ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />STORY: U.S. magazine Essence paid tribute to black females in the entertainment industry at a luncheon held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday (February 21).<br/> <br />Six women were honored at the annual event dubbed "Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon."<br/> <br />TV personality and actress Oprah Winfrey was presented with the Power Award and brought girls from her school in South Africa to share the honor.<br/> <br />For Winfrey, the honor is an acknowledgment that she is on the right track.<br/> <br />"The lists and the accolades and all of that stuff comes from people who are observing it. So the way that I look at it is, 'Oh somebody saw that what I really felt I wanted to do and be and how I wanted to do that.' The award is really an acknowledgment that you're on the right track. And that's really all that it means," she said.<br/> <br />British actress Naomie Harris received the Shining Star Award and said the honor was a shock.<br/> <br />The Academy's youngest nominee ever for best actress, 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, hit the red carpet with her now trademark puppy purse.<br/> <br />Also honored at the sixth annual luncheon was actress Alfre Woodard who walked away with the Vanguard Award and movie producer, writer Mara Brock-Akil who received the Visionary Award and actress Gabrielle Union who was named Fierce and Fearless.<br/> <br />Past honorees include Halle Berry, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson.
