CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute is a television special created byCNN to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and make a difference in their communities. The program was started in 2007. Since 2016, the program was hosted byAnderson Cooper andKelly Ripa. Honorees are introduced during the fall of each year and the audience is encouraged to vote online for the CNN Hero of the Year. Ten recipients are honored and each receive US$10,000. The top recipient is chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year and receives an additional US$100,000 to continue their work. During the broadcast celebrating their achievements, the honorees are introduced by celebrities who actively support their charity work.[1] To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the 2016 edition had an additional segment where five previous Hero of the Year winners were chosen as candidates for the Superhero of the Year award, which was decided with an online poll.[2]
Also all of the 33 Chilean Miners came on the show to be honored after the2010 Copiapó mining accident before awards were given out to the list of heroes shown above. Kareem Taylor is the promotional voice for the commercial campaign leading up to the show.
The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2019 each received US$10,000. The 2019 CNN Hero of the Year received an additional US$100,000. The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2019:[18]
Staci Alonso, Noah's Animal House (pet shelter for escaping domestic violence)
Najah Bazzy, Zaman International (helping women & children living in poverty)
Woody Faircloth, RV4CampfireFamily.org
Freweini Mebrahtu,2019 CNN Hero of the Year, Dignity Period (helping Ethiopian girls stay in school)
The 14th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute focused solely on inspirational heroes from the biggest stories of the year—the fight against coronavirus and the battle for racial equity and social justice. Frontline workers, advocates, scientists, Young Wonders and everyday people were saluted and 8 nonprofit organizations working to tackle these issues were highlighted. Each organization received $10,000 and viewers were encouraged to donate to these vetted, trusted organizations.[20]
In lieu of the traditional Top 10 and CNN Hero of the Year, the 2020 edition saw viewers selecting the year's Most Inspirational Moments.[21]
The 15th Annual CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute returned to the long-running shows' traditional format honoring the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2021 with viewers voting online for the CNN Hero of the Year.Shirley Raines was selected as the 2021 CNN Hero of the Year.
The 16th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute premiered live on Sunday December 11, 2022.Nelly Cheboi was selected by viewers as the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year.
The 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute premiered live on Sunday December 10, 2023. Dr. Kwan Stewart was selected by viewers as the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year.
Winner: Kwane Stewart (veterinarian who treats the pets of the homeless for free, helping the pets and the humans who love them dearly)[22]
In 2022, the program was honored with theNews & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Live News Special for its 2021 15th Annual Show. The program's director Brett Kelly was also nominated for Outstanding Direction and the original full-length CNN Heroes segment on Shirley Raines ofBeauty 2 The Streetz was nominated for Outstanding Soft Feature Story: Short Form.
In 2020, the program's director, Brett Kelly, received the inaugural Outstanding DirectionNews & Documentary Emmy Award for its 2019 13th Annual Show. In 2019, the program was nominated for theNews & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding News Special for its 2018 12th Annual show.
