Cher, Julia, Fergie honored at Glamour fest

NEW YORK — Constance McMillen was having a pretty amazing night. The 18-year-old from Jackson, Miss., had been just introduced to Julia Roberts. Singer Fergie had praised her in a speech, then sought her out to personally greet her.

And oh, yes, she had also stood onstage at Carnegie Hall, in front of a crowd filled with celebrities and even world leaders, accepting a Glamour Woman of the Year award for having waged a public fight against a school district that banned her from bringing her lesbian partner to the school prom — or wearing a tuxedo.

"This is really awesome," she said at a dinner party following Monday's awards ceremony, standing in bare feet because her shoes hurt, dressed in a tux specially made for her by designer Isaac Mizrahi.

The moment was typical of the 20th annual Glamour awards, which honors both the famous — movie stars, fashion designers, athletes and politicians — and also the not-as-famous, like McMillen or Hawa Abdi, a Somali doctor who has provided food and care for tens of thousands of people displaced by violence in that African nation. Or Katie Spotz, 22, who rowed solo across the Atlantic this year to raise awareness about the need for clean drinking water.

The big names Monday included the presenters: Janet Jackson, Kate Hudson, Hillary Swank, Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and even Oprah Winfrey were all there to hand out trophies, curiously shaped red circular sculptures that had Roberts wondering aloud if they could be used as a brooch, or maybe a huge hairclip.

Cher, receiving a lifetime achievement award, spoke directly to the many girls and young women in the audience — from organizations like Manhattan's Lower Eastside Girls Club — about failure, and not giving up.

"I've had huge losses," said the 64-year-old actress and singer. "It just makes me keep going." And the word "No," she said, to cheers, is "just some (expletive) word somebody made up."

Also honored were three athletes: Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, soccer star Mia Hamm, and Lisa Leslie of WNBA basketball. Hamm told the girls present that whatever they do, "Play hard, because you're worth it and you have value."

Vonn said later she was awed to be around so many other famous women. "It's crazy," she said at the dinner. "I am so honored." She was especially thrilled to meet Roberts, with whom she took a photo.