The Best Moments From Glamour ’s 2022 Women of the Year Awards

For more than 30 years, the Glamour Women of the Year awards have celebrated women who, as the very first print issue declared, “took charge, spoke out, risked their lives, made a difference.”

On Tuesday, November 1, Glamour celebrated another class of game changers, rule breakers, and trailblazers at The Grill & The Pool in New York City. The honorees were: Angela Bassett, our lifetime achievement honoree who has always ruled the stage and screen with regal grace; Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, the woman delivering abortions to women across America—from her headquarters in Amsterdam; Jennifer Hudson, EGOT winner and talk show host; Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Action to fight senseless gun violence; Haim, the rock stars who still prize sisterhood above all; and Aurora James, the designer changing the face of business with the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Snowboarding phenom Chloe Kim also took home the Daring to Disrupt Award, presented by Ally.

Read on for our recap of every unforgettable moment from the 2022 Glamour Women of the Year Awards, and watch the live stream along with us.

Jennifer Hudson’s red-carpet style

The Women of the Year winner took to the red carpet in a sequined jumpsuit, electric blue nails, and a chic top knot. See more unforgettable looks from the red carpet here.

Patina Miller performed

Miller, a Tony-award winning actor and the lead of the hit series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, took to the stage to perform “Feeling Good.” She is currently starring in the acclaimed Broadway revival of the musical Into the Woods.

Sophie Turner introduced Haim

The Game of Thrones and Do Revenge star was on hand to present Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim with their Women of the Year Award. “Even though they defy every rock star stereotype and still sell out Madison Square Garden, they always make you feel welcome, loved, important, and in the presence of something truly special,” the actor said of the rock trio. “Their sisterhood extends beyond each other, outside of the Haim circle. Everyone who’s ever heard their music or had the privilege of meeting them feels like an honorary Haim sister.”

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Haim gave a shout-out to their parents in the audience

Eight years ago, Haim opened the Women of the Year awards with a song from their debut album, Days Are Gone. They opened their speech by celebrating their parents. “We are fortunate to have our parents Donna and Moti here with us tonight. Our parents fostered an environment of respect and learning and taught us how to play music from a very early age. They taught us to embrace the way music made us feel and encouraged us to express that through our performance,” Este said.

She added, “If we do anything in our careers we hope to inspire anyone to pick up an instrument and write about their own experiences and to not let anyone deter them from expressing themselves in the way they want to express themselves.” Read every word of their speech here.

Huma Abedin introduced Aurora James

Huma Abedin, best-selling author of Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds, praised designer Aurora James for changing the face of fashion, retail, and social justice. “In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, national trauma, social and racial unrest, when many feared the unknown and simply sat still preparing for the worst, Aurora did the opposite,” Abedin said. “She merged her creative vision, business experience, fashion prowess and penchant for opening doors of opportunity for the Black community by launching The Fifteen Percent Pledge. Now, the non-profit she started with a simple and some would say audacious post, is changing the face of fashion, retail, and social justice.”

Aurora James shared the story behind The Fifteen Percent Pledge

“When I started Brother Vellies, I believed that they were deserving of the opportunity and access as artisans,” James said. “I wanted to see them be in the community. When I posted about The Fifteen Percent Pledge that day, it was because I believed that Black entrepreneurs deserved an opportunity. I know what can happen when we are given a chance. And as I look around this room, I see so many women who have given me a chance. And that has allowed me to turn around and open the doors for other people who, to be honest with you, are even more talented than I am.”

She continued, “I know now that every single mistake that I’ve made along the way has made me the perfect imperfect messenger to deliver the ask, which is just that we open the door for other people. I am so in awe of so many of you in this room. It sounds really crazy, but please literally call me anytime. Because there are so many issues for us to solve. And I have never been more certain of anything else in my life than what I’m gonna say right now, which is I know collectively in this room, we can solve so much more than we even realize.” Read her full speech here.

