Variety has named the honorees of its sixth Power of Women: New York luncheon. Taraji P. Henson, Bette Midler, country music artist Kacey Musgraves, journalist and anchor Christiane Amanpour, and model Gigi Hadid will be celebrated for their humanitarian efforts April 5 at Cipriani Midtown in New York City. Comedian Michelle Wolf is set to host the event.
Most recently seen in mind-reading comedy “What Men Want,” Henson is being recognized for her work with The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, whose mission is to de-stigmatize mental health issues in the African American community. She has received a Golden Globe and two Emmy nods for her role as Cookie Lyon in music industry drama “Empire” and an Oscar nomination for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” “Hidden Figures” and “Person of Interest” are among her other credits.
Star of stage and screen Midler will be lauded for founding and maintaining New York Restoration Project, NYC’s largest private land trust and an open space conservancy dedicated to protecting and preserving community gardens and other green spaces in underserved communities throughout all five boroughs. Midler has several Grammys, Emmys, and Tonys and two Oscar noms to her name. She recently appeared in CBS’ “Murphy Brown” revival. She’ll portray iconic feminist Bella Abzug in Julie Taymor’s Gloria Steinem biopic “The Glorias: A Life on the Road,” in production now.
Six-time Grammy winner Musgraves will be honored for her support of The GRAMMY Museum, which uses interactive exhibits and music education programs to explore, celebrate, and preserve musical legacies. Musgraves’ latest album is “Golden Hour.”
CNN Chief International Anchor Amanpour works with the Committee to Protect Journalists, which emphasizes the necessity of a free press and defends the rights of journalists everywhere to tell the truth without fear of harm or reprisal.
Hadid, a model for Prada, Maybelline, and more, is a supporter of international children’s humanitarian organization UNICEF. She has appeared in caper comedy “Ocean’s Eight” and in music videos such as Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.”
“Women continue to use the power of their voices to speak out about injustices of all kinds — and they are finally being heard,” said Claudia Eller, Co-Editor-In-Chief of Variety, in a press release. “Our honorees this year have used their influence and platforms to push for change and passionately advocate for others. We hope their work and dedication to social causes encourages future generations to do the same.”
“There have been seismic shifts in both the perception and reality of gender parity and economic equality for women. Variety’s Power of Women: New York event has been a part of raising the profile of the entertainment industry leaders driving this positive change,” added Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, Variety Group Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer. “We are proud of the role our event plays in giving women a platform to raise awareness for critical issues facing our community and beyond.”
All five Power of Women: New York honorees will be featured on the cover of Variety’s April 2 New York Women’s Issue. Presented by Lifetime, the luncheon is also associated with the annual New York Women’s Impact Report, a profile of the most influential women in entertainment and media.
