Celebrity Celebrity Belief & Identity Celebrity Social Issues George and Amal Clooney Spotlight Brave Honorees at The Albies in N.Y.C. George and Amal Clooney’s foundation honoring defenders of justice held its second annual ceremony at the New York Public Library By Benjamin VanHoose Benjamin VanHoose Benjamin VanHoose is an Associate Editor on the Movies team at PEOPLE. He has written about entertainment and breaking news for over five years. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 28, 2023 09:11PM EDT Amal Clooney and George Clooney at The Albies on Sept. 28, 2023. Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images George Clooney and Amal Clooney are shining a light on brave change-makers from around the world. The couple's Clooney Foundation for Justice hosted the second annual Albies on Thursday night at the New York Public Library. Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, co-hosted the event, which partnered with Microsoft, Versace and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. Celebrity guests there to show support included: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Matt Damon, Cindy Crawford, Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Viola Davis, Julianne Moore, Julianna Margulies, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Gayle King, Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Vergara, Mary J. Blige, Heidi Klum, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jon Stewart, Kate Moss, Melinda Gates, Colman Domingo and more. Late-night personality John Oliver hosted the event. Alicia Keys sang "If I Ain't Got You" at one point, and Andra Day closed the night with a performance of "Rise Up." All the Stars Arriving at The Albies in Support of George and Amal Clooney Amal Clooney and George Clooney arrive at The Albies on Sept. 28, 2023. James Devaney/GC Images Amal, 45, who wore a Versace gown for the evening, opened the ceremony alongside George, 62, thanking those in attendance and emphasizing the esteemed honorees. The Albies (named after Justice Albie Sachs) honor "brave individuals who, at great personal risk, have devoted their lives to justice," according to the foundation. It encompasses figures in human rights, business, entertainment, fashion and technology. Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist and human rights advocate from Democratic Republic of the Congo, received the organization's lifetime achievement award. The justice for women award went to Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who reported on the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. George Clooney and Amal Clooney pose with the special honorees at The Albies on Sept. 28, 2023. Taylor Hill/WireImage Truth Hounds, a Ukrainian rights group, was given the justice for survivors award. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression was honored with the justice for journalists award, and the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights got the justice for democracy defenders award. George and Amal, who share 6-year-old twins Alexander and Ella, founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016, and they hosted the inaugural Albies last September. On the red carpet Thursday night, George told a New York Times reporter about his partnership with Amal on their humanitarian efforts. "She does all the heavy lifting and the law-degree work, and I try to make it loud. I think it's kind of a good team effort." Amal added, "Exposing the problem is a big part of the process, and then we also want to be part of the solution." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Amal Clooney and George Clooney at The Albies on Sept. 28, 2023. Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty At last year's event, George told PEOPLE that their work on the Albies and their foundation is something his wife, a human rights attorney, "happens to be really especially gifted at." Plus, "My father's a journalist. I have a great affinity for them, her mother's a journalist," he added at the time. "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."