Oprah Winfrey to receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at Globes

Oprah Winfrey will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at January’s Golden Globes.

Morgan Freeman made the announcement for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association during its broadcast of the "Golden Globe 75th Anniversary Special" Wednesday on NBC.

HFPA President Meher Tatna called Winfrey "one of the most respected and admired figures today" and "one of the most influential women of our time" in a statement Wednesday.

The DeMille Award is given annually to an "individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment." Past recipients include Freeman, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier and Lucille Ball.

Winfrey previously earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role in "the Color Purple" in 1985. Most recently she starred in the Emmy-nominated "the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." She hosted the well-known talk show 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' for 25 years. She is also the founder of O, The Oprah Magazine as well as the chairman and CEO of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

2017 marks the 10th anniversary of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which Winfrey established to provide education for academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Winfrey will receive the award during the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony on January 7, 2018.

(AP)