Oprah Winfrey to be the 1st Black Woman to receive the Cecil B. deMille Award

Posted by | Ray Cornelius 

CONGRATS to the “queen of all media” and history maker—OPRAH WINFREY! She is the recipient of the Cecil B. deMille Award of the 75th Golden Globes and the first African-American woman honoree. The coveted award is given annually to talented individuals like Winfrey for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

The big news was announced Wednesday (December 13) by 2012 Cecil B. deMille Award recipient, Morgan Freeman during the airing of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s (HFPA) “Golden Globe 75^th Anniversary Special” on NBC.

“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. Holding titles such as Chairman, CEO, and Founder, Oprah is one of the most influential women of our time, and this honor is well deserved especially in this 75th anniversary year of the Golden Globe Awards,” said Meher Tatna, President of the HFPA.

Winfrey is an entertainment phenomenon who is also an actress, producer, television star and entrepreneur. She is a Golden Globe nominee for her work in the iconic 80s film, “The Color Purple” and has also appeared in other projects such as “The Women of Brewster Place,” “Native Son,” “Beloved,”  “Lee Daniels’ The Butlter,” “Selma,” “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and on her network’s dramatic series, “Greenleaf.” She is currently starring in the animated feature “The Star” and will appear once again on the big screen in “Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time,” which is directed by her friend Ava DuVernay.

For 25 years, Winfrey was host of the award-winning talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” As Chairman and CEO, she’s guiding her successful cable network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, is the founder of O, The Oprah Magazine, and oversees Harpo Films.  Past recipients of the award also include Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Robin Williams, Al Pacino and Barbra Streisand.

The “75^th Annual Golden Globe^® Awards” will air on Sunday, January 7 at 8 p.m. on NBC and is hosted by Seth Meyers.

Photo Credit: Hollywood Reporter