Plot Synopsis

Each year since 2007, CNN has honored everyday people changing the world in this annual tribute show, with celebrity presenters introducing nominees and performances by world-class musicians and comedians. Since its inception, CNN HEROES had received at least 50,000 submissions from more than 100 countries and profiled over 200 heroes. Each of the Top 10 CNN Heroes receives a $10,000 grant, and one of the honorees, as voted by fans around the globe, is named the CNN Hero of the Year, receiving an additional $50,000 grant to further aid their cause. As part of the prize package, the Annenberg Foundation provides free organizational training, offering practical guidance for nonprofit leaders in fundraising, communications, management of volunteers and strategies to build and keep a strong board of directors.
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On Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 8pm ET/5pm PT, CNN debuts the 18th annual CNN HEROES, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Notable guests join the annual broadcast to introduce special packages honoring the 2024 CNN Heroes including Bradley Cooper, Pedro Pascal, Oprah Winfrey, Misty Copeland, Zachary Quinto, Kelly Ripa and Danai Gurira.

This year, the second annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award continues the new tradition of honoring not-so-everyday people dedicated to a lifetime of service by recognizing Michael J. Fox with a special tribute and appearance. Since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 29, Fox has brought hope to the nearly 6 million worldwide who have the disease. In 2000, he launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation to target and speed up research to eradicate the disease, which has funded $2 billion so far.

CNN Heroes also honors two extraordinary young people making a difference in their communities. The 2024 CNN Heroes Young Wonders are Brooke and Breanna Bennett. Twins Brooke and Breanna are on a mission to end period poverty in the US, where 1 in 5 girls have missed school due to a lack of access to menstrual products. In 2019, Brooke Bennett learned about the issue in middle school, as she and her sister approached their 12th birthday. They wanted to find a way to give back in celebration, and ultimately launched Women in Training, Inc., a nonprofit that provides girls, women, and nonbinary youth with menstrual products, education, and mentorship.

Each Top 5 CNN Hero is awarded $10,000 and the CNN Hero of the Year receives $100,000 to continue their life-changing work. The 2024 Top 5 CNN Heroes are:

- Ron Davis Alvarez (Dream Orchestra; Gothenburg, Sweden): After moving from his native Venezuela to Sweden in 2016, violinist and conductor Ron Davis Alvarez wanted to help the refugees who'd recently arrived there. Today, his Dream Orchestra gives hundreds of refugees, immigrants, and native Swedes the chance to learn an instrument, connect with others, and better their lives.

- Stephen Knight (Dogs Matter; Dallas, Texas): Stephen Knight's organization provides foster care for pets whose owners are seeking substance abuse treatment, covering animal expenses for the foster family and providing post-release services to help human participants succeed with their sobriety.

- Payton McGriff (SHE: Style Her Empowered; Moscow, Idaho & Notse, Togo): In Togo, where the cost of mandatory uniforms can keep girls out of school, Payton McGriff helped create a 'uniform that grows' which has become a cornerstone of a movement that educates, employs, and empowers hundreds of girls and women.

- Rachel Rutter (Project Libertad; Phoenixville, Pennsylvania): Immigration attorney Rachel Rutter and her nonprofit provide legal, social, and emotional support to help immigrant children heal from trauma and build new lives in the US.

- Yamilee Toussaint (STEM From Dance; Brooklyn, New York): Yamilee Toussaint was one of the only Black women in her engineering program at MIT. Now, she and her nonprofit are using dance to get girls of color excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).