Oprah Winfrey

Howard Stern may be the king of all media, but Winfrey is definitely the queen. This talk-show host/actress/magazine publisher/Broadway and Hollywood producer/studio mogul/philanthropist is consistently cited as one of the entertainment industry's most powerful people. Winfrey worked as a news anchor in Nashville and Baltimore before becoming the host of Chicago's morning talk show in 1984. She was so popular that the series was renamed in her honor and became a national hit in syndication in 1986. Oprah quickly became a household name, a wildly successful yet still accessible woman who struggled with her weight and talked about surviving sexual abuse. Every year, Winfrey seemed to tackle a new business venture, rarely making any missteps, and winning a multitude of awards for her efforts. Although the couple never married, she has dated Stedman Graham for decades.Oprah Winfrey Fast Facts:

• Won the Miss Black Tennessee pageant and competed in the Miss Black America pageant in 1971.
• At age 19, became the first black anchor on a Nashville nightly newscast, working first at WVOL before moving to the CBS affiliate WTFV-TV in 1975.
• Received the International Radio and Television Society's Broadcaster of the Year award in 1988, making her the youngest — as well as the first black female — recipient.
• Received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Morehouse College in 1989.
• Received a total of 39 Daytime Emmy awards: seven for Outstanding Host; nine for Outstanding Talk Show; 21 in the Creative Arts categories. After receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, she permanently withdrew her name from Daytime Emmy Award consideration.
• Initiated a campaign to establish a national database of convicted child abusers and testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of the National Child Protection Act in 1991. As a result, President Clinton signed the "Oprah Bill" into law on Dec. 20, 1993, establishing the national database used by law-enforcement agencies around the world.
• First black woman named to Forbes magazine's billionaire list in 2003.
• Formed her own production company, Harpo (Oprah spelled backwards), in 1986 to produce films, videos and television movies of social importance.

• Oprah Winfrey Relationships:
• Barbara Winfrey - Stepmother
• Stedman Graham - Significant Other
• Vernita Lee - Mother
• Vernon Winfrey - Father
• Zelma Winfrey - Stepmother
• Oprah Winfrey Awards:
• 1986 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
• 1993 Emmy: Outstanding Informational Special - Nominee
• 2000 Emmy: Outstanding Made for Television Movie - Winner
• 1989 Emmy: Outstanding Miniseries - Nominee
• 1985 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
• 2006 Tony: Musical - Nominee
• 1995 Peabody: Personal Award - Winner
• 1998 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Female TV Performer - Winner
• 1997 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Female TV Performer - Winner
• 2004 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Talk Show Host - Winner
• 1988 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Talk Show Host - Winner
• College:
• Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN (BA in Speech and Performing Arts, 1975)