Nazanin Boniadi and Nasim Pedrad called for support of the Iranian protesters

Nasim Pedrad and Nazanin Boniadi—known for their work in Chad and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, respectively—took a moment to honor the brave protesters in Iran who are risking their lives for freedom. “Despite brutal crackdowns and the shutting down of the internet, protesters have not backed down in what has turned into the first female-led revolution of our time,” Boniadi said. “But these protests have become more than just about compulsory hijab, which is a symbol of the systemic oppression faced by women in Iran.”

Added Pedrad, “Now Iranian women and men are standing shoulder to shoulder against a system that has segregated and oppressed women for the last 43 years. They’ve denied all Iranians fair trials, due process, and freedom of expression and assembly. A system that uses forced confessions and torture against its own citizens.”

The actors then called for turning outrage into action by urging all to sign the Amnesty International petition for a UN Human Rights Council session on Iran at amnesty.org.

Chelsea Clinton introduced Shannon Watts

Gutsy co-creator and co-star and 2014 Glamour Woman of the Year Chelsea Clinton presented Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts with her award. “I want to bring your attention to an issue that affects women, men, children–all of us–here in the United States.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 573 mass shootings so far in 2022, including the tragedies in Uvalde, Highland Park and Buffalo, and in other places” she said. “And that horrifying number does not include the more than 37,000 gun violence victims who have died this year by suicides, in drive by shootings, due to domestic violence, or the child who found an unlocked gun in a closet. Also not included in those statistics are the parents, the siblings, the friends, who continue to mourn their lost loved ones.”

She continued, “Someone who has not accepted that devastating status quo is Shannon Watts…This mom of five is certainly proof that one woman can change the world”

Shannon Watts talked about the importance of gun control

“Today, Moms Demand Action has volunteers in every single state and with nearly 10 million supporters, we’re the largest grassroots movement in the country—and we’re twice as large as the NRA. Our volunteers and survivors of gun violence are rewriting history through the unglamorous heavy lifting of grassroots activism that results in gradual change,” said Watts. “Because it really is relentless incrementalism that leads to revolutions.” Read her full speech here.

Chloe Kim accepted the Daring to Disrupt Award

Snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim was honored with the night’s Daring to Disrupt Award, presented by Ally. Gymnast and gold medalist Sunisa Lee introduced Kim and told the crowd, “The biggest influence Chloe has had on me has been her positivity and modeling true self-care. For Chloe, and a growing number of female athletes, that means time off from training, and time away from social media and naysayers who undercut your motivation and undermine your goals. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Chloe’s courageous example.”

When she took the stage, Kim gave a moving speech about breaking barriers. “I broke a huge one for myself this year,” she explained. “It wasn’t breaking a record or landing a trick…it had nothing to do with any of those things. I gave myself a break. It should be intuitive, but for high-achieving women, taking care of yourself is about as daring and disruptive as it gets. Putting my mental and physical health first has been so beneficial for me, and I wish I had realized that sooner, honestly. I bought my first home, I’m spending time with my friends and family, I’m healing my body, and I’m giving myself the opportunity to love snowboarding again.” Read Kim’s full speech here.

Kelly Rowland introduced her friend, Jennifer Hudson

Kelly Rowland first met Jennifer Hudson in 2005 on the set of Dreamgirls and a friendship was born. “I speak for every woman and every girl, especially young Black girls, in saying thank you for proving that not winning is not the end of the road,” Rowland told Hudson, referencing Hudson’s turn on American Idol. “For showing us, that kindness, work ethic (’cause this girl works hard), and talent still count. And that if you get up every time you fall, you could walk a little bit further, and you could become a beautiful, caring mother and a force to be reckoned with.”

Jennifer Hudson spoke from the heart

While accepting her award, Hudson said, through tears, “It’s not about what we say, it’s about what we do, and what we are doing. It’s changing the world. It’s making a difference. Aretha Franklin said pay attention to how we take up space, and I can’t help but look around this room and see not only how we take up space, but how we own our space.”

