Stand Up To Cancer 2025: A sneak preview of this year’s telecast
Aug 14, 2025 – [[read-time]] minute read
Hello from Nashville! This weekend, we met up in Music City, Tennessee to attend the filming of the Stand Up To Cancer telecast — a star-studded fundraising event to benefit all areas of cancer research and awareness. Dozens of creators joined us along the way, each with personal connections to how cancer has impacted them, and it was a truly inspiring event. Here’s a look behind the scenes.
3:45 P.M. — Our Creator Collective kicks off
The YouTube Creator Collective series originally began as a way for local creators to meet up, network, and build connections. Our special edition Stand Up To Cancer event doubled as a pre-telecast reception party, with creator hosts Marissa Hill and Xia Capretta leading our group with an inspiring message about what tonight meant to them. Marissa gave an impassioned speech about having lost her mother to cancer one year ago, and how her YouTube journey has been a byproduct of that loss.
“Creation heals,” she says.
This message echoed throughout the room. We spoke to creators across the room who have lost family members and friends to cancer, and some who stand up to cancer or even continued on their YouTube journeys on behalf of their beloved survivors. Creator Collectives have always been a place for community, but today really took it one step closer to heart. Everyone stood together so strong even in the face of such difficult experiences, and did it all with fierce determination and smiles.
5:30 P.M. — Heading to the red carpet!
After some mingling, we wrapped up the reception and headed to The Pinnacle, a brand new Nashville venue where the telecast was being filmed. Upon arrival, creators were treated to a VIP welcome on the red carpet. Everyone got to share who they were standing up to cancer for and even gave interviews to local news networks!
One of our favorite things about meeting creators is the unique ways they express themselves. Check out Holly Auna’s floral getup and her two Labubus with custom crochet-knitted matching outfits! Personally obsessed with the miniature handmade chicken bag.
7 P.M. — It’s showtime
After the red carpet, we moved into the main auditorium where the telecast was being filmed. While we weren’t able to take pictures during the filming, we can tell you the room was mindblowingly stacked with famous musicians — from host Sheryl Crow to performances by Jelly Roll, Tim McGraw, CeCe Winans, Brothers Osborne, Noah Cyrus, Jon Pardi, and more. It’s a small and intimate venue, and we never thought we’d see the Jonas Brothers so up close!
We also got the opportunity to applaud all the doctors, nurses, and researchers in attendance fighting against cancer. Part of Stand Up To Cancer’s mission is focused on early detection, encouraging proactive screening and prevention to improve survival rate. Between the musical performances, we also heard from stories of families impacted by cancer and survivors who strongly advocate for early screenings. If we thought we were done with the tears, we definitely were not. Each story was incredibly moving — you oughta tune in and hear for yourselves!
8:30 P.M. — Wrapping up with an after party
After an hour of heart and soul, we reconvened outside on what is now a cool and comfortable evening away from the Nashville heat. We were joined by the T-Rac of the Tennessee Titans, who stopped by for photos!
How to watch the Stand Up To Cancer 2025 Telecast
Catch the Stand Up To Cancer 2025 Telecast live on Friday, August 15 at 8 P.M. Eastern / 7 P.M. Central right here on YouTube.
Head over to the SU2C YouTube channel and hit the notify button to get an alert when the stream is up. You don’t wanna miss it! And if you're feeling inspired, hop on over to Stand Up To Cancer to donate.