Amanda Gorman has paid tribute to three pandemic heroes with a poem performed at last night’s (February 7) Super Bowl.

Chorus of the Captains was written for three honorary NFL Captains chosen for the game: a Los Angeles-based teacher called Trimaine Davis, who provided laptops and internet connections for students working from home during the lockdown, an ICU worker in Tampa Bay called Suzie Dorner, and a Marine veteran from Pittsburgh called James Martin, who has founded the Wounded Warrior Project to help vulnerable children.

“Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art & our country, because it means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel siloed,” Gorman tweeted ahead of the performance.

“I’ll honor 3 heroes who exemplify the best of this effort. Here’s to them, to poetry, & to a Super Bowl like no other.”

Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art & our country, because it means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel siloed. I’ll honor 3 heroes who exemplify the best of this effort. Here’s to them, to poetry, & to a #SuperBowl like no other

— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) February 7, 2021

At the performance, she read: “Today we honour our three captains for their actions and impact in a time of uncertainty and need. They’ve taken the lead, exceeding all expectations and limitations, uplifting their communities and neighbours as leaders, healers and educators.

“Let us walk with these warriors, charge on with these champions and carry forth the call of our captains. Let us celebrate them by acting with courage and compassion, by doing what is right and just. For while we honour them today, it is they who every day honour us.”

Watch the performance below.

What a moment. @TheAmandaGorman #SBLV pic.twitter.com/v8VM9uhPww

— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2021

The Super Bowl performance comes after the former National Youth Poet Laureate recited her work The Hill We Climb following Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th US President on January 20, with her performance and evocative words earning rich acclaim across the world.

Songwriter, producer and former Vampire Weekend member Rostam then set her poem to music through three different improvisational piano pieces after being “deeply moved” by her Inauguration Day performance.

Elsewhere at the Super Bowl, Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan opened the festivities with a performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, before H.E.R. shared a performance of ‘America The Beautiful’. Then, The Weeknd played the hits for the coveted halftime show.

Outside the stadium, Metallica performed ‘Enter Sandman’ on a special edition of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, while Miley Cyrus joined forces with Billy Idol and Joan Jett for a tailgate performance for healthcare workers outside the Raymond James Stadium.

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