Oprah Winfrey Receives LionHeart Award at Cannes Lions Festival
Cannes, France — Oprah Winfrey was awarded the Cannes Lions LionHeart Award at the Lumière Theatre, in front of an audience of advertising, media, and creator-economy professionals. The ceremony featured a conversation between Winfrey and festival chair Phil Thomas, covering her career, philanthropy, and views on media responsibility.
Career and Media Philosophy
"We're not going to let TV use us any more. We're going to use it as a force for good."
Winfrey stated that in 1989—three years after The Oprah Winfrey Show began—she realized the program could serve as a "force for good." She recalled telling her producer: "Every show we do, in some form or another, is going to speak to their lives and what the yearning and the search is for all of us."
The talk show ran for more than 4,500 episodes, won nearly 50 Daytime Emmy Awards, and concluded in 2011.
Winfrey noted that the show's success grew after she stopped signing autographs and instead spoke with audience members about their lives, using their feedback to shape episodes. She attributed the concept of intention to books by Gary Zukav, who appeared on the show.
Whitney Houston Incident
Winfrey recounted an interview with singer Whitney Houston. After Houston fell off stage during a performance on the show, Winfrey asked the audience not to release photos of the incident to avoid harming Houston. According to Winfrey, the audience complied.
Personal Background and Philanthropy
Winfrey credited a childhood experience in Mississippi, where nuns brought gifts to her family one Christmas, as formative for her philanthropic efforts. She discussed the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, noting a University of Cape Town survey reported that the school "interrupted poverty."
Advice and Legacy
"Your legacy is not your name on a building... your legacy is every life you touch." — Maya Angelou
Winfrey said she received that advice from author Maya Angelou. She urged creators to use their platforms responsibly, stating: "Your bigger job here on the planet is to be the best human being you can be, not the best creator."
Reflecting on her path—born in Mississippi in 1954—she emphasized that challenges are opportunities to grow.
The LionHeart Award recognizes public figures who use their platform positively.