New York - The 18th Annual Glamour Women of the Year Awards, a celebration of women who have changed the world, brought together an impressive array of living legends on Nov. 5, from author Toni Morrison, who won the award for lifetime achievement, to 11-year-old actress Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), Glamour's first-ever "Girl of the Year."Also for the first time, Glamour named the recipients for their newly established "Women of the Year Fund" initiative, Empowering Hands, a group of Ugandan women, former child soldiers, who joined forces to help rehabilitate those forced to fight in the rebel militia, who kidnapped tens of thousands of children in Uganda over the course of two decades.
Mariah Carey, with the African Children's Choir, opened the ceremony with a rousing, emotional number and was met with huge cheers from the audience, particularly from the sections where several school groups were seated, special guests of Glamour.
Later, one of the evening's honoree's, Dr. Victoria Hale, whose work developing drugs for a nonprofit she founded, Institute for One World Health has helped saved hundreds of thousands of lives each year, addressed these young attendees specifically, urging them to go far with their educations, and not just in the classrooms."Go and live somewhere far, far away," Dr. Hale said. "That, is an education. It will change your life and it will change the world."
Comedian Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report," after joking that he was at the ceremony ("My writer's are on strike, and I needed something to do tonight"), lightened the mood with his entertaining introduction of Sen. Nancy Pelosi, honored for being the first female Speaker of the House.
"While I disagree with everything she stands for, I will defend her right to: Make. It. Work," joked Colbert, after complimenting her ability to color-coordinate pantsuits on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Actress Jennifer Garner, who received the "Icon Next Door" award, brought husband Ben Affleck with her, who set off a flurry of flashbulbs and camera phones when he arrived at the pre-show reception.Glamour also honored Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards; Drew Faust, president of Harvard University; Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania; Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University; Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton University; fashion designer Donna Karan; CBS war correspondent Lara Logan; world champion golfer Lorena Ochoa; "Grey's Anatomy" television producer Shonda Rhimes; chef Alice Waters and journalist Mariane Pearl.
