''CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'' is a television special created by

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and make a difference in their communities. The program was started in 2007. Since 2016, the program was hosted by

Anderson Cooper Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator who anchors the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at CNN, Cooper serves as a correspondent for ''6 ...

and

Kelly Ripa Kelly Maria Ripa (; born October 2, 1970) is an American actress and talk show host. Since 2001, she has been the co-host of the syndicated morning talk show '' Live! with Kelly and Mark'' in various formats. Her co-hosts have included Regis ...

. Honorees are introduced during the fall of each year and the audience is encouraged to vote online for the CNN Hero of the Year. Ten recipients are honored and each receive US$10,000. The top recipient is chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year and receives an additional US$100,000 to continue their work. During the broadcast celebrating their achievements, the honorees are introduced by celebrities who actively support their charity work. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the 2016 edition had an additional segment where five previous Hero of the Year winners were chosen as candidates for the Superhero of the Year award, which was decided with an online poll.

Heroes

2007

The 18 CNN Heroes finalists for 2007 were (in alphabetical order): * Florence Cassassuce,

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

* Kayla Cornale, of Burlington,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada * Mathias Craig, of

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

* Irania Martinez Garcia, of Guantanamo,

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

* Pablo Fajardo, of

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

* Rangina Hamidi, of Stone Ridge,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States * Rick Hodes, of

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

* Lynwood Hughes, of Rocky Mount,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, United States * Dallas Jessup, of

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver ( ) is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, located in Clark County, Washington, Clark County. Founded in 1825 and incorporated in 1857, Vancouver had a population of 190, ...

, United States *

Peter Kithene Peter Kithene Wilson is a Kenyan - American and the founder of Mama Maria Clinics in Kenya. Kithene Wilson was named a CNN Heroes Honoree in 2007 for his work in enhancing rural healthcare in Africa. In 2008, he was named as one of the University of ...

, of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington, United States * Scott Loeff, of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States * Mark Maksimowicz, of

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, United States * James McDowell, of

Patchogue Patchogue ( ) is a village in Suffolk County, New York. The population was 12,408 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Patchogue is an incorporated community in the town of Brookhaven, on the south shore of Long Island, ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States * Anne McGee, of

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States * Josh Miller, of

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States * Rosemary Nyirumbe, of

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

* Steve Peifer, of Kijabe,

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

* S. Ramakrishnan, of Ayikydy,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

* Julie Rems-Smario, of

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

, United States * Scott Southworth, of USA

2008

The Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 were (in alphabetical order): * Tad Agoglia, of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, United States *

Yohannes Gebregeorgis Yohannes Gebregeorgis is an Ethiopian businessman and the founder of Ethiopia Reads, a philanthropic organization committed to bringing literacy to the children of Ethiopia. In 2008, he was recognized as one of the " Top 10 Heroes of the Year" by ...

, of

* Carolyn LeCroy, of

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, United States * Anne Mahlum, of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States * Liz McCartney, of

St. Bernard Parish St. Bernard Parish (; ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette, Louisiana, Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of the New Or ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States: CNN 2008 Hero of the Year * Phymean Noun, of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada * David Puckett, of

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States * Maria Ruiz, of

El Paso El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States * Marie Da Silva, of (

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

), residing in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States * Viola Vaughn, of

Kaolack Kaolack (; ) is a town with a population of 298,904 (2023 census) on the north bank of the Saloum River about from its mouth and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack ...

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

2009

The Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 were (in alphabetical order): * Jorge Munoz, of

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, United States * Jordan Thomas, of

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, United * Budi Soehardi, of

Kupang Kupang (, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 Indonesian census, 2020 Census, it had a population of 442,758;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as o ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Betty Makoni Hazviperi Betty Makoni is a Zimbabwean women's rights activist who in 1999 founded the Girl Child Network, a charity which supports Zimbabwe's young sex abuse victims. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls and provided mentoring to ...

, of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, United Kingdom * Doc Hendley, of

Blowing Rock, North Carolina Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga County, North Carolina, Watauga and Caldwell County, North Carolina, Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,376 at the 2020 census. The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Roc ...

, United States *

Efren Peñaflorida Efren Geronimo Peñaflorida, (born March 5, 1981), is a Filipino teacher and development worker. He offers Filipino youth an alternative to street gangs through education, recreating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteri ...

, of

Cavite City Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite ( and ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people. The city was the capital of Cavite, ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

: 2009 CNN Hero of the Year *

Derrick Tabb Derrick Tabb (born May 27, 1975) is an American musician, a long-standing member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a co-founder of The Roots of Music, a non-profit organization that sponsors an after-school academic and music program for children i ...

