Grimes, Cher and Jennifer Hudson to star in Pirelli Calendar 2022 for ‘On The Road’ theme

Annual calendar returns for its 48th edition after 2021 installment was cancelled due to Covid

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

Cher, Rita Ora, Jennifer Hudson and Grimes will all feature in the 2022 Pirelli Calendar, with the latest edition featuring the stars photographed by Bryan Adams for the theme “On The Road.”

The impressive list of notable figures featured in the upcoming annual calendar will also include Normani, Iggy Pop, St Vincent, Bohan Phoenix, Kali Uchis, and Saweetie, with the theme set to highlight “some of the greatest talents from the world of music”.

Through the latest installment of the fashion project, which will include photos shot by the Canadian rock artist and photographer in Los Angeles and Capri, Adams hopes to bring “together artists of very different nationalities, musical genres, ages and professional back stories” as they appear on tour.

With each celebrity, Adams attempted to capture all the various moments that take place during a performer’s time on the road, with Jennifer Hudson photographed in a sparkling gown opening a stage curtain to embody the moment of “arriving at the show,” while Cher, dressed in a white leather jacket, appears backstage “in the green room”.

The 2022 Pirelli Calendar will also feature moments of stardom away from the audiences, with behind-the-scenes photos captured by Alessandro Scotti showing Adams photographing Ora as she soaked in a tub to represent “downtime post show” and Iggy Pop seen posing without a shirt, and covered in silver paint, for the “after show celebration” moment.

Adams will showcase the creative aspects of a performer’s time on tour as well, with the famed photographer seen capturing Grimes, dressed in a silver metal dress, through the glass of a studio as she embodies “producing and creating”.

According to Pirelli, most of the stars featured in the latest calendar were photographed in Los Angeles, with the “streets of the city, the Palace Theatre and the Chateau Marmont hotel” all acting as backdrops, while Saweetie was photographed at Hotel La Scalinatella in Capri.

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

Adams was announced as the latest photographer to land the prestigious opportunity in June, marking the return of the yearly calendar for its 48th edition after the 2021 edition was cancelled due to Covid.

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

At the time, the singer shared the news on social media with a 10-second clip, in which he said: “I’m proud to finally reveal that I’m the photographer for the 2022 Pirelli Calendar.”

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti. (Alessandro Scotti)

While last year’s calendar was cancelled, the previous year saw Italian photographer Paolo Roversi shoot Emma Watson, Yara Shahidi and Rosalia, among others, as tragic Shakespearean heroine Juliet Capulet for the theme “Looking for Juliet”.

The Pirelli Calendar, which began as a “pin-up” calendar, was launched in the 1960s by Italian tyre company Pirelli, with the project eventually evolving into the esteemed assignment it is today.

With the assignment, the Grammy-winner, who has shot portraits for Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair, will become the first Canadian photographer to shoot the Pirelli Calendar.