This year Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards were all about celebrating moms—and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Including Beyoncé.
The superstar teared up listening to her mother, Miss Tina Knowles, accept her award at Tuesday night’s ceremony alongside two other moms of prominent celebrities—Maggie Baird (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell’s mom), and Donna Kelce (Travis and Jason Kelce’s mom).
“I’ve been so blessed in my life to do many things. I’ve had many careers, but I’ve always said that the best job that I’ve ever had is being a mother,” Knowles said, herself tearing up.
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Earlier in the evening, Donna Kelce shed a few tears of her own while watching a video her sons made for her that played at the ceremony (we told you!). But she grew choked up again on stage while talking about what a joy it had been to watch her boys do what they love, and to enter this exciting new phase of her life where she's able to try new things.
“It’s just wonderful to show women over 50 that they can do anything they want to do,” Kelce said to cheers. “To find your passion and dream big.”
During her speech Baird noted that she had loved becoming a “nepo parent” because she has been given an amazing opportunity and platform to speak about the causes she cares about. She noted that she lost her own mother at a young age and has never taken a moment of parenthood for granted.
“Being a mother was the thing I wanted to do the most in the world,” she said, speaking to her children, “and you both made my life so amazing.”
The first Woman of the Year to speak at the Glamour awards ceremony was Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, who encouraged all women to push through adversity to get what they want.
“Grit is bad for your skin but it’s good for your soul,” she joked.
Allyson Felix, an Olympic sprinter, was celebrated for her advocacy for women in sports and maternal health, and used her time to honor her US Track and Field teammate, Tori Bowie, who died last year at age 32 from a complication during childbirth.
"We have to continue to do this work, we have to continue to push for policy change because it is simply unacceptable,” she said.
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Pamela Anderson, honored as a Global Glamour Woman of the Year, said her best advice was to not give up on your goals, even they take decades to come to fruition.
“I just want to tell everyone to follow your dreams, because your dreams are looking for you too,” she said.
Speaking on some of the sexism she experienced in the industry, Woman of the Year Taraji P. Henson encouraged the crowd to push past it, to seize their power and use their voice.
“I didn’t compare myself, I didn’t get frustrated…because I knew I would get my moment and I knew I was going to keep it,” the actor said. “Because here we are more than 30 years later and here I am.”
This year Glamour honored two reproductive rights advocates—Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall—who said while it has been hard at times, they are making real strides to restore abortion rights for all.
Two women whose willingness to share the most intimate details of their personal trauma may help elect the first woman to the White House—and restore abortion rights for all.
“We are changing the conversation,” said Joshua, continuing, “We are shifting the narrative by centering women.”
Rounding out the mother-daughter theme, Brooke Shields, herself a 2023 Glamour Woman of the Year, hosted the red carpet with her daughter, Rowan Francis Henchy. Model Jordyn Woods also brought her mom to the event.
TL;DR: We love moms! Moms are the best.