, of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, United States * Roy Foster, of Palm Beach,

, United States * Andrea Ivory, of West Park, Florida, United States * Brad Blauser, of

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States

2010

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 (in alphabetical order): * Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega of Juarez,

* Susan Burton of

, United States * Linda Fondren of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, United States *

Anuradha Koirala Anuradha Koirala (born Anuradha Gurung on 14 April 1949) is a social activist and the founder of Maiti Nepal, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of slavery, sex trafficking. She was appointed as 1st Governor of Bagmati Provi ...

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

: 2010 CNN Hero of the year *

Narayanan Krishnan Narayanan Krishnan (born 1981) is an Indian chef-turned-social worker. Early life Krishnan was an award-winning chef with Taj Hotels, Bangalore and was short-listed for an elite job in Switzerland. After witnessing a distressing incident in 200 ...

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

* Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, United Kingdom * Harmon Parker of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Aki Ra Aki Ra (sometimes written Akira, born ) is a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who works as a deminer and museum curator in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He has devoted his life to removing landmines in Cambodia and to caring for young landmi ...

Siem Reap Siem Reap (, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap possesses French-colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

* Evans Wadongo of

* Dan Wallrath of

, United States Also all of the 33 Chilean Miners came on the show to be honored after the

2010 Copiapó mining accident The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known as the "Chilean mining accident", began on 5 August 2010, with a cave-in at the San José copper–gold mine, located in the Atacama Desert, north of the regional capital of Copiapó, in northern ...

before awards were given out to the list of heroes shown above. Kareem Taylor is the promotional voice for the commercial campaign leading up to the show.

2011

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011 (in alphabetical order): * Eddie Canales of

, United States * Taryn Davis of

, United States *

Sal Dimiceli Sal Dimiceli is a real estate businessman from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin who writes a column on charity for thLake Geneva Regional News Dimiceli's column, "The Time is Now to Help," has been likened to "a 'Dear Abby' for the down and out", but is p ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States *

Derreck Kayongo Derreck Kayongo is an entrepreneur and human rights innovator born on January 25, 1970, in Kampala, Uganda, just before General Idi Amin Dada seized power in a military coup. As violence spread through the country and civil war erupted, Kayongo ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, United States * Diane Latiker of

, United States * Robin Lim of

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

: 2011 CNN Hero of the year * Patrice Millet of

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

* Bruno Serato of

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

, United States *

Richard St. Denis Richard St. Denis is an attorney from Colorado, a Top 10 CNN Hero of 2011, and a founder of World Access Project, which since 2008 has provided hundreds of wheelchairs and mobility aids to people living with disabilities Disability is the ...

* Amy Stokes of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

2012

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 (in alphabetical order): * Pushpa Basnet of

: 2012 CNN Hero of the year * Wanda Butts of

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, United States * Mary Cortani of

, United States * Catalina Escobar of Cartagena,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

* Razia Jan of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, with an organization located in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States * Thulani Madondo of

Kliptown Kliptown is a suburb of the formerly black township of Soweto in Gauteng, South Africa, located about 17 km south-west of Johannesburg. Kliptown is the oldest residential district of Soweto, and was first laid out in 1891 on land which form ...

* Leo McCarthy of

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States * Connie Siskowski of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States * Scott Strode of

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, United States * Malya Villard-Appolon of Kofaviv,

The 3 Young Wonders of 2012 (in alphabetical order): * Cassandra Lin * Will Lourcey * Jessica Rees

2013

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2013 (in alphabetical order): * Dale Beatty, co-founder of Purple Heart Homes * George Bwelle * Robin Emmons * Danielle Gletow, founder of

One Simple Wish One Simple Wish is a non-profit that uses technology to raise awareness about foster care and connect caring people to kids in need. One Simple Wish had developed a unique wish granting platform that allows anyone to browse and grant wishes made b ...

* Tawanda Jones * Richard Nares * Kakenya Ntaiya * Chad Pregracke of the USA: 2013 CNN Hero of the year * Estella Pyfrom, creator of "Estalla's Brilliant Bus" * Laura Stachel

2014

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2014 (in alphabetical order): * Arthur Bloom of the United States * Jon Burns of the United Kingdom *

Pen Farthing Paul "Pen" Farthing (born May 1969) is a British former Royal Marines commando and founder of the Nowzad Dogs charity. Personal life Paul Farthing was born in Essex, England. He became a sergeant in the Royal Marines. Founding of the Nowza ...

of the United Kingdom: 2014 CNN Hero of the year * Elimelech Goldberg of the United States * Leela Hazzah of

* Patricia Kelly of the United States * Annette March-Grier of the United States * Ned Norton of the United States * Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes of

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

* Dr. Wendy Ross of the United States The 3 Young Wonders of 2014 (in alphabetical order): * Lily Born * Maria Keller, Read Indeed, * Joshua Williams, Joshua's Heart

2015

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2015: *

Maggie Doyne Maggie Doyne ( Nepali: म्यागी डोएन) (born c. 1986) is an American humanitarian who co-founded an organization that built a children's home, women's center and school together with the community in Surkhet, Nepal. She was named ...

