Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

CNN Heroes: An All Star-Tribute. Aired 8-9 ET

Aired December 06, 2025 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[20:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: In the meantime, thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. And remember, if you're here in the U.S., you can now stream CNN whenever you want using our CNN app. Visit CNN.com/watch for more on that.

I'm going to see you right back here again tomorrow night. We start at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN Heroes and All Star Tribute starts right now. Get ready to be inspired by some of the best of us. It's headed your way next. Have a great night, everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From CNN studios at Hudson Yards in New York City, this is the 19th annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" honoring everyday people changing the world. Please welcome your hosts, Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And good evening. Welcome to "CNN Heroes: An All Star-Tribute."

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST: It's so great to be back. This is actually our 19th year, shining a bright light on everyday people who are making such a difference.

COOPER: Our heroes have been nominated by people from around the country and around the world. Their strength inspires us as it always does. Instead of turning away from problems, they rolled up their sleeves and they made things happen for the better each year. They show us that possibilities surround us and that we can all make a difference.

COATES: Well, tonight really is about giving them and their work the absolute spotlight. They're comforting first responders. They're feeding the hungry. They're creating jobs for young people, rescuing abused animals and teaching the incarcerated.

COOPER: CNN is giving each of our top honorees $10,000 so they can continue to do their important work. Of course, later tonight, one of the honorees will be named the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year and they'll receive an additional $100,000 and more.

COATES: That's amazing. And we are all so grateful to all of the artists who have donated their times to honor our heroes, including Regina Hall, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Jon Batiste.

COOPER: My friend Kelly Ripa, as well as Parker Posey, Zachary Quinto, Vice President Al Gore, and the one and only Meryl Streep. And we thank them all.

COATES: All right, well, let's get started right now with our very first hero.

In the United States our first responders, firefighters, police officers, paramedics and others are at a high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, also depression, and even addiction. And even though their need for mental health care is great, you know, many don't seek it.

COOPER: It's true. Our next hero's work is often the first step in helping them get care. To share her story as a champion for the center for Reproductive Rights, the star of Severance, Adam Scott.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM SCOTT, ACTOR: They rush in when others rush out, and they see things and live through things that would break most of us. Entire neighborhoods turn to ash. Victims of gunfire, bleeding in the street. Family members despondent over the loss of a loved one.

Heidi Carmen and her certified therapy dog, Kerath have been there to comfort them. They'll visit Wildfire base camps, police stations, and 911 dispatch centers. On one visit, a dispatcher waved Heidi and Kerith over while she was giving CPR instructions to a caller.

As she pet Kerith, she stayed calm, helping the caller keep their loved one alive until medics arrived. The dispatcher turned to Heidi and Kerith and said, you helped me so much.

Since 2021, first responder therapy dogs have trained more than 500 therapy dog teams and let 150,000 rescue workers pet, cuddle, and love one of their dogs in 46 states.

The dogs don't replace therapy, but the unconditional love helps these brave first responders breathe, get in touch with their emotions, and sometimes even find the courage to ask for the help they need so they can be ready to rush in the next time we call.

HEIDI CARMAN, FIRST RESPONDER THERAPY DOGS: Fighting wildfires in California, it's like a war zone. It's grueling work, it's smoky, it's hot. It's dangerous. They go for a minimum of two weeks, 24 hours on, 24 hours off. That stress to have it lightened with a therapy dog visit is priceless.

We got Kerith in 2018, and were training her to become a working guide dog.

Touch? Yes.

She was just too friendly to every single person. We started doing therapy dog work because I knew that was the right job for her. During the 2020 fire season, going around to base camps, she was so good at just making the firefighters feel better.

I started posting pictures on her Instagram. Then I was getting messages. Can you come to my husband's police department? I'm like, yes, sure. Now we have hundreds of therapy dog teams across the entire country.

[20:05:03]

We go to fire base camps, fire stations, police departments, 911 dispatch centers. All first responders would benefit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being a police officer wearing these uniforms comes with a lot of stress and oftentimes as a defense mechanism, we close up.

Is she just for first responders?

CARMAN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's soft.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we are around emotional support animals, you just see that all sort of melt away. It just gives us that extra capacity to check in with ourselves.

