Oprah receives Oscars humanitarian award

LOS ANGELES - Actress and producer Oprah Winfrey, who has dominated the US television talk show scene for a quarter-century, was honored with an Oscars statuette late Saturday for her outstanding humanitarian work. The 57-year-old television megastar -- nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar 25 years ago for her role in "The Color Purple" -- received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at a dinner here. The award has been given out intermittently by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1956. Previous recipients include Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman and Jerry Lewis. The Academy said that since her Oscar nomination in 1986, Winfrey had become "one of the most influential figures in entertainment and philanthropy." "She has been especially dedicated to supporting educational initiatives and raising awareness of issues that affect women and children, both in the United States and around the globe," it said in a statement. She was honored at the Governors Awards dinner along with veteran actor James Earl Jones and make-up artist Dick Smith, who will each receive Honorary Awards for their contributions to the industry. "I never imagined myself receiving an Oscar, especially for what I'm considering my calling," Winfrey said, visibly moved. She said she could not imagine that someone who was born in 1954 in the small town of Kosciusko near the Mississippi River could ever receive an Oscar. Her grandmother used to tell her that she hoped she would find "some good white folks" to work for in the future, Winfrey recalled. "Nobody could ever imagine that it would be possible that you could be anything other than a maid, who had some good white folks who would give her clothes and let her take food home for the holiday," she said. "It's unimaginable that I would be standing before you tonight." Now Winfrey is one of the richest women in the United States, with Forbes magazine estimating her net worth at $2.4 billion (1.7 billion euros) in 2010. In May, she pulled the curtain down on her wildly popular talk show -- seen by an estimated 40 million Americans each week -- after 25 years on the air. - AFP