, of

, United States: 2015 CNN Hero of the year *Jim Withers, United States *Monique Pool, of Suriname *Richard Joyner, United States *Sean Gobin, United States *Bhagwati Agrawal, India *Kim Carter, United States *Rochelle Ripley, United States *Jody Farley-Berens *Daniel Ivankovich, United States

2016

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2016: *Jeison Aristizábal of

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE in 2023. The city span ...

: 2016 CNN Hero of the year *Craig Dodson, United States *Sherri Franklin, United States *Brad Ludden, United States *Luma Mufleh, United States *Georgie Smith, United States * Umra Omar, Kenya *Sheldon Smith, United States *Becca Stevens, United States *Harry Swimmer, United States * Pushpa Basnet, of

: 10th Anniversary CNN SuperHero

2017

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2017: *Stan Hays *Samir Lakhani *Jennifer Maddox *Rosie Mashale *Andrew Manzi *Leslie Morissette *Mona Patel *Khali Sweeney *Aaron Valencia *

Amy Wright Amy Wright is an American actress and former model. She has appeared in such films as '' The Deer Hunter'', '' Breaking Away'', '' The Accidental Tourist'', '' Hard Promises'', '' Crossing Delancey'', and '' Miss Firecracker''. She is the wido ...

: 2017 CNN Hero of the year

2018

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2018: *Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin *Maria Rose Belding *Amanda Boxtel *Rob Gore *Luke Mickelson *Susan Munsey *Florence Phillips *Ricardo Pun-Chong: 2018 CNN Hero of the Year *Ellen Stackable *Chris Stout

2019

The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2019 each received US$10,000. The 2019 CNN Hero of the Year received an additional US$100,000. The top 10 CNN Heroes of 2019: *Staci Alonso, Noah's Animal House (pet shelter for escaping domestic violence) * Najah Bazzy, Zaman International (helping women & children living in poverty) *Woody Faircloth, RV4CampfireFamily.org * Freweini Mebrahtu, 2019 CNN Hero of the Year, Dignity Period (helping Ethiopian girls stay in school) *Mark Meyers *Richard Miles *

Roger Montoya Roger Evan Montoya (born February 3, 1961) is an American humanitarian, painter, former professional dancer and gymnast, and a former politician who served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 40th district. Elected i ...

*Mary Robinson *

Afroz Shah Afroz Shah is an Indian environmental activist and lawyer from Mumbai. He is best known for organizing the world's largest beach clean-up. In 2016, Shah was awarded the United Nations Champion of the Earth title for singlehandedly initiating & ...

*Zach Wigal The 4 Young Wonders of 2019 (in alphabetical order): * Jemima Browning, Tadcaster Stingrays * Grace Callwood, We Cancerve Movement * Bradley Ferguson, Post Crashers * Jahkil Jackson, Project I Am

2020

The 14th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute focused solely on inspirational heroes from the biggest stories of the year—the fight against coronavirus and the battle for racial equity and social justice. Frontline workers, advocates, scientists, Young Wonders and everyday people were saluted and 8 nonprofit organizations working to tackle these issues were highlighted. Each organization received $10,000 and viewers were encouraged to donate to these vetted, trusted organizations. In lieu of the traditional Top 10 and CNN Hero of the Year, the 2020 edition saw viewers selecting the year's Most Inspirational Moments. The nonprofit organizations highlighted included: * AdoptAClassroom.org
Bring Change To MindCenter for Disaster Philanthropy
*

Equal Justice Initiative The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a non-profit organization, based in Montgomery, Alabama, that provides legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted of crimes, poor prisoners without effective representation, and ot ...

IssueVoter
* Make-A-Wish America *

Water.org Water.org is an international nonprofit organization that helps people living in poverty get access to safe water and improved sanitation through affordable financing. This organization was founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Water.org curren ...

World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that Food security, provides food relief. It was founded in 2010 by Spanish American chef and restaurateur José Andrés following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, earthq ...

