DoSomething.org
Jane Lynch hosting Do Something Awards
via People.com
Top 20 Celebs Gone Good for 2011
20. Taylor Swift
Taylor’s career and donations are the same: monumental. She gave away $1 million dollars this year, including $500,000 to the Nashville rebuilding effort. Taylor also performed in several benefit concerts, and she auctioned off her home’s tap water on behalf of UNICEF’s Tap Project campaign.
19. Coldplay
Coldplay recently hosted a benefit concert and comedy performance called Under 1 Roof. Over 15,000 fans attended the concert that helped raise funds for Kids Company, an organization that aids children suffering from abuse and neglect.
18. Miley Cyrus
Miley helps out with bullying and the troops, but this year she spent a lot of time with the Starkey Hearing Foundation. She traveled to Haiti with the organization to help provide hearing aids to those in need. Miley also advocated for hearing loss prevention, encouraging teens to lower their music to a safe level (85% of Miley’s facebook fans agreed to join the movement).
17. Daniel Radcliffe
In 2011, Daniel continued his longtime involvement with The Trevor Project, an organization that offers suicide-prevention support to LGBT teens. His consistent appearance in PSAs and at speaking events earned him the organization’s Hero Award.
16. Lea Michele
Lea Michele is using her powerful voice to ban horse-drawn carriages. A devoted advocate for PETA, Lea recently filmed a shocking video that shows the brutal conditions the horses are forced to endure. Lea also inspires her followers to get involved by tweeting information about animal cruelty.
15. Nick Cannon
Having twins didn’t slow Nick down this year. He produced and hosted Nickelodeon’s HALO Awards, a show dedicated to featuring kids that help others. Nick also provided his host talents at a 3-day event with Toys for Tots, plus he was the face of Feeding America’s campaign Stomp Out Hunger.
14. Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert
These country sweethearts bring their talented voices to important issues. Miranda Lambert fundraises to end domestic violence through the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. Blake Shelton helps out by hosting disaster relief concerts to benefit victims like those in the Joplin, Missouri tornado.
13. will.i.am
Last August, the Black Eyed Peas member helped to launch The Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academies, which encourage young people to use artistic skills for social change. He’s also on the Board of Directors of the Grammy Foundation, helping to promote music and arts education.
12. Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore*
While this couple ended in 2011, their impact around human-trafficking didn’t. As founders of the DNA Foundation, they both travel abroad to encourage leaders to support anti-trafficking policies. This past year was the premier of the couple’s celeb-studded PSA series entitled Real Men Don’t Buy Girls, as well as Demi’s documentary Nepal’s Stolen Children.
11. Shakira
This artist is all about education. As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Shakira visited India in November to promote learning among girls in impoverished areas. Back home, Barack Obama recently appointed her as advisor to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
10. Demi Lovato
Instead of shying away from her personal struggles during 2011, Demi teamed up with the Jed Foundation to get people talking about bullying and body image. “Love is Louder Than the Pressure to Be Perfect” was a campaign to get girls to take action on these issues, and Demi lead the way by acting as spokesperson and guest editor for Seventeen Magazine.
9. Dwight Howard
In addition to starting his self-named foundation, the NBA star is President of the Orlando-based D12 foundation. As part of his presidential duties, he’s added a teen recreation room at a local hospital, met with special olympic athletes, and collected food for the hunger organization Blessings in a Backpack.
8. Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
Through their Jolie-Pitt foundation, this star couple donated $340,000 to the Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid in Somalia to help put an end to human suffering. And while Brad has been rebuilding New Orleans homes with his organization Make It Right, Angie continues to meet with politicians to discuss issues like active land mines.
7. Ellen Degeneres
This hilarious comedienne helped against HIV/AIDS this year. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named her a special envoy for Global AIDS awareness, and through her television show and celebrity platform, Ellen will help spread awareness about the cause.
6. Matt Damon
This year the co-founder of water.org helped discourage bottled water use with his PSA character Damon Clause. This Santa-type alter ego wants everyone to purchase the year’s hottest new toy—the reusable water bottle. Matt also spoke at the Save our Schools March, a protest against education policies based on standardized tests.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio takes on many environmental and animal rights roles, including global ambassador for IFAW’s Animal Action education program. This past year Leo helped the organization launch their global petition against ivory trade to help save elephants.
4. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
This A-list couple wants to see straight A’s from kids; the Will & Jada Pinkett Smith foundation funds educational projects nationwide. For instance, after hearing that a Philadelphia high school was robbed of computers last spring, they donated over two dozen Apple computers to the campus within 24 hours.
3. George Clooney
George isn’t just gorgeous and talented. He’s a primary celeb advocate for human rights in Sudan. The actor wrote a Washington Post editorial calling for sanctions against the country’s political regime. According to Kerry Kennedy, the President of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, “Not only is George an important contributor to the Center, but he’s an inspiration to us all.”
2. Justin Bieber
Bieber’s contributions have raised him from last year's #10 spot to second place. He launched the Believe Charity Drive, which benefits multiple causes like music education and children’s cancer. Additionally, Justin encouraged his fans to participate in the Pencils of Promise campaign Schools 4 All, which raises funds for new schools worldwide.
1. Lady Gaga
Gaga campaigned all year for anti-bullying legislation, and she has announced the start of her own organization: the Born This Way Foundation. The charity has yet to launch, but she’s already got Barney’s New York donating 25 percent of the proceeds from her Gaga’s Workshop to the foundation. The lady also continued her advocacy for AIDS/HIV this year by joining MAC cosmetics to help create a new lipstick where 100 percent of sales benefit MAC AIDS fund.
Hang with Kristen Bell This January!
Kristen Bell has solved mysteries as Veronica Mars and controlled electricity as Elle on Heroes. Now she's taking on a real-life challenge: homelessness.
Young people in the Los Angeles area can join Kristen on January 10th for DoSomething.org & Aéropostale's Teens for Jeans Kickoff Party, celebrating the national campaign that clothes America's homeless teens.
11 Reasons Why We Loved Our Visit With Justin Long
Yesterday we got the chance to surprise awesome DoSomething.org member Alexandra Capellini with a visit from Justin Long. The 16-year-old has been making change, and Justin wanted to recognize her efforts...in front of her entire school. The whole thing went down so well, we pretty much fell in love with the actor.
Why? Well...
NFL Wide Receiver Is Community Giver
NFL player Stevie Johnson is giving footballs to others, and we don't mean he's passing or fumbling. The Buffalo Bills wide receiver recently participated donated athletic equipment from his team to a local Boys & Girls Club in Buffalo, New York.
Stevie tweeted about the donation, challenging his fans to also participate in the Sports Equipment Drive. "What are you donating?" he challenged fans.
Andrew Jenks Gives a Spit about Cancer
Andrew Jenks, documentary filmmaker and star of MTV's World of Jenks, wants your saliva. No, he's not after a makeout session—your spit could save a cancer patient's life. Check out his video above, and visit DoSomething.org's Give a Spit campaign website to find out more.
#DSawards Exclusive Clips: Bieber, Tyra, Adam Lambert, and more
The Do Something Awards are finally here! Tonight at 9/8c on Vh1 you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll definitely swoon over one of the many celebs that turned out to celebrate social good. Check out some exclusive clips below from the red carpet and from the show.
Justin Bieber gives a shoutout...
Jane Lynch explains what the Do Something Awards mean to her.
Breakout band Foster the People explains how a special bus is making a difference...
Tyra Banks has a MESSAGE for young people!
Kristen Bell talks about her soft spot for adopted dogs.
Adam Lambert explains the responsibility celebs have for supporting social change.
