November 12th was a great day for women everywhere as Glamour Magazine anounced and recognized the 2012 Women of the Year in a special awards ceremony at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Women of all ages in fields of art, business, fashion, politics, and more were commended by special presenters for their efforts in bettering society; The awards commend Selena Gomez, Zaha Hadid, Annie Leibovitz In addition to these women, the ceremony also recognized those women who made outstanding efforts in recovering the East coast from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy (2012’s Worst Woman of the Year).
The award winners, also listed below, are profiled in Glamour’s December issue which is out on stands now. The L’Oréal Paris sponsored event featured A-list presenters such as Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg, a tribute to Nora Ephron, preformances by Cynthia Nixon and Mamie and Grace Gummer, and a salute to women who ran for political office in 2012, presented by Chelsea Clinton. Even better, the annual event includes Glamour’s efforts in philanthropic work by raising money for various causes. This year, Glamour’s Women of the Year Fund initiative supports Project SAAVE, through the groundbreaking efforts of Pakistani activist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which helps bring medical care to acid-attack survivors.
The 2012 Women of the Year Include:
• Selena Gomez—The Independent Spirit: She’s conquered the worlds of TV, music, and fashion, and at 20 years old, she’s the
youngest-ever U.S. Ambassador for UNICEF, which helps children in need all over the world. Ethan Hawke to present.
• Zaha Hadid—The Architect-in-Chief: Regarded as “The Lady Gaga of Architecture,” Dame Zaha Hadid is the first female
winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize—and one of the most accomplished architects on earth. Pharrell Williams to present.
• Annie Leibovitz—The Visionary: With images that are epic and intimate at the same time, she’s turned our culture’s love of
celebrity into high art. Pilgrimage, Leibovitz’s new collection of still-life photos, is touring the country now to rave reviews.
Anna Wintour to present.
• Lena Dunham—The Voice of a Generation: Since the April premiere of her HBO show, Girls, which she created, stars in, and
also directs, Dunham has quickly become one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. Chelsea Handler to present.
• Erin Merryn—The Guardian Angel: By helping draft Erin’s Law, which encourages schools to educate children about sexual
abuse prevention, she’s turned her personal experience into a public crusade. Erin’s Law has been passed in four states.
Julianna Margulies to present.
• Our Gold-Medal Olympians—The Unstoppables: Members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team—which earned a record number
of golds for women—Missy Franklin (swimming), Gabby Douglas (gymnastics), Kayla Harrison (judo), Allyson Felix
(track-and-field), and Carli Lloyd (soccer). Mary J. Blige to present.
• Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—The Supreme Force, Lifetime Achievement Winner: She won many of the
earliest battles on behalf of women’s equality as a young trial lawyer and was later tapped by President Bill Clinton for the U.S.
Supreme Court, making her its second female justice. Nina Totenberg to present.
• Jenna Lyons—The Fashion Original: As president and executive creative director of J.Crew—the booming $1.9 billion brand
that First Lady Michelle Obama, Katie Holmes, and Oprah can’t get enough of—she’s not only the brains behind the clothes but
also their most recognizable model. Lauren Hutton to present.
• Ethel and Rory Kennedy—The Generations Award: In Rory Kennedy’s career as a documentarian, she has made films about
AIDS, nuclear radioactivity, and abuses at Abu Ghraib prison. With 2012’s Ethel, she gave the world an intimate look at her
mother, Ethel Kennedy, who founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights and raised a family of
astonishingly dedicated humanitarians. Kerry Kennedy and the Kennedy grandchildren to present.
• Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy—The Lifesaver, Women of the Year Fund Initiative Winner: Her Academy Award–winning
documentary short, Saving Face, gives a voice to female acid-violence survivors, and it’s creating huge change in the legal
system of her native Pakistan: Perpetrators in that country’s largest province are now subject to much harsher punishment, and
acid violence is being classified as a form of terrorism. Diane von Furstenberg to present.
-Kendall Hill
Photo: Glamour.com
