Honoring
Paddy McKillen
Hotelier and Art Collector
Trophée de L'Alliance
Angèle
Singer, Producer, and Songwriter
Trophée des Arts
Featured Artist
Elizabeth Colomba
Featured Chefs
Daniel Boulud
Francis Mallmann
After Party DJ
Julien Granel
Auctioneer
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Champion Table
$100,000
Benefactor Table
$75,000
Ambassador Table
$50,000
Leadership Table
$30,000
Prime Patron Ticket
$2,500
The Gala de L’Alliance New York will take place on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at The Plaza Hotel, celebrating the enduring ties between the French speaking world and American culture. The evening begins with an elegant cocktail reception, followed by a seated dinner and live auction in the Grand Ballroom, featuring exquisite cuisine and the presentation of the Trophée de L’Alliance and Trophée des Arts awards.
This year’s featured artist, Elizabeth Colomba, known for her evocative, classical portraits centering Black women in reimagined historical narratives, will unveil original work created for the occasion.
The celebration continues with a glamorous after-party in The Plaza’s Palm Court, featuring a DJ set by Julien Granel, where guests can enjoy dancing and late-night refreshments to close out a truly unforgettable evening.
Proceeds from the evening support L’Alliance’s mission to promote French language and francophone culture through innovative educational and artistic programming.
Following the Gala de L’Alliance New York, guests are invited to an exclusive after party in the Plaza Hotel’s iconic Palm Court and elegant Terrace Room. The celebration continues with cocktails by Rémy Cointreau, late-night bites, and a vibrant DJ set by French pop sensation Julien Granel, transforming these storied spaces into a dazzling dance floor. Surrounded by the glamour of The Plaza and the energy of New York at night, it’s the perfect finale to an unforgettable evening.
Hotelier and Art Collector
Born in Belfast in 1955, Patrick “Paddy” McKillen is an international hotelier and investor known for visionary design and cultural integration. He has collaborated with renowned architects such as Jean Nouvel, Lord Richard Rogers, and Sir Norman Foster to create spaces that harmonize with local culture and landscape.
In 2002, he acquired Château La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence, now a 600 acre bio-dynamic vineyard where wine, art, and architecture coexist and welcomes nearly 500,000 visitors per year. World-class artists and architects—including Tadao Ando, Oscar Niemeyer, Renzo Piano, and Frank Gehry—have created permanent installations across the estate. Sculptures and monumental works by Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Jenny Holzer, Prune Nourry, Richard Serra, and others line the vineyards and hills. Over the past decade, Château La Coste has hosted more than 70 exhibitions, featuring artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Alberto Giacometti, Roni Horn, and Cy Twombly.
The estate also offers exceptional experiences in wine, gastronomy, and hospitality, including a restaurant by Argentine chef Francis Mallmann and the acclaimed Villa La Coste. In 2019, Villa La Coste was named a "Palace" by the French Ministry of Tourism—one of only 30 hotels in France to earn this honor. In 2024, it became one of the first hotels globally to receive the Michelin Guide’s 3 Key Award.
For his contributions to the arts, Paddy was named an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2020. In 2022, he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Ulster University for his achievements in hospitality and his efforts toward peace and reconciliation in Ireland. He is currently the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Ireland.
Singer, Producer, & Songwriter
Angèle is a Belgian singer-songwriter, musician, producer and actress.
Angèle first made a name for herself with her covers on social media of popular songs, mixing song and humor.
In 2017 she took her first steps on stage, opening for the French musical duo, Ibeyi, and Belgian rapper, Damso. Her first single La Loi de Murphy was released in 2017 and racked up millions of views on YouTube. In 2018, she released two more singles, Je veux tes yeux and La thune.
Her first album, Brol, was released on October 5th, 2018. The following year, the album had already sold over 500,000 copies, and Angèle won the NRJ Music Awards for French-Speaking Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for Tout oublier! Angèle then collaborated with Dua Lipa on Fever in 2020, and in 2021, released her second studio record, Nonante-Cinq, which included a collaboration with Damso on the track Démons.
Over the past two years, Angèle has performed more than 95 shows worldwide, including two sold-out nights at Paris La Défense Arena and a standout set at Coachella. She has headlined major summer festivals, appeared at the 2023 Met Gala in New York, and closed the 2024 Paris Olympics with a memorable performance of Nightcall alongside Kavinsky and Phoenix.
In April 2025 she became the new international face of the perfume Chance Eau Splendide by Chanel, also creating the campaign anthem, A Little More.
The annual Gala de L’Alliance New York is our largest fundraising event, gathering more than 500 international guests to celebrate the honorees of the Trophée des Arts and Trophée de L’Alliance awards. Funds raised during the evening support L’Alliance New York’s innovative educational and artistic programming, that inspire and engage a wide range of audiences. The event, which is held under the patronage of the French Ambassador to the US and the French Consul General in New York City, kicks off with a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner, live auction, and an afterparty.
Created in 1992, the Trophée des Arts award recognizes a distinguished artist or cultural icon who exemplifies L’Alliance New York’s goal of cross-cultural exchange. The Trophée de L’Alliance (formerly Pilier d’Or) award, established in 2006, recognizes a leading business figure, diplomat, or philanthropist for outstanding contributions to the Francophone-American community. In 2022, a Featured Artist spotlight was added to the Gala; their artwork is displayed at and interwoven into the event. The art of gastronomy is also at the heart of the evening, thanks to the participation of acclaimed chefs each year such as Georges Blanc, Yannick Alléno or Dominique Crenn.
Key past Trophée des Arts recipients include actress Sofia Boutella, chef Alain Ducasse, actress Jane Fonda, painter and writer Françoise Gilot, actress Catherine Deneuve, and music producer Quincy Jones. Recent Trophée de L’Alliance awards were given to Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and former CEO of L’Oréal; Bruno Pavlovsky, President of CHANEL Fashion; Dominique Senequier, Founder & President of Ardian; and, in November 2024, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman in recognition of their philanthropy supporting cultural heritage in France.