CARMAN: Cortisol levels go down, the endorphin levels go up. And it's just such a simple thing, but it's just so powerful. I can feel that goodness just coming up the leash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're supposed to be there to help other people. And so I think it's hard, naturally for us to say that we need help just to have a dog come by. She can't talk, can't ask questions. It can kind of break the ice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I missed you too. The first time I met Kerith, I had undiagnosed PTSD. She just picked up on it right away. She just went nose to nose with me and we just had a moment and it broke me down. This was my wake-up call that I needed to go to therapy. The man's best friend for a reason.

CARMAN: I literally was following Kerith's lead and we have helped so many people. I'm grateful to Kerith for showing me the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It is my honor to present CNN Hero Heidi Carman and Kerith. Hey.

CARMAN: Thank you so much.

COOPER: Hey, buddy, how you doing? How you doing? How you doing?

CARMAN: I want to acknowledge our first responders. Your --

COOPER: I love dogs.

CARMAN: You are there for us on our worst days. You run towards the danger sacrificing your physical and mental health. I see you. Our dogs see you. We have your backs. My ultimate goal is to have first responder therapy dogs in every community across all 50 states. We want every first responder to benefit from a visit from one of our incredible dogs. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

COATES: In the United States, it's estimated that 30 to 40 percent of all of our food goes to waste, while at the same time, many households struggle to afford enough food for their families. You know what? Our Next Hero spent 15 years working as an assistant director in Los Angeles and found a way to end the waste in her industry and feed the hungry.

Here to tell her story is the Emmy nominated star of the "White Lotus" and a proud supporter of Southern Foodways Alliance, Parker Posey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER POSEY, ACTRESS: Somebody should do something about this. That's what Hillary Cohen thought on her first week of work. Working on a set on skid row where Hillary was, the cast and crew were served healthy four course meals. But across the street there were humans who didn't know where their next meal was coming from. The disconnect was troubling.

There were piles of leftovers in the trash, and Hillary could not understand why there wasn't a system in place to get the food to the people who really needed it just steps away. So when COVID happened and it brought the film industry to a halt, she became the somebody who did something about this. She addressed why so much excess food was trashed and was able to cut through the liability red tape.

Hillary co-founded Everyday Action, an organization that employs out of work production assistants and background actors who pick up excess food from Los Angeles productions and they transport it safely to those in need.

Since 2020, Hillary's group has delivered more than 270,000 meals. She feeds the hungry and she has rallied a community of creatives who have turned compassion into action.

HILLARY COHEN, CO-FOUNDED EVERY DAY ACTION: Working on a film set, it's this whole team of people. A prop department, a classroom department, an electric department, and a lot of people that need to be fed.

There's just so much food that's available. Steak and salads. So food every day. When lunch was over, they would just throw it out. It doesn't make any sense. I really was always told, we can't donate the food, it's too hard. If someone gets sick, it's a liability.

Until one day I was like, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[20:10:00]

As an assistant director, I was the logistical planner of a set. This is just a logistical problem. I think it's so easy to solve. Everyday action picks food up from film sets, corporate events, grocery stores to deliver the food to those in need.

Nice to meet you.

We're the grubhub. We take it from point A to point B. At the beginning, it was just me and Sam, one of my co-assistant directors in the heart of COVID.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't cut for money. I know what it's like to struggle. She told me the idea and I said, great, that sounds amazing. How do we do this?

COHEN: We have this big cooler from Walmart. Thermal bags. Just picking food up.

I always like to see what the fancy meal is of the day. Thelman TV said, that's like our bread and butter. All you have to do is give us the call sheet sign liability over and the food size.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For decades, it broke my heart to throw food away. So we're happy to do it. It's just like clockwork. They show up.

COHEN: Hi, it's so good to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pass off the food and we're all set.

COHEN: We pay production assistants and background artists and then they drive the food from place to place.

UIDENTIFIED MALE: Salads, tuna, fruit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very delicious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a real benefit to our clients. It helps them move forward with their lives.

COHEN: So it started with encampments.

Would you like some free food?

Then it's food pantries, nonprofits, anyone that's struggled with food insecurities.

Here's three meals. And I'm going to get you some sides too.

Giving someone that's hungry food is the best thing one can do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much. Oh, God bless you.

COHEN: Of course.

