Gaming, Trisha Hershberger, The Jang, KandidlyKayla, Stormfall33, and Khleo Thomas. Additionally, SMOSH and Marissa Hill are among the YouTube creators attending the SU2C telecast.
Since its inception, SU2C has united over 3,100 top researchers from more than 210 leading institutions across 16 countries to collaborate on advancing cancer research. This unprecedented cooperation has contributed to saving tens of thousands of lives worldwide and continues SU2C’s 17-year mission to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatment and prevention.
SU2C gratefully acknowledges the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Corner Partnership, LLC, Tennessee Titans, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center for their generous support as we bring this year’s telecast to Nashville. This year’s production is made possible through generous in-kind contributions from local partners, including The Westin Nashville, W Nashville, Omni Nashville Hotel, and Premier Global Production.
SU2C is also supported by generous donors and collaborators who share the same goal of fueling groundbreaking cancer research. Among them are Mastercard® and American Airlines, whose continued support helps make this work possible. The organization’s founding partner, Major League Baseball, remains a steadfast supporter, providing annual financial contributions and unique opportunities to amplify the organization’s mission across its global fan base.
The show will take place at The Pinnacle and is being co-produced by Stand Up To Cancer and Done + Dusted. Executive producers include Done + Dusted’s David Jammy and Liz Kelly, SU2C co-founders Pamela Oas Williams and Lisa Paulsen, alongside Rod Essig of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and Kevin Yorn of Yorn Levine / BroadLight Capital, and Rick Yorn of LBI Entertainment / BroadLight Capital. James Merryman will serve as the show’s director, and Derek Wells as the musical director.
To learn more about SU2C’s 2025 telecast, visit standuptocancer.org/show. For more information about the #Up2Us to #StandUpToCancer campaign, visit su2cstreamteam.org.
