Oprah, Beyonce make Forbes' annual list of most powerful women
Beyonce sits courtside before the NBA All-Star basketball game in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. Credit: AP
Seven entertainment-industry stars dot Forbes' annual list of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women," joining heads of state, corporate leaders, foundation chairs and others.
Media mogul and TV interviewer Oprah Winfrey, 61, rose from No. 14 last year to No. 12. In addition to her cable network, OWN, she holds a stake in successful syndicated programs including "Dr. Phil," and through her Harpo Films helped produce the critically acclaimed "Selma." The only African-American woman on the Forbes "400 Richest Americans" list, she has donated hundreds of millions of dollars throughout the years to education.
Music star Beyonce Knowles, 33, dropped from No. 17 to No. 21, while remaining the list's highest-ranked performer with a hit album and successful concert tours both solo and with her rapper husband Jay Z. Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, 57, also dropped four spots, from No. 46 to No. 50, though she continues to have a top-rated program and has branched out with a video website, ellentube.com. Her Very Good Productions has five TV shows in development, and she has expanded to clothing lines with ED by Ellen and a partnership with GapKids.
Actresses Angelina Jolie, 39, and Sofia Vergara, 42, come in at No. 54 and No. 57, respectively. Director-producer Jolie is an advocate for women's health and a special envoy for the United Nations on refugee issues, while "Modern Family" star Vergara has become the go-to brand ambassador for crossover English/Spanish marketing to women.
Rounding out the list are musicians Taylor Swift, 25, at No. 64 and Shakira, 38, at No 81. The former released a platinum album last year and took a vocal stand for creators' rights by pulling her music from Spotify. The latter, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, continues to leverage her global celebrity toward her longtime philanthropic foundation and was appointed to President Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
Forbes applies four metrics to compile its list: money, media presence, spheres of influence and impact.
