Actress, media mogul, and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is the next in line to receive the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The ceremony will be held in Los Angeles Jan. 7, 2018 and televised live on NBC.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) honors its recipients based on their “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”
President of the HFPA, Meher Tatna, said in a statement, “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is delighted to announce Oprah Winfrey as the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award. As a global media leader, philanthropist, producer, and actress, she has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world, making her one of the most respected and admired figures today. For generations, Oprah has celebrated strong female characters on and off screen and has been a role model for women and young girls for decades.”
Winfrey is the fourth black actor and the first black woman in history to receive the award. Previously, Sidney Poitier received the honor in 1982; Morgan Freeman in 2012; and Denzel Washington in 2016. Freeman announced Winfrey as the latest recipient Wednesday night in a special marking the 75th anniversary of the Globes.
For 25 years, Winfrey was the host of her award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show and currently is the CEO and Chairwoman of her cable network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, founder of O, The Oprah Magazine, and oversees Harpo films.
In regards to films, the 63-year-old received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in the 1985 Steven Spielberg adaptation of The Color Purple. More recently, she starred in Lee Daniels’ The Butler as well as Ava DuVernay’s Academy Award-winning film Selma.
As a noted philanthropist, this year marks the 10th anniversary of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa which will celebrate the school’s seventh graduating class.