Aaron Lazar – a champion in the ALS community

Award-winning actor, singer, speaker, and advocate Aaron Lazar has exemplified a resilience that reminds us of the power we have to make the impossible possible, encouraging us all to “dream the impossible dream.” Honored with the ALS Network’s 2024 Essey Spotlight Award at our Champions for Cures and Care gala in January, Lazar continues to inspire those within the ALS community as he navigates his journey with ALS.

“The ALS diagnosis was a turning point for me. I made a decision that – for whatever life I have left – I am not going to live it afraid. Somehow in the darkness, I found courage. The two years since have been the most transformative of my life.” – Aaron Lazar, living with ALS since 2022

Now, almost a year after receiving the Essey Spotlight Award, Aaron continues to drive ALS advocacy through  community events and his love for music, inspiring the hearts of many within the community and beyond.

In March, Aaron moderated a Town Hall webinar, along with president and CEO of the ALS Network, Sheri Strahl. The two discussed the new branding, look, and feel of ALS Network, along with what to expect for the future. 

“During the most challenging time of his life, Aaron has ascended to a new mindset – embracing each day with hope, fortitude, and sharing his story, his ALS journey, with all who will listen. He is undoubtedly a role model, truly beloved and championed by his family and friends.” – Sheri Strahl, President & CEO, ALS Network

Lazar released Impossible Dream this past August, and has now been nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Aaron partnered with fellow members of the Broadway community to create this incredible project, assembling a group of notable performers to help raise ALS awareness and support.

Recording eight duets with Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kate Baldwin, Rebecca Luker, Loren Allred, Kelli O’hara, and Norm Lewis, Aaron quickly found himself with a star-studded list of partners on this project. The album’s finale is a spectacular group performance featuring Sting, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kristin Chenoweth, Liz Callaway, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Shoshana Bean, Joanna Gleason, Brian D’arcy James, Adrienne Warren, and many more!

The ALS Network is proud to honor the talented producers of the album, Impossible Dream, with the 2025 Essey Spotlight Award for their extraordinary efforts in raising ALS awareness through music, story, and teamwork.

The list of esteemed honorees includes the following exceptional team of music industry professionals, including Grammy Award winner Kitt Wakeley (pictured left) and David Das (pictured right), along with Jonathan Estabrooks, Sydney Anderson, Patrick Conlon, Christina Giacona, and Tre Nagella. We are deeply grateful to everyone involved in this artistic collaboration for leveraging their time, talent, and resources to raise ALS awareness and funds around the world, embodying the spirit of the Essey Spotlight Award.

A portion of the album’s proceeds will benefit the ALS Network to fund care, research, and advocacy to help us cure ALS together. You can show your support to Aaron, his Grammy-nominated album, and the search for a cure to ALS by streaming the album online or listening on a CD at https://hypeddit.com/impossibledream.