It's so cool to be like, oh, I built this. And like someone wasn't hungry today. And that's about 80,000 meals a year that we save from Lanthos. I feel like my skill set is like called to do this. Now more than ever, we have to help each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: On behalf of all the cast and crews and the thousands of people who've been fed by her time, tireless work, it is my true honor to present CNN Hero, Hillary Cohen.

COHEN: Thank you so much. Everyday Action was founded in a time really similar to now, one where I think all of us are really struggling with what to do. How can I make an impact and where is it needed most? When someone says or posts something online that fuels you with rage, use it. Don't respond back with hate. Channel that rage into action.

Put down your phone, look up and go out there and just do something for someone else every day. If you're passionate about making an active change, please join us in our fight to end hunger and reduce waste in Los Angeles and beyond. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coming up, Regina Hall, Kathryn Hahn, Zachary Quinto, Jon Batiste and more. Celebrate our Heroes.

Later, a legendary actress salutes our legacy honoree and we reveal the 2025 CNN Hero of the CNN Heroes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:16:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY RIPA, ACTRESS AND TALK SHOW HOST: We're back with CNN Heroes. Throughout the night as you meet the honorees, you can donate to any of them by going to CNN.com/heroes and clicking on donate. You can also scan the QR code on your screen right now or text HEROES to 707070. There are so many ways to give. We are thrilled that the fundraising platform pledge is working with these heroes now in these dark days.

And I mean it's literally dark at 4:30 and you want to put on your pajamas and slippers at 4:31. These heroes are the bright lights. They're a reminder that good people bring warmth and light to a world that is desperately in need of it. So please give what you can because the world needs heroes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Thanks so much Kelly. In the city of Chicago, the Englewood neighborhood has seen difficult times. Once a thriving commercial district, today the poverty rate is 40 percent and more than 2,700 lots are vacant.

COATES: Well, you know our next hero. He's found an ingenious way to fill those lots and bring opportunity to young people. Here to tell his incredible story is a proud supporter of the Scleroderma Research foundation, one of the stars of one battle after another. Regina Hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGINA HALL, ACTRESS: In a place where some see despair, Quilen Blackwell sees opportunity. He grew up in a middle class neighborhood, but when he tutored students Englewood, he realized how much they had to offer.

So he and his wife Hannah moved there, determined to find a way to help young people realize their dreams and actually build a better life. Ultimately, Quilen found a beautiful and simple solution, turning the vacant lots into flower farms.

Flowers are a billion dollar industry and most are imported. It is steady, good paying skill, building work. Quilen hires young people to grow and nurture tulips, lilies and wildflowers and sell them in their nonprofit flower shop, Southside Blooms.

These young people once struggled to find hope. Now they help make bridal bouquets from sunflowers. They create centerpieces with tulips, and they make corsages for high school sweethearts from wildflowers.

These are real jobs with real paychecks that turn dreams into futures. Because of Quilen's vision, these kids rise steady and strong, reaching towards the sun like the very flowers they plant. Thank you, Quilen.

QUILEN BLACKWELL, SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: Everything that we do is around cultivating life with flowers. You give them the right conditions, soil, some water, proper sunlight and. And it'll do the work of growing and blooming.

Most people wouldn't expect to see a full flower farm here on the south side of Chicago, it's really cool to be able to bring that beauty to places where people least expect it.

I've been living Englewood since 2015. It's one of the more dangerous neighborhoods. High poverty, high urban blight.

So you know, you kind of see like storefronts that are boarded up. The building gets condemned. So knock the building down and not the vacant lot. Yes, these aren't parks. Most people will see the trash, the vacant lots. But for me, I see potential.

Southside Blooms is a farm-to-vase florist. We'll take over vacant lots, grow our own flowers, design them in our flower shop, and then we do retail bouquets, weddings, corporate events and everything in between. This is about creating opportunity in a place that desperately needs it.

Try to get some good stem length. You know the drill. A big part of what we do is creating jobs in the floral industry for at risk youth.

What's your favorite flower?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lilies. Cosmos. My favorite it would be the red roses.

BLACKWELL: Growing up, I was very fortunate. I had a bevy of opportunities. I came to Chicago, started tutoring at a high school Englewood, and I started just realizing I could be any one of these kids.

