Oprah Winfrey Among Honorees at Variety’s Power of Women Event

Variety’s Power of Women will honor Salma Hayek Pinault, Anna Kendrick, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey and Susan Wojcicki as Lifetime Impact Honorees at an Oct. 9 luncheon. The event at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons will celebrate the entertainment industry’s most philanthropic and inspiring women.

“The women we are honoring this year are the perfect embodiment of the Power of Women initiative,” said Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, Variety’s publisher. “We salute Salma Hayek

Pinault, Anna Kendrick, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki for their incredible philanthropic work and their personal commitment to fostering change. We look forward to collaborating once more with our dynamic partner Lifetime who has been a real force alongside Variety in championing the efforts of our esteemed honorees.”

Hayek Pinault is being recognized for her humanitarian efforts with Chime for Change, Kendrick works with The Trevor Project, Paltrow with L.A. Kitchen, Winfrey with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation and Wojcicki with Room to Read.

Variety’s Power of Women event is tied to its annual Women’s Impact Report, which profiles the women making the most significant impact on the entertainment industry. Each of the honorees will be featured on the cover of Variety’s Women’s Impact issue on Oct. 6.

Now in its seventh year, Variety will be adding a new award to the program. This year’s first-ever EmPOWerment Award will be given to Chairman and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Film, Jim Gianopulos.

“Variety’s first-time EmPOWerment Award is being given to an individual who empowers and creates opportunities for women to succeed in the entertainment business,” said Claudia Eller, Variety’s co-editor-in-chief. “With so many of the division heads at Fox being strong, influential women, we could think of no one better to give the award to than Jim Gianopulos. Between Stacey Snider, Emma Watts, Elizabeth Gabler, Vanessa Morrison, Nancy Utley, and Claudia Lewis, among others, Fox empowers more women in top management positions than any other movie studio and for that we are honored to recognize Jim and his team at Fox for this significant achievement.”

Power of Women is now a biannual event in New York and Los Angeles, with 500 guests comprised of entertainment and media insiders who will pay tribute to the philanthropic efforts of these women.

Entertainment Industry Foundation will match Variety’s donations to each of the honorees’ charities.

“The Entertainment Industry Foundation is proud to join forces with the Variety Foundation to honor these amazing women and the charitable organizations they dedicate their time and support to,” said Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “The work done by Anna, Gwyneth, Oprah, Salma and Susan through their philanthropic efforts has affected the lives of many in diverse and meaningful ways; they each offer an inspiring example of the entertainment community’s ability to make a difference.”

Variety’s 2015 Power of Women event is presented by Lifetime Television and sponsored by Audi, Frederique Constant, Moroccanoil and Saint Vintage.

“We are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with Variety as we continue to celebrate women’s contributions to our industry and beyond,” said Nancy Dubuc, A+E Networks president and CEO. “As an industry leader, Lifetime has championed what matters most in women’s lives through Emmy Award-winning programs and initiatives, including our latest effort, Broad Focus, ensuring women are in positions of leadership both behind and in front of the camera. Variety’s Power of Women event reaffirms the importance of recognizing the voices that create positive change for all of us and open our world to all its potential.” Variety Staff