Chance the Rapper, CeeLo Green and more tapped for 'ESSENCE' Holiday Celebration of Joy

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM

Chance the Rapper performs onstage during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 02, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joshua Applegate/WireImage)

Chance the Rapper, CeeLo Green, Amber Riley and gospel's Kierra Sheard will help lift up your spirits as part of the lineup for the Essence Holiday Celebration of Joy.

They'll be participating in the special, which will also see Lena Byrd Miles, Susan Carol, T.A. Thomas and more performing some holiday tunes, including classics and original tracks. There will also be segments from Shannon Thornton, as well as Heiress Harris, VanVan, Ms. Shirley and a Sesame Street ventriloquist. Devon Franklin will bless fans with words of reflection, while Aaron N. Swain, chairman of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., will discuss his organization's community work.

“Our goal with this special was to create something that feels familiar yet fresh — a space where our community could see itself reflected through sound, storytelling, and joy,” said Michele Ghee, Essence chief concert officer, in a press statement. “The artists, the audience, and the partners who made this possible all share one purpose: to remind us that celebration is a language we all understand.”

The ESSENCE Holiday Celebration of Joy, hosted by DC Young Fly and Kat Graham, will take place Thursday before live studio audiences in Atlanta and Los Angeles. It will also be available for fans to watch at 7 p.m. ET on YouTube and Essence.com.

In other Chance news, he'll be hosting and performing during ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, reporting from his hometown of Chicago. The countdown begins Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.