On Tuesday, April 12, Good Housekeeping salutes nine extraordinary women whose combination of intelligence, imagination and nerve is changing women’s lives forever at “Shine On,” a special one-night-only theatrical event at Radio City Music Hall with special appearances by two-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, three-time Grammy Award winner Trisha Yearwood in her first New York City performance in five years and Academy Award winner Goldie Hawn. Highlights of the evening will include a special tribute to Elizabeth Taylor by business partner and friend Kathy Ireland and an opening performance by Grammy Award-winner Eve, who wrote an original song for the occasion. The star-studded event benefits the National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C., which is dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the diverse historic contributions of women. Tickets for the one-night-only show are available at www.goodhousekeeping.com/shine-on.

Here are the good news: Some of the nation’s finest artists, scholars, and entertainers will be at the White House tomorrow as President Obama awards the National Medal or Arts and the National Humanities Medal. Among the 20 recipients: Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, jazz legend Sonny Rollins, singer/songwriter James Taylor, classic pianist Van Cliburn, To Kill A Mockingbird author Harper Lee, and other acclaimed writers such as Philip Roth and Joyce Carol Oates. And here are the bad news: Streep and Lee will not be in attendance, the White House said.

Here’s another great find for the archives! In 1978, Meryl won a Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her breakthrough performance in NBC’s “Holocaust”, her very first major award after transferring from the New York stages to film and television. Meryl didn’t attend the awards ceremony to accept the award since she was filming in New York.

Here’s a real treat from the past – a video of Meryl Streep winning the Golden Globe in 1983 as Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for “Sophie’s Choice”. Meryl wasn’t present to pick her Golden Globe (as she wasn’t the two times before, winning for “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”), but her co-star Kevin Kline was, who accepted the award on her behalf.

Pictures of Meryl’s appearance at the Mayor’s Awards for Arts & Culture, yesterday, have been added to the Image Library, with more information to come.

Article courtesy the New York Daily News. Mayor Bloomberg will team up next Monday with Meryl Streep to co-host the Mayor’s Awards for Arts & Culture at Alice Tully Hall. Bloomberg said he’s “excited” but also a little intimidated by the “Devil Wears Prada” star. “She is one of the greatest actresses of our time, so I’ve got a lot of rehearsing to do before next Monday,” said Bloomberg. “The awards give us a chance to recognize the achievements of some of the people who make extraordinary contributions to culture in the five boroughs and help keep the city a vibrant place for artists and audiences,” Bloomberg said. New York City’s highest award for achievement in the arts, the Handel Medallion, will go to dance great and outgoing Alvin Ailey Artistic Director Judith Jamison. Other honorees will include photographer Bill Cunningham, Bronx Theatre High School Principal Deborah Effinger and Amy Fischetti-Boncardo, executive director of the Queens County Farm Museum. The Brooklyn Community Foundation and Staten Island’s Sandy Ground Historical Society are also slated to be honored.

Yesterday, Meryl was in attendance in Poltu Quatu, Sardegna, Italy, to receive the 2010 Rodolfo Valentino Award. Clips of her acceptance speech can be now watched in the video archive, with thanks to Nora & Tina.

The Rodolfo Valentino award is given each year by a jury of critics to movie personalities who have success all over the world. The winners of 2010, Meryl and Andy Garcia, join a selected group of outstanding personalities, including Pedro Almodovar, Robert Altman, Bernardo Berolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Bette Davis, Jeremy Irons, Sophia Loren and Roman Polanski, among others. Pictures from the ceremony have been uploaded to the image library.

According to the Italian news association ANSA, Meryl Streep and Andy Garcia will be awarded with the Rudolfo Valentino Award in Poltu Quatu, Sardegna, Italy, July 7. The Rodolfo Valentino award is given each year by a jury of critics to movie personalities who have success all over the world, past winners include Pedro Almodovar, Robert Altman, Bernardo Berolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Bette Davis, Jeremy Irons, Sophia Loren and Roman Polanski, among others. Thanks to Ilaria for the heads-up!

The creators of the People’s Choice Awards’ official website have launched an impressive video archive with all previous winners – that means quite a lot never-before seen archive footage of Meryl since won the award in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990! Clips from all appearances have been uploaded to the video archive (the 1986 and 1990 clips have been re-added with better quality). Captures from all ceremonies have been added to the Image Library as well, so enjoy this fantastic journey through the years!

Ingrid Betancourt, Franco-Colombian politician, former Senator, and anti-corruption advocate will be one of four women honored at The DVF Awards inaugural ceremony in New York City on Saturday evening, March 13th, 2010 at the United Nations. The Award will be presented to Ingrid by Meryl Streep. “I cannot think of anyone who deserves this award more than Ingrid Betancourt for her courage to fight, her power to survive and her leadership to inspire,” says Diane von Furstenberg. More information can be found at the official website. Many thanks to Caro for the heads-up!