GLAMOUR CELEBRATES 25TH WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
It is an honor that very few women are blessed to be able to experience. Those who do receive that honor have a deep and abiding appreciation for one publication that stands out for its exceptional work. Glamour Magazine just happens to be one of the oldest publications (also available on the web), but still very influential in the world of fashion, lifestyle and a constant source of advice. Since its first print in 1939, the magazine has only continued to expand on a more international scale, with a sense of refinement over the years.
As an annual tradition, there are a specific set of women chosen by Glamour Magazine for their amazing leadership contributions throughout the year that go above and beyond the normal realm. The ‘Women Of The Year’ Awards celebrated their 25th anniversary on November 9, 2015. As Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive so appropriately put it, “Since 1990, Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards have saluted the planet’s most remarkable female leaders, and tonight’s winners are no exception.” “They have been inspired and led by the generations of Women of the Year before them, and Glamour is thrilled to celebrate their passion.” Even older than the award itself was the cultural landmark in which the ceremony was held, Carnegie Hall in New York City. Legends have performed and been honored within its historic structure.
Not only were these awards given out with emotions running high, but, the performances were just as heart-stopping and hilarious. Jennifer Hudson, Amy Schumer and Ellie Goulding were proud to be performing for an exemplary group of women on this inspirational day.
The women that were honored for their accomplishments were:
Reese Witherspoon is the Hollywood Hero. Reese turned the film world around by casting women in the lead and taking the role of directing award-winning films. Wild and Gone Girl, two of her films, earned stars Rosamund Pike, Laura Dern, and, yes, Witherspoon herself Oscar nominations. In addition, the films grossed $400 million at the box office. This put Reese’s focus toward equality: her film company, Pacific Standard, has 32 projects in the works that are putting women front and center. With her producing business booming, Witherspoon felt that she could take on another challenge this year: a fashion brand. She launched Draper James, a Southern-inspired clothing and home line, with a flagship store in Nashville.
Victoria Beckham has been the Fashion Force. Creating her own collection has blossomed into a fashion empire. Her designs are overwhelmingly popular in the celebrity circles and her design skills have made her a respected name in the world of fashion. Not only is she a designer, but she is a devoted mother and international goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS. Her philanthropic efforts go beyond this organization. She has raised millions to benefit HIV and AIDS charities including amfAR, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Mothers 2 Mothers.
Misty Copeland is The Showstopper. She has become a mentor and inspiration for all young women across the globe as her hard work and talent has rewarded her by becoming principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. This is a feat to achieve such a level in the elite classical ballet company’s 75-year history. But Misty has not stopped there. She has written a memoir that reached the New York Times best-seller list, “I Will What I Want” and she has become a spokesperson for Under Armour commercials.
Elizabeth Holmes is The Entrepreneur. Her story is courageous and she proves that dreams really do come true. At 20, Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford University to devote every waking moment to her fledgling business. Its goal? Both to revolutionize ordinary blood tests, and to change the control average citizens have over their health. Today, Holmes, 31, is the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
Caitlyn Jenner is The Transgender Champion. An Olympic hero who has lived a life closely watched by the media, decided that she did not want to hide her inner feelings of who she wanted to be anymore. She has opened new doors for others in situations similar to her own and is relentless in her efforts to educate the public and bring awareness to some of the issues that are facing transgenders today. She helped launch I Am Cait, the docu-series meant to educate the public and, crucially, herself; the show has featured advocates addressing important issues like suicide—a tragic 41 percent of trans or gender-nonconforming Americans have attempted to take their own life.
Cecile Richards has been called The Health Advocate this year. She is President of Planned Parenthood . One in five women will use Planned Parenthood services during their lifetime—for sexually transmitted infections, breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control, emergency contraception, and more. In 2015, controversy around these issues reached fever pitch, and some in Congress called to defund Planned Parenthood—a move that would mean nearly 700,000 people could lose access to their only source of health care. Cecile Richards refuses to let that happen. She will do whatever it takes to keep Planned Parenthood alive.
Then there are the teams of women that have dedicated themselves to what they believe is the top priority.
Team USA are the Game Changers. At the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Team USA dominated the soccer field. It wasn’t just about being the champions on the field, it was even more of a mission; the right to equality. Many of the players are outspoken about their sport’s historical tendency to shortchange women.
Charleston Strong are The Peacemakers. The year 2015 has been violent, filled with mass shootings, racial injustices and unrest in our nation. When the horrific shooting took place at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston Strong would not back down. Alana Simmons, 26, Nadine Collier, 47, Bethane Middleton-Brown, 45, Felicia Sanders, 58, and Polly Sheppard,71 all lost loved ones that day. They will not let hatred rule the world. Today, these women are teaching the world by example the healing strength of peace and unity: from starting social media movements, to advocating for gun control, to asking how we can raise our children to better appreciate differences.
The presenters of the awards are highly respected names as well. Lupita Nyong’o, Eve Hewson, Elisabeth Moss, Uzo Abuda, Carolyn Murphy, Brooklyn Beckham, Judith Light, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Seth Meyers and Goldie Hawn made up that impressive list.
For all those women who reach for the stars, the lesson to be learned is that dreams really do come true with determination and belief and hard work.
Congratulations to the 2015 Glamour Women Of The Year!
