KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — It is a double celebration for Malaysian Oscar winner Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh who has now been named a recipient of the 30th annual Crystal Award presented by the World Economic Forum (WEF), a week after welcoming a new member to the family.
She joins architect and educator Diébédo Francis Kéré and producer, guitarist, composer and humanitarian Nile Rodgers for the prestigious award.
In a statement, WEF said the winners will be honoured at the opening session of the Forum’s Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on the evening of January 15.
The award celebrates the achievements of leading artists who are bridge-builders and role models for all leaders of society.
The Crystal Award is presented at Davos annually by Hilde Schwab, Chairwoman and Co-Founder of the World Economic Forum’s World Arts Forum.
The cultural leaders receiving the 2024 Crystal Award were chosen for their ability to connect us to each other, help us reflect on the human condition and provide visions of the world that can cut through the limitations of short-term or linear thinking.
In her acceptance speech, Yeoh said our true identity as human beings lies not in our differences but in our collective ability to embrace and include every individual, regardless of their background or beliefs.
“It is through this acceptance and unity that we uncover the essence of our shared humanity,” she said.
Yeoh created history when she became the first actor of Asian descent to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2023.
She has starred in over 60 films, including the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies; Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Memoirs of a Geisha; Sunshine; The Lady; Crazy Rich Asians; Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; and sci-fi franchise TV series Star Trek: Discovery.
She was also appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016.
In October last year, she was appointed a member of the International Olympic Committee.