[20:20:03]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to do them tiger lilies.

BLACKWELL: There are people who want a chance at something better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to grow up fast around her. I lost a lot of friends, ended up in jail. I was looking for a job. One of my friends, he was like, hey, bro, I got a job. I'm like, bro. Flowers was what working here. I've seen myself changing calmer into nature. This was just an empty parking lot. We did this. We started all this. We cleaned it up. It's our community. I'm proud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready for the event?

HANNAH BLACKWELL, QUILEN BLACKWELL'S WIFE: Getting there.

Q. BLACKWELL: My wife Hannah trained as a florist, figured out the youth training program.

H. BLACKWELL: It's a feel. So teaching kind of the basic concept. And then kind of letting their creativity go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I learned, I paid close attention, I asked questions, and I fell in love with it.

I'm an exemplar. I purchased my first apartment. I purchased a car. I try to tell everybody it's an opportunity. Every place you step in, take advantage of it.

BLACKWELL: Our young people are blossoming and blooming every sing day. As long as they're getting all of the ingredients they need to be successful, there's nothing that they can't do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: It is my honor to present CNN Hero Quilen Blackwell. Wonderful.

BLACKWELL: Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Southside Blooms is about preserving and prospering life one flower at a time. Inner city youth are choosing floristry over gangs while healing the hood. When you buy our flowers, which by the way are available with free shipping nationwide, it drives urban renewal and together we can bring Southside Blooms to every community and young person who needs it across America, God's light shines brightest in dark places. And the colors of the hood will soon shine for all to see. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, throughout the night, not only are we honoring our CNN heroes, but we are showcasing how making a difference isn't bound by age. We're here to celebrate a young wonder. The 16-year-old decided to do something about the 5.2 trillion pieces of plastic and other trash that ends up in our rivers and our oceans. To present his story as a champion for the ACLU and GLAAD, the star of the studio, Katherine Hahn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHERIN HAHN, ACTRESS: Eight years ago, a seven year old boy named Cash Daniels went on vacation to the beach with his family. While playing in the sand, he picked up a plastic straw and realized that it could harm the waters and the animals he loved.

So when he got back home in Tennessee, he noticed that his hometown river was full of cans plain plastic containers and tires that could someday end up in the ocean, too. So Cash decided to take action. He began cleaning it up.

At first, it was just him in a bag. Then he got his family involved, then his neighborhood, and then classmates and strangers from all over the state.

Today, at 16, he's still going strong, cleaning the rivers, inspiring others, and proving that anyone can make a difference. That's why they call him the Conservation Kid.

CASH DANIELS, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST: The river, to me, it's special because I've always lived here, and it gives life to so many people. Like, 5.1 million people get their drinking water from the Tennessee River. And that's not to mention all the animals, the plants, and the fish that their entire life depends on this river.

The Tennessee River is actually one of the most polluted rivers in the world. And I decided that I had to do something.

When I started my conservation work, I was 7 years old, and now I am 16. So I've been doing this work for over half my life.

Awesome.

We are all here to pick up trash. You'll be shocked at the amount of trash that you can find. I started Wild Earth Defenders, and our mission is to protect nature and help inspire and educate kids all over the planet to get involved in conservation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's talked to kids over the world. He gives them a voice, and he's a person out front that's not afraid to say we can do something and that our voice and our actions matter.

DANIELS: Now it has spread to me doing my own recycling program and me putting up recycling bins for fishing line. I've been able to move 48,000 pounds of trash from the river and recycle 8,000 miles of fishing line. I think that's what it's all about in life is finding what you love and trying to protect it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[20:25:06] COOPER: Please welcome young wonder Cash Daniels.

Hey. Congratulations.

DANIELS: Thank you.

COOPER: It's so awesome what you do. What do you tell other young people about how to get started in something?

DANIELS: Yes. I tell people that I know and kids in schools you're never too young to make a difference and that it doesn't matter if somebody says that you can't make a difference and that you should get out there and prove them wrong.

COOPER: It's crazy. You started when you were seven, you said?

DANIELS: Yes.

COOPER: That's -- I have a five-year-old. Like, can he go intern with you?

DANIELS: Yes. I mean, you can go -- just take him out. Get on out on the river anywhere and just get out there and pick up trash. That's what it's all about. Every little bit helps.

