NEW YORK, NY – (December 10, 2023) – Tonight at the 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, Dr. Kwane Stewart was named the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year. Hosted by CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper and CNN Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates, the global broadcast aired live tonight from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Dr. Stewart helps people experiencing homelessness care for their beloved pets, offering judgement-free veterinary treatment on the streets to animals in need.
Each Top 10 CNN Hero will be awarded $10,000 and Dr. Stewart, as the Hero of the Year, will receive an additional $100,000 grant to continue his life-changing work. Accepting the award, Dr. Stewart announced he would share the grant among the Top 10 Heroes equally, saying “An act of kindness can change your day. An act or gesture of kindness can change someone’s life.”
In its second year of collaboration with CNN Heroes, global non-profit Elevate Prize Foundation, whose mission is to Make Good Famous and inspire action on an international scale, is awarding an additional $300,000 unrestricted grant to Dr. Stewart. He will be named an Elevate Prize winner, and all ten honorees will receive organizational capacity-building and tailored resources to bring visibility to their work and maximize their impact while attending the foundation’s annual Make Good Famous Summit in May of 2024.
Former President Jimmy Carter and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter were awarded the inaugural CNN Heroes Legacy Award for their lifetime commitment to community service. Accepting on their behalf, their granddaughter Sarah Carter said “My grandparents had the ability to envision the world as it should be with astonishing moral clarity and the audacity and determination to pursue that vision over decades. And they touched so many people’s lives along the way.”
Tonight at CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® winner Amanda Seyfried, Golden Globe® nominee Brooke Shields, Golden Globe® winner Rachel Zegler, Emmy® winner and Golden Globe® winner Martin Sheen, Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Edie Falco, Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Sterling K. Brown, Iman Vellani (The Marvels), Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Jeffrey Wright, Joe Manganiello (Deal or No Deal Island), Emmy® nominee Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Alexa Swinton (Maestro, And Just Like That…) and SAG® and Grammy® winner Danielle Brooks were among the presenters who commemorated the Top Ten CNN Heroes and Young Wonders. Grammy® Award nominated singer Aloe Blacc performed his inspirational anthem, “My Way” live.
CNN has partnered with GoFundMe to enable donations to this year’s Top 10 honorees. Supporters can make online donations to the Top 10 CNN Heroes’ nonprofit organizations directly from CNNHeroes.com. The Elevate Prize Foundation is matching donations to all of the 2023 Top 10 CNN Heroes up to $50,000 per hero through January 5, 2024.
