George Clooney and Amal hosted their inaugural Albie Awards, which honours social-rights activists
(Picture: Timothy A Clary/AFP via Getty Images)George Clooney praised wife Amal at the inaugural Albie Awards, hosted by their Clooney Foundation for Justice on Thursday (September 29).
The 61-year-old star has partnered with Amal, 44, to launch the awards, which honoured those who devote their lives to justice.
Outside of the event at the New York Public Library, the Oscar-winner told People when asked why the pair joined forces on the initiative: “Well, we collaborate on everything. We collaborated on twins.
“But, you know, this is an exciting one because Amal's gotten journalists out of Egypt, out of Azerbaijan, prisons, out of — all over the world, Myanmar.”
He added that their work on the Albie Awards and with their foundation is something that his wife “happens to be really especially gifted at.”
He added, “My father's a journalist. I have a great affinity for them — her mother's a journalist. So it's really exciting for me when she's able to get people who are wrongly accused for doing their job out [of prison]. So, for me, it's just — I couldn't be more proud of my wife.”
The pair, who recently celebrated their eight-year wedding anniversary, were joined at the event by the likes of Meryl Streep, Dua Lipa, John Oliver, Julia Roberts, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Scialfa.
Jodie Turner-Smith, Dominic Cooper, and Gemma Chan also joined the army of celebrities at the star-studded bash.
As for what the Oceans 11 star hopes the pair will teach their five-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, about social-justice work, he said: “There's tons of stuff. But the number one thing is: challenge people with power and defend people without power.”
Named after Justice Albie Sachs, Clooney and Amal created the Albie Awards to shine a spotlight on defenders of justice who are at risk for what they do.
Justice Sachs received a lifetime achievement award Thursday for his heroic commitment to ending apartheid in South Africa.