COOPER: It sure does. Cash Daniels. Thank you so much. Just amazing. Amazing.

We'll be right back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Up next, Zachary Quinto salutes a hero who is rescuing dogs and cats by the thousands.

Later, Meryl Streep honors the late Robert Redford. And we reveal the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: The Animal Humane Society estimates that 250,000 animals are hoarded each year in the United States. Some cases are from individuals who are hoarders and others from large puppy mills, dog fighting rings and neglect from backyard breeders.

[20:30:07]

COOPER: Here to tell us how our next hero is a savior for these animals, is a proud supporter of the Trevor Project, the star of "Brilliant Minds," Zachary Quinto.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACHARY QUINTO, ACTOR: It's hard to see and read stories about animals in horrific conditions. Tim Woodward knows that and he wants everyone to know that his work exists. So if you see something, smell something, or just sense a hoarding case or large scale abuse of dogs, cats, rabbits, horses or any animal in distress, you can call his Animal Rescue Corps.

Their base is in Tennessee with large kennels, a vet clinic, climate controlled barn, and places where animals can finally play. But they will go anywhere a cruelty case occurs from California to New Jersey, even Mexico, Canada and the Cayman Islands.

They have a mobile van, they rent trucks, they bring all the gear and they are these animals first step out of crisis. Sometimes it's a dozen animals in the Midwest. Sometimes it's a poppy mill in North Carolina.

Sometimes it's hundreds of dogs and cats barely hanging on. They take pictures, they log evidence. It is physical and demanding work. But because of Tim and his team, more than 10,000 animals now have a fresh start with belly rubs, treats and unconditional love.

TIM WOODWARD, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, ANIMAL RESCUE CORPS: We see animal living in conditions that I would have never imagined before doing this.

Got a little dog down here in this crate. Hi, mama.

Their physical condition is incredibly debilitated. We have to literally break up compacted feces to be able to open the door. Sometimes dead animals in cages with live animals, it can be very gruesome.

Most people are shocked when they hear a woman down the street had 100 cats or dogs. We pull in large numbers of animals from a crisis situation. Most of the cases we do are not something that a local agency can do on their own. We'll work with law enforcement. They will designate us as an agent of law enforcement to go onto the scene to seize those animals.

You're okay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, look at that smile.

UNIDENTIFEID FEMALE: Yes.

WOODWARD: We a very tight trained team including a state licensed forensic vet techs as well as an intake team and of course our trained handlers.

They're in five different pop ups. We'll split them up. Two, two and two.

We're kind of the midway point between where they came from and where they will find their forever home.

And get you all fixed up.

So for the time that they're in our care, we try to make sure that they are becoming healthier. We try to meet their needs for socialization.

What are you doing, huh?

And we try as best we can to prepare them for life in a home. The change in the animals is always remarkable. They come out of situations where they have no trust. And then over time, slowly, with time and attention, they begin to literally blossom.

What do you think?

It's why all of us are committed to the work.

Where's that tail at?

My hope is that they have the best life possible and forget all about where they came from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Please join me in honoring CNN Hero, Tim Woodward and little Peanuts.

WOODWARD: Thank you so much. Cruelty to animals is unacceptable. I believe changing the way animals are treated and regarded is a defining moral challenge of our time. How we respond reveals much about who we are.

I share this incredible honor with every volunteer and donor and who has worked alongside me to save lives and end suffering. Tonight, I ask you to join Animal Rescue Corps to reach the animals who are still waiting for someone to come, for someone to care. Thank you.

COOPER: Every day, our heroes do incredible work and change people's lives and animals lives as well. And with the right support, including yours, they can do even more.

[20:35:00]

This year, the Elevate Prize Foundation is again helping to further amplify the impact of our CNN Heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I love about the CNN heroes, they just do the thing despite all the fear they have. But you need to keep adding gas to that engine.

COOPER: For four years now, the Elevate Prize Foundation has helped the top CNN Heroes reach new heights.

STEPHEN KNIGHT, 2024 CNN HE RO OF THE YEAR: We get a room full of people that are experiencing the same challenges, but you're seeing solutions. That takes me to a new level of mot.

