London, UK - Sir Elton John's legendary annual Oscars party may have been virtual this year, but it still managed to make a huge difference in the real world.

The event raised a whopping $3 million for the singer's Aids Foundation. He was joined by husband David Furnish and actor Neil Patrick Harris for the hour-long, virtual pre-show at the Rosewood hotel in London.

Taking place online for the first time, the special saw Dua Lipa duet with Sir Elton on his 1973 track Bennie And The Jets before she performed a selection of her own tracks.

The evening also featured appearances from Lady Gaga, Cynthia Erivo, and the cast of hit Channel 4 drama It's A Sin, which explores the HIV/Aids crisis in 1980s London.

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Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander, who plays the lead role in It's A Sin, Omari Douglas, Elizabeth Hurley, and David Williams were also among those who made appearances.

Sir Elton (74) said: "We haven't missed a year yet and we certainly weren't going to miss our 29th annual Oscar Party to benefit my Foundation - even if it meant going virtual."

"It was so much fun to perform with the gorgeous Dua Lipa and open up our party to supporters all over the world."

"I'm so grateful to Neil for hosting, everyone who attended and all my friends who participated so that we could continue this legendary event to raise vital funds to end the Aids epidemic."

The foundation is one of the world's leading independent Aids organizations.

Among its fundraising highlights is the star-studded Oscars viewing show, with a dinner and an auction.

This time, the pre-show was available to members of the public.

The special was hosted four times in four different time zones and each had 100,000 viewers. At the 93rd Academy Awards, Nomadland swept the biggest awards.