Tavi, Queen Rania, & Cher Are Glamour‘s Women Of The Year

by Justin Fenner | 9:32 am, November 3rd, 2010

Glamour‘s annual Women of the Year Awards isn’t one of those touchy-feely kind of events that honors the valiant contributions of women to the world. Well, OK — it is. But it’s not just a pat on the back to well-known women who make a difference by writing large checks. It’s a moment when the world takes notice of what women, famous and not-so-famous alike, have done for the world at large.

There’s no better indication of that than this year’s list of honorees, which includes Oscar winners and rural doctors on the same breath. The women on this list don’t just donate to charities — they either lead them, or they roll up their sleeves where help is needed. And if they’re not being recognized for their humanitarian efforts (and most are), they’re either changing the world of fashion, business, entertainment, sports or education. Or, you know, all of them at the same time.

Check out this year’s nominees below. They’ll be recognized in a ceremony at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 8.

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1.The Lifetime Achievement Award: Cher

Other than being a living legend, why does Cher deserve this award? Maybe because she helped build a school in Kenya or raises money for wounded soldiers. Maybe because she's making her return to the movies in Burlesque. Maybe it's because, you know, she's Cher.

2.Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace. What are you doing? Oh, you're supporting a Chinese children's charity while simultaneously expanding Versace's global presence? How did you find the time to go to this thing?

3.Constance McMillen

Constance McMillen got the ACLU involved when her high school told her she couldn't bring her girlfriend to their senior prom. This kind of bravery reminds us that everyone has dignity, and that everyone really wants the same thing: to be loved.

4.Queen Rania of Jordan

If it weren't enough that Queen Rania was one of the most modern royals in the world, she's also one of the most forward-thinking minds on preparing young women to take on the 21st century.

5.Fergie

Stacey Ferguson has six (count them, people: six!) Grammy's on her mantle, but when she's not making award-winning music with The Black Eyed Peas, she's leading the charge to find cures for breast cancer and AIDS.

6.Dr. Hawa Abdi And Her Daughters

This trio of doctors provides food and shelter for some 90,000 people displaced in Somalia on their family's land. Dr. Abdi does all of this with a smile on her face and a song in her heart - even in the face of death threats.

7.Women Heads of State

The number of women who lead the world's nations has doubled in the last twenty years. Clockwise from far left, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, President Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago, and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor of Croatia will be honored at the ceremony.

8.The Athletes

Lindsey Vonn is known as the most successful female ski racer in American history. Lisa Leslie, winner of four Olympic gold medals, has the distinction of being the first woman to slam-dunk in the WNBA. Mia Hamm is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. And thanks to all of them, 42 percent of high school athletes are now girls, compared with just seven percent a few decades ago.

9.Julia Roberts

Is there anything Julia Roberts can't do? No, actually, there's not. When she's not winning Oscars or pulling down hundreds of millions at the box office, Roberts is hard at work promoting renewable energy and raising awareness for Rett syndrome.

10.Katie Spotz

Katie Spotz became the youngest person (and the first American) to row solo across the Atlantic at the end of last year. And why did she do it? To raise awareness about the availability of clean drinking water, naturally.

11.Twenty Women Under Twenty

Glamour's Women of the Year awards turn 20 this year, so it will recognize game-changing young women like Sharmin Mollick, who literally had to fight for her right to an education, and Tavi Gevinson, everyone's facorite 14-year-old blogger.

12.Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae isn't an honoree - yet. This year, she's the evening's special performer. Could stage time at Carnegie Hall eventually lead to her getting an award? We'll have to wait and see.