COOPER: Last year's top heroes took part in Elevate's Make Good Famous Summit for global change makers. The heroes also received specialized nonprofit and leadership training. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When these people meet each other and they discover

kindred souls, their faces light up, their eyes light up. You can see their minds connecting. They do in fact, go do remarkable things together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Once again, CNN Heroes is collaborating with the Elevate Prize Foundation, a global nonprofit, on a mission to make good, famous, bringing visibility to the work of change makers and inspiring the world. Here's their founder and chairman, Joe Deitch and CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram.

JOE DEITCH, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION: It's an honor to be back with CNN Heroes, celebrating five extraordinary people who didn't wait for permission to make a difference.

Each of them saw a challenge in their community and they answered it with heart, with ingenuity and with relentless spirit, reminding us that real change often starts with just one courageous yes, I'm going to do that.

CAROLINA GARCIA JAYARAM, CEO, THE ELEVATE PRIZE FOUNDATION: At the Elevate Prize foundation, making good famous means lifting up leaders like these so their ideas can travel farther and help more people. We've seen how resourcing, mentorship, collaboration and the right platform can allow those ideas to catch hold, opening doors, expanding networks and sending a ripple of the good across the world.

And when we add powerful storytelling, that ripple becomes a wave, transforming a single yes from a moment to a movement.

DEITCH: If these heroes move you tonight, we invite you to say yes. Just as they did, the Elevate Prize will match your donations dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 for each hero. Please visit CNN.com/heroes to give and to help turn their heroism into lasting change for all of us. Thank you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Still to come, Meryl Streep and a former U.S. Vice president pay tribute to our legacy honoree and find out who you chose as this year's CNN Hero of the Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:41:20]

COOPER: I agree. According to the most recent data from the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are more than 1.2 million men and women in state and federal prisons. After covering the crime beat for local TV stations for more than 10 years, our next hero has found a way to bring the power of words to the incarcerated Indiana, Alabama and Illinois.

COATES: To tell her story is Grammy, an Academy Award winning musician and proud supporter of the Innocence Project, whose latest album, "Big Money" is nominated for three Grammys. Jon Batiste. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON BATISTE, ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MUSICIAN: Oftentimes, when we imagine someone in prison, there's the go to stereotype. Tough, tattoos, angry. Debra Des Vignes carried some of that with her the first time she volunteered to teach a class at a local prison Indiana.

Instead, she met men who smiled, showed respect, were eager to learn. She found humanity in that room and decided to go off book. She asked the men to write a letter to their victims. And when they put pen to paper and shared their pain, grace filled that room, too.

There was talent, truth and wisdom, words that make second chances possible. And Debra wanted to do more. So she started the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop, which allows inmates to write fiction, nonfiction, poetry and plays. There they are vulnerable. Fathers and sons and brothers write about their tears and reminisce about their lives back home.

So far, the program has reached more than 250 incarcerated people. Through this work, Deborah shows us that words, the fearlessness in them, can break down walls and begin to mend lives.

DEBRA DES VIGNES, FORMER CRIME REPORTER: But when sheriff SWAT team members arrived at the home, no one was found inside.

I was a television news reporter and I covered crime. Didn't really understand humanity as I should have as a young reporter in my early 20s. So, it wasn't until much later that the faces had stories and had names.

I decided to volunteer in a prison because I was always in quit inquisitive and curious about their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The scars may remain.

DES VIGNES: I saw the raw talent and that's what led me to create this 12-week creative writing curriculum.

Thank you for sharing that. Yep, I know that was heartfelt.

We never excuse what they've done. In fact, a lot of them write about their remorse. We're just giving them a sacred space where they can let their shoulders down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually, though, I began to confront my grief with a clear mind and an open heart, accepting the fact that no matter what I did or who I hurt, nothing was going to bring my brother back from the dead.

DES VIGNES: It's not just they're benefiting in the prison walls. It's they're benefiting by connecting to their family and sharing hard things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your daddy wasn't raised on a bed of roses. I served 20 years and nine months. I did more time in prison than I had lived in the world. Let's get you another burp. That was only a letter.

When you're in the jungle, one of the hardest things to hold onto is your humanity. So when a lot of people want to see you as animal or less than that, and if somebody looks right down the middle and says, man, that's a human being, with a light like that means the world to you.

