Hillary Clinton surprises gala for Unicef, Katy Perry

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Hillary Clinton appears at an annual Unicef ball honouring Katy Perry and gets a loud applause from the audience for praising the singer's lyrics which she says remind us 'when you get knocked down, to get back up.'
Katy Perry (left) onstage with Hillary Clinton during a get-out-the-vote concert on Nov 5, 2016, ahead of the US presidential election. PHOTO: AFP

NEW YORK (AFP) - Hillary Clinton surprised a New York gala with an unscheduled appearance to promote Unicef and honour singer Katy Perry, one of the top celebrity supporters of her ill-fated presidential campaign.

The United Nations Children's Fund presented Perry with an award on Tuesday night (Nov 29) at its Snowflake Ball, a glitzy annual evening to benefit the international organisation.

Clinton unexpectedly entered to introduce Perry, taking the stage to the sound of the pop superstar's Roar, which the former secretary of state featured in campaign advertisements.

Clinton hailed Perry for humanitarian work and, to loud applause, called the singer "someone whose powerful voice and creative lyrics remind us when you get knocked down to get back up."

It was one of the first public appearances by Clinton since she lost the Nov 8 election to hotel mogul Donald Trump, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in US political history.

Clinton, long active on child welfare, also appeared after the election in Washington to receive an award from the Children's Defence Fund, the advocacy group with which she has played a role for years.

At the New York gala, Clinton hailed Unicef for providing food, education and medical care for millions of children over the organisation's seven-decade history.

"Every single child deserves the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential," Clinton said, according to a video of the event.

Perry embraced Clinton and spoke in the style of a campaign stump speech, saying that the candidate had given her a new voice beyond music.

"Hillary has lit that voice inside of me and that light will never go out. It will continue to get brighter and brighter and brighter," Perry said.

"Thank you, Hillary. You motivate me and so many millions of people who appreciate you," she said.

The 32-year-old pop singer - the world's most followed person on Twitter - was among a slew of famous musicians to campaign for Clinton along with Jay Z, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and Jon Bon Jovi.

Trump ultimately won the election with support from white working-class voters in battleground states, even as Clinton triumphed in the popular vote.

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