What An Honor: Celebs Who Received Humanitarian Awards

It’s always great to see celebrities giving back by volunteering their time and efforts to help those less fortunate and these stars who’ve gone above and beyond have received humanitarian awards for their philanthropic efforts.

THE GAME

Despite the constant rap beefs, Twitter wars and fights at the club, The Game has a huge heart. The California rapper recently won the 2014 Humanitarian of the Year award at the 25th Annual Talk of the Town Black Tie Gala. He earned the honor thanks to his efforts with his charitable organization, the Robin Hood Project. “It all started when I gave one kid from Africa $20,” he wrote. “That created @therobinhoodproject and since then I’ve given away over a million dollars of my own money hand to hand and through charitable organizations. I am honored and more than appreciative of #ABC for this Humanitarian of The Year award. I was just a poor kid from Compton….Never thought in a million years I’d have even an extra dollar to giveaway let alone a million. #Humbled.”

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OPRAH WINFREY

Oprah Winfrey amassed a significant amount of money throughout her career and she has donated millions of it to charities and organizations, including her own, like The Angel Network, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, the Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation, and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. In 2011, the talk show maven received an honorary Oscar for her outstanding humanitarian work. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given periodically for those who show exemplary philanthropic efforts and Winfrey earned one for her dedication to supporting educational initiatives and raising awareness of issues that affect women and children in the U.S. and across the globe.

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ANGELINA JOLIE

When she’s not making movies, Angelina Jolie spends her time helping people all over the world. In 2001 Jolie was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and since then she’s has been on numerous field missions around the world meeting with refugees in more than 20 countries. The “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” star has also become more involved on the political scene, meeting with legislators and speaking out on humanitarian causes. Jolie has been honored with several awards for her humanitarian efforts, including the Global Humanitarian Award by the United Nations for her work with UNHCR and refugees.

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HALLE BERRY

Halle Berry grew up in an unstable household so she has a special place in her heart for women and children who are stuck in a similar situation. The Oscar-winning actress spends countless hours volunteering at the Jennesse Center, a domestic violence shelter in Los Angeles. Last year, Berry received the 2013 BET Humanitarian Award. During her acceptance speech she read a heart-warming letter from a little girl at the Jennesse Center, which highlighted how vital shelter are to those who truly need them.

ALICIA KEYS

It didn’t take long for Alicia Keys to get involved with charity work. A couple years after she emerged onto the music scene, Keys founded Keep A Child Alive, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa. She is also aboard member of Frum Tha Ground Up, a non-profit organization devoted to inspiring and motivating America’s youth. And when she’s not doing that, Keys spends time with Teens in Motion, a grassroots organization in the South Bronx that provides a safe environment for teens to excel in the arts. For all of her efforts, the married R&B singer was the recipient of the BET Humanitarian Award in 2009.