The 3 Young Wonders of 2020 (in alphabetical order):
Cavanaugh BellCool & DopeTiana DayYouth Advocates for ChangeTJ Kim

2021

The 15th Annual CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute returned to the long-running shows' traditional format honoring the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2021 with viewers voting online for the CNN Hero of the Year. Shirley Raines was selected as the 2021 CNN Hero of the Year. Honorees included: * Jennifer Colpas, Colombia
Tierra Grata
* Lynda Doughty, United States
Marine Mammals of Maine
* David Flink, United States
Eye To Eye
* Dr. Patricia Gordon, United States
Cure Cervical Cancer
* Hector Guadalupe, United States
A Second U Foundation
* Michele Neff Hernandez, United States
Soaring Spirits
* Zannah Mustapha, Nigeria
Future Prowess Islamic Foundation
* Shirley Raines, United States
Beauty 2 The Streetz
* Made Janur Yasa, Indonesia
Plastic Exchange
Young Wonders recognized included: * Chelsea Phaire, United States
Chelsea's Charity
* Jordan Mittler, United States - Mittler Senior Technology

2022

The 16th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute premiered live on Sunday December 11, 2022. Nelly Cheboi was selected by viewers as the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year. Honorees included: * Carie Broeker - Pacific Grove, CA * Richard Casper - Nashville, TN * Nelly Cheboi - Mogotio, Kenya and Shabbona, IL * Nora El-Khouri Spencer - Carrboro, NC * Tyrique Glasgow - Philadelphia, PA * Teresa Gray - Anchorage, AK * Meymuna Hussein-Cattan - Santa Ana, CA * Aidan Reilly - Santa Ana, CA * Debra Vines - Maywood, IL * Bobby Wilson - Atlanta, GA Young Wonders recognized included: * Ruby Chitsey - Harrison, AR * Sri Nihal Tammana - Edison, NJ

2023

The 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute premiered live on Sunday December 10, 2023. Dr. Kwane Stewart was selected by viewers as the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year. 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. 2023 CNN Hero of the Year: Dr. Kwane Stewart (veterinarian who treats the pets of the homeless for free, helping the pets and the humans who love them dearly) Honorees included: * Yasmine Arrington Brooks - ScholarCHIPS – Washington DC * Osei Boateng - OBK Hope Foundation – Somerset, NJ and Ghana * Stacey Buckner - Off-Road Outreach – Fayetteville, NC * Mike Goldberg - I.CARE – Islamorada, FL * Tescha Hawley - Day Eagle Hope Project – Fort Belknap Reservation, MT * Alvin Irby - Barbershop Books – New York, NY * Adam Pierce - Love Your Brain – Norwich, VT * Estefanía Rebellón - Yes We Can World Foundation – Burbank, CA and Mexico * Mama Shu - Avalon Village – Highland Park, MI * Dr. Kwane Stewart - Project Street Vet – San Diego, CA Young Wonders recognized included: * Emily Bhatnagar - For Love & Buttercup – Gaithersburg, MD * Steven Hoffen - Growing Peace – New York, NY

2024

The 18th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute premiered Sunday December 8, 2024. Hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates. The year's Top 5 CNN Heroes were all recognized, with Stephen Knight selected by viewers as the 2024 CNN Hero of the Year. Beloved actor and public figure Michael J. Fox was honored with the 2nd Annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award for his lifetime commitment to bringing hope to those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Honorees included: * Ron Davis Alvarez, Dream Orchestra – Gothenburg, Sweden * Stephen Knight, Dogs Matter – Dallas, TX * Payton McGriff, SHE (Style Her Empowered) – Moscow, ID & Nôtse, Togo * Rachel Rutter, Project Libertad – Phoenixville, PA * Yamilée Toussaint, STEM From Dance – Brooklyn, NY Young Wonders recognized included: * Brooke and Breanna Bennett – Women in Training, Inc. – Montgomery, AL

2025

The 19th Annual CNN Heroes show will premiere later this year.

Awards

In 2022, the program was honored with the

News & Documentary Emmy Award The News & Documentary Emmy Awards, or News & Documentary Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Scien ...

for Outstanding Live News Special for its 2021 15th Annual Show. The program's director Brett Kelly was also nominated for Outstanding Direction and the original full-length CNN Heroes segment on Shirley Raines o
Beauty 2 The Streetz
was nominated for Outstanding Soft Feature Story: Short Form. In 2020, the program's director, Brett Kelly, received the inaugural Outstanding Direction

for its 2019 13th Annual Show. In 2019, the program was nominated for the

for Outstanding News Special for its 2018 12th Annual show. In 2017, the program received a

for Outstanding Lighting Direction and Scenic Design its 2016 10th Annual show. In 2012, the program received a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

for its 2011 campaign and show. CNN Heroes has also been nominated for additional News & Documentary Emmy Awards and is the winner of 3 Gracies and multiple

National Association of Black Journalists The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is a 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and professional organization of African Americans, African American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 197 ...

Salute to Excellence Awards.

References

External links

Official CNN Heroes website
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{CNN CNN American annual television specials American humanitarian and service awards News & Documentary Emmy Award–winning programs Television shows presented by Anderson Cooper

Heroes

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Awards

See also

References

External links