Gomez dedicates new award to Martin Short’s late daughter at Rare Gala

A deeply personal tribute marked the fourth annual benefit for the Rare Impact Fund, held Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Selena Gomez used the event to introduce a new accolade dedicated to the memory of Katherine Short, the daughter of her longtime friend and Only Murders in the Building costar, Martin Short.

The Katherine Short Legacy Award

According to PEOPLE, Gomez named the new honor the Katherine Short Legacy Award. It recognizes a woman whose dedication to mental health advocacy has left a lasting mark on her community. The award honors Katherine, who worked as a clinical social worker devoted to helping people navigate difficult moments before she died by suicide in February at age 42.

“There is one part of tonight that means a lot to me,” Gomez said while introducing the award. She explained that it would honor people who demonstrated the same commitment to their communities. She also called Martin a longtime friend and expressed gratitude for his presence.

Martin Short reflects on family grief

Martin, 76, joined his costar onstage and praised her work. “I’ve learned so much from Selena by working with her,” he said, calling Gomez “one of the most brilliant women in the world.” The actor then spoke candidly about his family’s grief. “It has been the heartbreak of our family, as you can imagine,” he said, describing an exceptionally difficult year.

He discussed how his family had come to understand mental health conditions and cancer as illnesses, rather than sources of shame. Martin’s wife, Nancy Dolman, died in 2010 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The couple shared three children: Katherine, Oliver, 40, and Henry, 37.

Martin explained that Katherine had struggled with severe mental health issues for years. He said Gomez’s fundraising efforts helped promote awareness and encouraged people to stop hiding mental illness. Quoting Dolly Parton, he added, “Grief is love with no place to go.” He also reflected, “My pain about losing my daughter will always be present in my heart,” before explaining how love continued through memory.

Fund raises over $30 million

The Katherine Short Legacy Award will carry forward Katherine’s commitment to compassionate mental health conversations. The Rare Impact Fund has raised more than $30 million for youth mental health organizations and initiatives.

Martin previously described Katherine’s death as “a nightmare for the family” during a May appearance on CBS News Sunday Morning. In February, his family requested privacy while remembering Katherine for the joy she brought others.