[20:45:05]

When Deb came in, she just seen us as human beings.

DES VIGNES: She's so sweet.

UNIDENIFIED MALE: Say hello. You just start seeing what you're capable of like through a pen. It's different when a man sees how strong he is or did these push-ups. But when you start seeing like the power of your mind, you feel liberated.

DES VIGNES: Some people would think it's a lock them up and throw away the key. But a of these prisoners are going to be released. Then why not use writing as a tool to release those bottled up emotions and moments and become better in the space that you're in.

This is going to make me tear up. We'll end on that one. That was really powerful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Please join us in honoring CNN Hero Debra Des Vignes.

DES VIGNES: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. What happens inside prison walls impacts all of us. When we give people space to work through their traumas and grow, they can improve themselves. Families heal and communities become safer.

If you believe in second chances, I invite you to help us reach more prison classrooms and more lives are waiting to be rewritten. A lot of healing and transformation can be done if you allow yourself to be vulnerable. Thank you.

COATES: Now do not go away because coming out is a moment we've all been waiting for. We're going to announce our 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

COOPER: Plus, Meryl Streep and Vice President Al Gore paid tribute to this year's CNN Heroes legacy honoree, the late Robert Redford. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:50:00]

COATES: Well, we're back. Don't forget that Elevate is matching your donations up to $50,000 for each hero. Go to CNN.com/heroes right now to donate and support our incredible heroes. COOPER: Well, all night we've been celebrating everyday people making

a difference. But now we want to recognize someone not so every day doing the same. The CNN Heroes Legacy Award honors a lifetime commitment to service and an unwavering dedication to making the world a better place.

This year we're honoring the late Robert Redford. To introduce his story, here's his dear friend and two time co-star, the amazing Meryl Streep.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: Back in the late 1940s, the an 11-year-old boy growing up among the beaches and bluffs of Santa Monica, California was introduced to Yosemite National Park on a trip with his mother. They entered the park driving through the Wawona tunnel.

For nearly a mile they traveled under stone and in semi darkness. And when they arrived on the other side, there was that view, El Capitan stretching toward the heavens, the dome in all of its majesty and bridal veil fall flowing like righteousness in a mighty stream.

And from that moment on, Bob knew he didn't want to just look at nature. He wanted to be in it, a part of it, and to protect it. He became a steward of our environment long before it was easy. He was mocked, was called a tree hugger, even burned in effigy. But he persevered.

Bob believed in the power of storytelling to reach people. And he believed that the hour of action was at hand and that because of the limitless powers of our imaginations, we too would hear the ticking of time and rise to the occasion. We would emerge from this dark tunnel into the light of nature and we would all want to be in it and part of it and protect it forever too.

His work moved us and changed the world because he loved it all. Every tree, every rock and animal. And his work lives on because, as Coleridge wrote, he prayeth well. Who loveth well both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best. Who loveth best all things both great and small.

COOPER: In 2015, Robert Redford spoke at the United nations urging action on climate change.

ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR: I'm here today as an environmental advocate, but also a father, grandfather and a concerned citizen.

COOPER: It was a culmination of four decades of environmental activism built alongside his legendary career as an actor and director. He was a master storyteller, but his most important message may have been about protecting the planet.

REDFORD: When I was a kid growing up in Los Angeles, there were green Spaces in between communities. And then when the war ended, suddenly everything changed. There were skyscrapers, freeways, pollution. It was like the city that I grew up in, that I loved, had been taken away.

COOPER: As he built his acting career, he took refuge in Utah.

REDFORD: I said, I want to be in and around nature. Then I built my own cabin there in 1961. And then I could see what happened to my hometown was happening all over the West.

COOPER: He was one of the first celebrities to become an environmental advocate when "All The President's Men" was released.

UNIDENIFIED MALE: How much can you tell me about Deep Throat?

REDFORD: How much do you need to know?

COOPER: Redford held premiers to benefit conservation groups. He also took action in Utah.

REDFORD: When they were going to put a power plant in southeastern Utah in 1975, that was going to be a real disaster. So I called 60 Minutes.

Anytime anybody voices a concern about the quality of life that we're going to be leading, we're called environmentalists. And if that's so, I am environmentalist.

They did kill the plants. They pulled out and I got blamed. Burning effigy and threats to my family.

