Celebrating their accomplishments across many disciplines, the Glamour Women Of The Year (WOTY) awards last night brought together an inspirational group of honorees from all backgrounds. Emphasizing both popularity and activism, this year’s event presented a strong blend of star power and advocacy.
Global honorees including rising talent Sydney Sweeney, award-winning performer Taraji P. Henson, and Pamela Anderson graced the evening. Along with tennis great Serena Williams, Olympic champions like Allyson Felix and Suni Lee added to the list of amazing women recognized at the event. Also making history were the first-ever Mothers of the Year: Tina Knowles, Donna Kelce, Maggie Baird, and Mandy Teefey—who together support some of the most well-known figures in entertainment today.
“We’ve been talking about [the moms] for a long at Glamour…the one person that’s always praised is a mom. Samantha Barry, editorial director of Global Glamour, stressed the need of appreciating mothers. We wanted to gather this extremely unusual, joyful group of supermoms together.”
Maggie Baird, mother of Grammy winners Billie Eilish and Finneas, spoke on the carpet about the value of appreciating the unassuming efforts of mothers. She said, “I believe many times being a mother is uncredited…Women who wish to stay home with their kids are not funded by us. Those who have a job and require daycare are not funded by us.” She told a moving story of Eilish’s first steps being caught on camera as she headed for her mother during her speech.
Mother of NFL stars Travis and Jason, Donna Kelce said how privileged she felt among ladies she greatly respects: “I’m certainly not used to the attention for myself…That Glamour is telling women over 50 that they are free to do anything they like is fantastic.
The evening burst into celebration as guests were welcomed to a speakeasy-style setting filled with performances by the Batala Drumline and the Tony-nominated trio Freestyle+. To much the joy of all attending, Kelsea Ballerini gave an inspiring acoustic act during which surprise visitors Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland cheered on their mother, Tina Knowles.
Olympic medalist Suni Lee spoke on stage to offer sage advice: “Grit is horrible for your skin but so beneficial for your soul. Though you cannot get a perfect 10 in actual life, I am constantly striving for perfection in competition. The audience really related to her resilient message.
Demi Lovato presented Allyson Felix the Face Of Change award for her fervent advocacy of improved black mother health policies. “It is ridiculous that black women nowadays still die during childbirth…After personally suffering from preeclampsia, Felix said, fervently advocating for systemic reform, “We must keep pushing for policy change; it is simply unacceptable.”
With her request to follow dreams, Pamela Anderson motivated attendees: “Follow your dreams because your dreams are looking for you, too.” Reflecting on the need of using one’s abilities to inspire others, Taraji P. Henson mirrored the feeling of camaraderie and support.
As the Honorable Moms performed and got a standing ovation, the evening came to finish in an emotional homage. Declaring, “The best job that I’ve ever had is being a mother…they are our crew, our tribe, our rocks,” Tina Knowles discussed the meaning of motherhood in her life. Cheers for this attitude were strong, including a rallying call from her daughter Beyoncé.
The venue changed for an after-party where attendees danced to the lively sounds of DJ Heste Prynn as the event came to finish. Prominent swag bags were given to participants to serve as mementos of the evening, therefore ensuring that everyone left with a bit of the empowerment and joy that defined it in line with the attitude of the event.
