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Vienna (March 6, 2009)- Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Betty Williams received the World Achievement Award at last night’s Women’s World Awards. Williams was the co-founder of Community of Peace People (dedicated to achieving peace in Northern Ireland). She is also President of the World Centers of Compassion for Children International and the Global Children’s Foundation.

While Williams was on hand at the Vienna presentation, another major winner was not. Nojoud Muhammad Nasser, a 10-year-old Yemeni girl who fought against her forced marriage (at the age of eight) to a 30-year-old man. After being sexually abused by her “husband,” Masser was able to successfully sue him for divorce.

Yemeni officials- citing the child’s “safety”- prevented Nasser from attending the event. Nasser has become the poster child for abused young women worldwide and an embarrassment to the Yemeni government.

Other major honorees included Marianne Faithful (Lifetime Achievement Award), Kelly Clarkson (World Entertainment Award) and Angela Missoni (World Fashion Award).

Women’s World Awards have been presented since 2004 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the World Awards. According to the organization, the awards are presented to “fascinating and talented women whose exceptional achievements in a variety of fields give courage and provide inspiration to millions of others: unique personalities with vision, personal strength, commitment to their ideals and, above all, a passion for creating a better world in the 21^st century.”

Winners are chosen in up to 15 categories. Previous winners include Queen Noor of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Christiane Amanpoor and Whoopi Goldberg.

For Full Women’s World Awards Coverage CLICK HERE

Ben Franklin is known as a scientist, inventor, statesman and publisher. He is enshrined (posthumously) in two unlikely halls of Fame. Franklin is a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame as a pioneer in the field. The first known magazine advertisement appeared in his General Magazine in 1741. He is also a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. According to the Hall, “Benjamin Franklin was a competent swim coach and teacher; he advised on water safety, lifeboat rescue escape from shipwrecks, and the advisability of universal learn-to-swim classes.”

Slumdog Millionaire enjoyed one of the greatest nights in Academy Awards history, winning a total of eight Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.

With the Academy Awards in the rear view mirror, the 2009 Awards Season has come to a merciful end.

What have we learned?

* Meryl Streep will be nominated for an Academy Award … and lose (15 nominations with just two Oscars on the mantle).

* The Directors Guild of America will make their choice for Best Director (Slumdog Millionaire’s Danny Boyle) and that winner will go on to win the Oscar. The DGA has picked the ultimate Oscars winner all but six times since 1948.

* A performance of a lifetime will be the last of a lifetime. It happened with Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) this year. Other fantastic final performances include Peter Finch (Network), James Dean (Giant), Vincent Price (Edward Scissorshands) and Henry Fonda (On Golden Pond).

* There will be inexplicable Oscar snubs. This year had plenty. Bruce Springsteen not even getting a nomination for The Wrestler, no acting nominations for Slumdog Millionaire, no acting nominations for Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) or Colin Farrell (In Bruges) and no Best Picture nomination for Wall-E.

* There will be  dozens of inexplicable Emmy snubs. Let’s start with Friday Night Lights. Snubbed for Best Drama, Best Actress (Connie Britton) and Best Actor (Kyle Chandler). Two huge Best Drama snubs- Big Love and The Wire. Biggest Comedy snub? No nomination for Flight of the Conchords.  Other acting snubs included Jenna Fischer (The Office), Kristin Wiig (Saturday Night Live), January Jones (Mad Men), Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment) and Tracy Morgan (30 Rock).

* The Grammys still love the oldies but goodies. This year’s Grammy Winners included Robert Plant, The Eagles, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Al Green, Jose Feliciano, B.B. King, Dr. John, John Williams, George Carlin, Peter Gabriel and Pete Seeger.

* Tina Fey is a comic genius.

* Laura Linney may well be the best actress working today.

* Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sean Penn turn any project they work on into gold.

* Richard Jenkins and Melissa Leo are overnight success stories that were decades of brilliant work in the making.

* Don’t let looks fool you. While Brad Pitt and Algenina Jolie may be too beautiful for words, both are remarkable actors as well. This year’s Best Acting nominations were no fluke. Both have a history of turning in extraordinary performances.

* Hugh Jackman is extremely talented…. but his talents are far better suited for hosting the Tonys than the Oscars. Billy Crystal… we miss you!

* Don’t you wish Mickey Rourke had won the Best Actor Oscar? … even if it was just to see his acceptance speech.

* Since the Oscars treat comedies like second-class citizens, shouldn’t they follow the Golden Globes lead and give separate awards for dramas and comedies? Outside of a win for Penelope Cruz and a nomination for Robert Downey Jr., comedic writers, actors and directors were all but ignored.

* The final thing we learned? That in no time, we’ll be going through all of this again.

If you really love awards, then visit www.awardsandhonors.com, where awards season lasts all year round. Check in for news on nearly 900 awards, including the Pulitzer Prizes, the Nobel Prizes, the National Book Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and even the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Champion.