COOPER: In the early 1980s, he launched an institute to build understanding between environmentalists and industry leaders. Talks about offshore oil drilling led to an Agreement in 1986.

REDFORD: What we have here is a model and it's a beginning.

COOPER: His advocacy meant pushing politicians to put the planet first.

REDFORD: I never thought of the environment as particularly partisan issue. We poison our land what is there to defend?

COOPER: He even hosted U.S. and Soviet leaders at a conference about global warming.

REDFORD: As a result, they signed a joint document, which was amazing. That to me was a real high point.

COOPER: And in 1996, the Utah land he'd helped protect in the 1970s was made a national monument.

REDFORD: This is land that should belong to the people and should stay with the people and not in the pockets of politicians who have short term dubious views.

[20:55:04]

COOPER: Over the decades, he continued to speak out. REDFORD: If we can send a guy to the moon, we can certainly do

something about renewable energy.

COOPER: In 2005, Redford and his son Jamie established the Redford Center to help filmmakers tell stories about the environment. Their 2012 documentary "Watershed" led to the creation of a coalition that's raised more than $30 million for the conservation and restoration of the Colorado River.

He was one of Hollywood's most acclaimed storytellers. But his most lasting legacy may be his unwavering fight to preserve our world.

REDFORD: This is our only planet, our only life source. This may be our last chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Here to accept this honor on behalf of the Redford family, please join me in welcoming Vice President Al Gore.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Anderson. It's my honor to accept this legacy award on behalf of the Redford family, on behalf of the Redford Center and my dear friend Bob.

Having spent so much of his life in front of the camera as an incredible actor and behind the camera as a visionary director, Bob deeply understood the mobilizing power of a focused lens and a captivating story.

He constantly sought to overcome the power of big polluters and their purchased politicians by tapping into the creativity and resolve of the people who watched his films, were inspired by his advocacy and shared his sense of moral responsibility for future generations.

In honor of Bob and his amazing work, may we each find a way to lend our voices to the global call for protecting the fate of humanity by urgently addressing the climate and environmental crises that our leaders have sidelined for far too long. Thank you.

COATES: And now, what we have all been waiting for. Let's bring out our heroes.

Here they come.

Since we announced the top five heroes, we gave you the opportunity to vote for the hero who inspires you. The hero who received the most votes will be awarded $100,000 to continue their life changing work.

COOPER: And this year, thanks to our collaboration with the Elevate Prize foundation, the CNN Hero of the Year will also receive an additional $100,000. And all honorees receive valuable nonprofit training to support their efforts. The 2025 --

COATES: The 2025 CNN Hero --

COOPER: -- Hero of the Year is. COATES: -- of the Year is Quilen Blackwell.

COOPER: Congratulations.

COATES: Congratulations. Amazing.

BLACKWELL: Yes, it's okay.

COATES: You did it. Good job.

BLACKWELL: I appreciate it. Thank you. That's awesome.

COATES: How do you feel?

BLACKWELL: Oh, I'm shocked. You know, I got to be honest, I got to thank Hannah, you know, my wife. I can't take full credit for this, you know, for Hannah and I, like, this has really been. Jesus is the one who got us here. You know, like, we're both staunch Christians and we just try to say yes every day. And, you know, he's really the hero of the year for us every year and this year.

And I'm just stunned. And it's like a big win for the hood, you know, I love the hood. I love it so much. You know, we get a bad rap, but, you know, we're going to, we're going to shine the path forward for the country. There's a lot of amazing things going on in the inner cities that is going to surprise a lot of people.

And I'm really thankful for all the young men and women who've been a part of our work because they're the stars. I don't, truth be told, I don't know how to make a centerpiece. I don't know how to make a bouquet. I don't know either.

So they're the ones who are leading the way. So thank you to all of our youth. Thank you to all of the hoods across America. I love you and thank you, CNN. Appreciate you guys.

COATES: Congratulations. Wow. I want to thank you all so much for joining us on have the very best of humanity (ph). You can support all of our honorees right now by going to CNN.com/heroes and click donate. Each donation will be matched dollar for dollar.

[21:00:02]

COOPER: And if you know someone as amazing as tonight's honorees, you can nominate them to be a CNN hero next year.