Hot massive stars are observed both individually in the Galaxy and in its nearest neighbors, as well as in the integrated light of galaxies at cosmic dawn. In this talk I focus on massive stars and populations in galaxies at distance of a few to hundreds of Mpc. These “Local” galaxies are at a sweet spot where detailed studies of stellar properties are still feasible but at the same time global galaxy properties are available as well. Local galaxies can therefore serve as bridges between stellar astrophysics and observational cosmology. I will discuss our ongoing research on these galaxies and present new results on the stellar properties, chemical abundances and evolution, galactic outflows and escaping ionizing radiation into the intergalactic medium. Those unable to attend the colloquium in person are invited to participate online through Zoom (Meeting ID: 942 0262 2849, passcode 792771) using the link: https://eu02web.zoom-x.de/j/94202622849?pwd=dGlPQXBiUytzY1M2UE5oUDRhbzNOZz09 During his visit to Heidelberg, Dr. Leitherer will be available for meetings by arrangement with his host, Andreas Sander (andreas.sander@uni-heidelberg.de).