“The other thing that has me emotional is thinking of my late mother. It’s about your human. It’s about the difference that we make in the world, and using our platforms. I want to encourage everybody to continue to use their platforms. It’s not about your accolades but it’s about your heart.” Read her full speech here.

Cherelle Griner called for letters of support for her wife, Brittney Griner, who is detained in Russia

Cherelle Griner was at the Glamour Women of the Year event to ask the crowd—and everyone watching at home—to join her in sending love to her wife, WNBA superstar Brittney Griner whose harsh nine-and-a-half-year sentence in Russia was upheld by an appeals court last week.

“I’ve spent the last 8 months riding waves of grief and disbelief,” Cherelle said of her wife’s detainment in Russia. “I can’t believe I’m living without contact with my favorite person, my greatest love, support, and sanctuary.”

She added, “I know in my soul that BG is strong. But she is not okay, and there is little I can do to ease her pain. But I believe from the bottom of my heart that words can make a difference.”

Cherelle then asked the crowd, as well as those on the livestream, to write letters to Brittney and post on social media with the hashtag #WeAreBG or by visiting wearebg.org, adding, “Together let’s show BG and the entire world that love will save the day.” Read her full speech here.

Busy Philipps introduced Dr. Rebecca Gomperts with a call to “show up and fight like hell” for abortion rights

Actor, activist, author, and podcast host Busy Philipps introduced Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, the woman providing crucial abortion access to women in America from her headquarters in Amsterdam.

“Simply existing as a woman in this country is a political act,” Philipps said. “When I had an abortion at 15, I truly didn’t know that I would spend so much fucking time talking about it 25 years later…and here we are. I was raised thinking Roe was the law. It was settled. It would never be overturned…I had a mother who fiercely protected me and took me to my abortion. Thank God for my fucking mother.”

She added, “Today it is every single one of our jobs to make sure—no matter how safe you think your own personal rights, your access to abortion is—that we show up and fight like hell and show up to ensure that every person in this country who needs, who wants an abortion, is able to easily and safely access one.”

Dr. Rebecca Gomperts dedicated her award “to our daughters who deserve to have full control over their lives and body.”

The activist and doctor also dedicated her award to “all the women and people with unwanted pregnancies who resist these suppressive laws and take control over their own lives and bodies.”

She shared that her work in the next 10 years will focus on making a new on-demand contraceptive available over the counter. “A new tool with many other health benefits that can be used as needed,” she said, adding, “No more gatekeepers, full control in women’s hands.” Read her full speech here.

Audra McDonald introduced Angela Bassett

Emmy-, Grammy-, and six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald took the stage to present actor Angela Bassett with her Woman of the Year award. “I can think of no one more deserving of Glamour’s Lifetime Achievement Award than Angela Bassett, a woman who I deeply admire, revere and honor, for all the stories that she weaves, the barriers she has broken, and the inspiration and leadership that she provides in our industry and to the next generation of artists.”

Angela Bassett challenged “us all to think about what our contributions to pushing humanity forward will be”

“It’s been an interesting time to be a woman,” Bassett said as she took the stage. “Sometimes it feels as though no matter how far we’ve come, we’ve still not come far enough. But what gives me great comfort and faith that we will prevail is remembering that when women come together, when we put our minds and our hearts together, we are unstoppable. Our contributions have made history, given birth to movements, brought about peace and justice, and transformed our lives for generations.”

Everyone at Glamour would like to extend a very special thank you to our sponsors. Without them, Women of the Year would not be possible.

Presenting sponsors: Ally | Nurtec ODT | Walmart

Exclusive sponsor: Xeomin

And supporting sponsor: Citizen

Special thanks to: Rent the Runway | Overland Entertainment

Special thanks to our gift-bag contributors: Act + Acre | Anthropologie | Ellis Brooklyn | Byoma | Dame | Deborah Lippmann | Grande Cosmetics | JNSQ | John Paul Mitchell Systems | Les Belles | Neen | Neocutis | Rahua | Sonäge | True Botanicals

Originally Appeared on Glamour