George and Amal Clooney have set out to honor those who have taken great personal risk and devoted their lives to justice with the first-ever Albie Awards, which will be held at the New York Public Library on Thursday.
The couple will host the event, and a star-studded ensemble of celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Dua Lipa, Oscar Isaac, Julia Roberts and Michelle Obama, are set to present.
Named after Albie Sachs, a South African lawyer and former judge who was imprisoned for his fight against apartheid, the inaugural award ceremony will recognize journalists, human rights leaders and other global justice defenders who"are at great risk for what they do," according to the "These are people that willingly go to prison because they believe so strongly in the fight for independence, in the fight for democracy," George Clooney said."They are real heroes.