Gone Girl actor Tyler Perry to receive People’s Champion Award

Filmmaker-actor Tyler Perry is set to be honoured with the People’s Champion Award at the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards.The 51-year-old filmmaker is being felicitated for his trailblazing work in entertainment, commitment to multiple charitable organisations, and ability to inspire empathy and progress for humankind, the award organisers said in a statement.

“In a year of unrest and uncertainty, Tyler Perry proved a natural leader. From his pioneering efforts in successfully, and safely, restarting production and creating jobs at Tyler Perry Studios, to personally supporting charities and families in need, he continuously inspires hope in people. We are honoured to present him with the People’s Champion of 2020 Award,” Jen Neal, E!’s general manager of news, live events, and lifestyle digital, said.

Perry and his team recently made headlines in the US over their humanitarian efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic and the recent racial unrest, using his platform and money to help others during these tumultuous times. He turned his Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios into ‘Camp Quarantine’ over the summer, becoming one of the first major Hollywood players to find a way to get back to work safely during the pandemic.

Perry also provided monetary support to those most affected by COVID-19, buying groceries for the elderly in his local communities of Atlanta and his hometown of New Orleans. He personally covered travel expenses for George Floyd’s family to attend his funerals and the funeral expenses for Rayshard Brooks and Secoriea Turner in Atlanta.The 2020 edition of E!’s People’s Choice Awards will be held on November 15.