Oprah Winfrey named the Golden Globes' Cecil B. DeMille Award winner

It was curious to many that the HFPA’s annual lifetime achievement honor, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, was not announced by the time the 75th Golden Globes nominations were revealed on Monday.  We may never find out why there was a delay, but for NBC it was worth the wait.  Tonight, the HFPA announced the Oprah Winfrey will receive the award during the Globes’ Jan. 7 telecast.

READ MORE: Best and Worst of the 2018 Golden Globes Nominations

In a statement, HFPA president Meher Tatna noted, ” “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is delighted to announce Oprah Winfrey as the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award. As a global media leader, philanthropist, producer, and actress, she has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world, making her one of the most respected and admired figures today. For generations, Oprah has celebrated strong female characters on and off screen, and has been a role model for women and young girls for decades. Holding titles such as Chairman, CEO and Founder, Oprah is one of the most influential women of our time and this honor is well deserved especially in this 75th anniversary year of the Golden Globe Awards.”

Winfrey was previously nominated in 1985 in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple.”  She is also a two-time Oscar nominee and received The Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2012. The multimedia queen is also a six-time Emmy nominee and a winner for producing “Tuesday’s With Morrie” in 2000 as well as a recipient of the Television Academy’s Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. She’s also a 16-time Daytime Emmy Award winner and a Tony Award winner for the revival of “The Color Purple” in 2016. She received a Peabody Award in 1995 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

As this news breaks Winfrey is actually presenting a screening and reception for “Marshall” with stars Sterling K. Brown, Josh Gad and Kate Hudson as well as potential song nominees Diane Warren and Common.

The Golden Globes will air Sunday, Jan. 7 on NBC beginning at 8 PM ET, 5 PM PT.