The Peabody and Emmy® Award-winning CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute returns to honor everyday people who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others.
This year’s Top 5 CNN Heroes will be honored on Saturday, December 6 in a special broadcast hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates, with appearances by celebrity presenters.
Viewers can support the CNN Hero who inspires them the most by voting daily at CNN.com/Heroes through Thursday, November 30.
Each Top 5 CNN Hero will be awarded $10,000 and the CNN Hero of the Year will receive an additional $100,000 to continue their life-changing work. The Elevate Prize Foundation will grant the CNN Hero of the Year an additional unrestricted grant of $100,000 and provide the remaining honorees with a grant of donation, matching funds up to $50,000 each. Supporters can make online donations to the Top 5 CNN Heroes’ nonprofit organizations directly at CNN.com/Heroes.
The 2025 Top 5 CNN Heroes are:
Quilen Blackwell, Southside Blooms – Chicago, Illinois
Driven to give high schoolers opportunities on Chicago’s South Side, Quilen Blackwell began transforming vacant lots into eco-friendly flower farms and employing local youth to grow and sell flowers at a nonprofit shop.
Heidi Carman, First Responder Therapy Dogs – San Rafael, California
After California’s 2020 wildfires, Heidi Carman and her therapy dog committed to comforting firefighters. Now, her nonprofit’s therapy dogs visit first responders, helping provide relief from chronic stress.
Hillary Cohen, Every Day Action – Los Angeles, California
Frustrated by food waste, Hillary Cohen co-founded a nonprofit that delivers leftover meals from film sets and other businesses to people in need, ensuring the food helps alleviate hunger and never goes wasted.
Debra Des Vignes, Indiana Prison Writers Workshop – Indianapolis, Indiana
Inspired by her time as a crime reporter, Debra Des Vignes founded a nonprofit creative writing program to help incarcerated people share their stories, process trauma and build community.
Tim Woodward, Animal Rescue Corps – Gallatin, Tennessee
As an animal welfare worker, Tim Woodward saw a gap in responding to large-scale cruelty cases. Today, his organization rescues large numbers of abused animals and gives them a new start in life.
