Biden to Award Medal of Freedom to Denzel Washington, Michael J. Fox, Anna Wintour and Bono

Biden to Award Medal of Freedom to Denzel Washington, Michael J. Fox, Anna Wintour and Bono

President Joe Biden, in one of his last official duties before leaving office later this month, will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people on Saturday, including a number of names familiar to Hollywood.

The Medal of Freedom is the country’s highest civilian honor and is presented to recipients “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”

Biden will award the medals on Saturday at The White House.

Recipients include actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, the singer Bono, fashion icons Anna Wintour and Ralph Lauren, Lakers co-owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson, chef José Andrés, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, conservationist Jane Goodall, soccer star Lionel Messi, science communicator Bill Nye and financier George Soros.

Other honorees include AFI founder George Stevens Jr., investor David Rubenstein, entrepreneur Tim Gill, and posthumous awards for Robert F. Kennedy, Ash Carter, Fannie Lou Hamer and George Romney.

Last year Biden awarded the Medal of Freedom to Michelle Yeoh, Phil Donahue and Mike Bloomberg, among others.