Adele explains why character is more important than any talent in powerful speech

Adele has countless fans around the globe and for all the right reasons. The "Skyfall" singer and multi-Grammy-winning artist has been inspiring her fans in many forms. Whether it's through her speeches or her charitable acts, Adele has always been a beacon of motivation to many. According to Billboard, Adele received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter's 2023 Women in Entertainment Breakfast Gala. She was welcomed on-stage by Dame Helen Mirren after which Adele started reading from the pages of speech she had prepared for the event.

"Talent can't dictate how you move," Adele said towards the end of her long speech, "Talent can't decide how you treat people. Talent doesn't have a moral compass. Talent cannot read a room. You can be the most talented person on the planet and only make bad decisions." Then she continued about how talent is "random and one might know that they have a talent." But that doesn't sum up to anything special in her books. "But character is observed, it is witnessed, it is taught and it is passed down," the songstress added.

She had learned from her mother, her aunts and her grandmother and she had to learn what it means to be a woman in a hard way. "Their character was their armor," Adele said, referring to the important ladies in her life. "But thanks to them, my character is my skin. I don't have stories about how my path to success was hard because it wasn't. I know that's rare and I know that I am lucky and that's because of you," Adele stated, pointing to her fans in the audience. She spoke about how a lot of people in the audience had to "claim their power" and in return, they shared their power with the singer and supported her.

"Thank you for leaving the key and like I said, even though it's morning, it only feels right to say goodnight. Thank you very much," Adele said while concluding her speech. “We are beyond thrilled that Adele will be our Sherry Lansing Leadership Award honoree at this year’s Women in Entertainment event,” co-editors-in-chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Maer Roshan said in a statement, per Billboard, “Adele has had a groundbreaking career that has established her as one of the all-time greats: a brilliant songwriter, a stunning vocalist and an artist whose talents have no limit. She has set a standard of excellence, not only as a female performer. In addition, she’s used her platform to inspire and help others. She is truly deserving of this award.”

Adele has not forgotten the contribution of the important women in her life, along with the contribution of a doctor who helped deliver her baby. While performing on her recent Vegar tour, the singer spotted a special fan during her performance and paused for a wholesome interaction. Adele, who was dressed as the iconic Morticia Addams, was singing "When We Were Young" when she stepped down from the stage after spotting the doctor who delivered her baby in the crowd of fans. She ran to hug him and said, “Shut up!” “Oh my God, Colin! This is my doctor who gave birth to my baby, I haven’t seen you for years,” she said before crying. The man had delivered her only son, whom Adele gave birth to in 2012.