Alicia Keys, Chris Rock for Keep A Child Alive Black Ball

Keep a Child Alive (KCA) today announced that the 12th annual Black Ball will be hosted by Grammy award-winner, Alicia Keys and actor, comedian and director, Chris Rock.

The star-studded evening will celebrate the work of KCA and help raise the necessary funds to provide treatment and care for children, youth and families living with and affected by HIV in Africa and India.

The Black Ball will be held on Thursday, November 5th at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Artists to perform include Alicia Keys, WizKid, LION BABE and others.

The theme of this year's Black Ball is Afrofuturism, which celebrates the ingenuity, creativity, and talent of Africa's entrepreneurs, artists, designers, musicians and activists.

"At this year's Black Ball, we will bring attention to the young, vibrant and extraordinary people of Africa," said Alicia Keys, co-founder of KCA. "Their future is bright, but with 25 million people currently living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, we need to get AIDS out of the picture once and for all, for Africa to reach their full potential."

"At Keep a Child Alive, we believe local solutions are key to ending the AIDS epidemic, supporting HIV programs that are implemented by innovative community-based organizations. This approach is key as we work to increase access to treatment for the millions of African people still in need, particularly the children" said Peter Twyman, CEO of KCA. "This year's Black Ball will allow us to expand our efforts, helping communities tackle the challenges of HIV, and eliminating AIDS as a factor holding them back. We are very thankful to our supporters that join us each year to celebrate this special night, as the Black Ball is so vital in helping us reach our goals."

Presenting partners for the 2015 KCA Black Ball include the Jynwel Charitable Foundation Limited, Microsoft, Givenchy parfums and Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits.

To date, Keep a Child Alive's Black Ball has raised over $24.9 million for children and families affected by HIV. Past performers of the event have included Jay Z, Carole King, Bono, Adele, Pharrell Williams, Chris Martin, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake and many more incredible artists. This year marks the 9th year that the Black Ball will be held at the Manhattan Center's iconic Hammerstein Ballroom, which is known for its extraordinary performances and unforgettable special events.