In his last presentation before leaving office, U.S. President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, symbolizing the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 19 recipients, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and actor Denzel Washington.
The recipients come from various fields, including politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, and science.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded annually by the U.S. President and is considered the highest civilian honor along with the Congressional Gold Medal. The recipients do not need to be U.S. citizens, as exemplified by Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian Oscar-winning actress from Malaysia, who received the award in 2024.
Biden is set to leave office as U.S. President on January 20.
During the ceremony at the White House on the afternoon of the 4th, Biden praised the awardees as "truly extraordinary individuals who have made sacred efforts to shape American culture and endeavors."
This year's honorees include U2 frontman and social activist Bono, basketball legend Magic Johnson, soccer star Messi, actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, and fashion designer Ralph Lauren, among other notable figures.
Other recipients include the founder of the NGO World Central Kitchen and renowned chef José Andrés, as well as famous environmentalist and primatologist Jane Goodall.
Some of the awardees chosen by the Democratic Party have political backgrounds; Hillary Clinton is a former First Lady, former Senator, and former Secretary of State who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
The White House stated in a declaration that Hillary Clinton was honored for "making history multiple times over her decades of public service." She is the first woman nominated for U.S. President by a major party.
Also honored was financial billionaire and left-wing philanthropist George Soros, recognized for "supporting organizations and programs that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice around the world."
The U.S. Congressional Research Service stated that the Presidential Medal of Freedom has been awarded 654 times between 1963 and 2024.