Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will receive the prestigious Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for her dedicated commitment to raising HIV/AIDS awareness and erasing the hate and stigma still connected to the disease at An Evening to Celebrate Greatness, scheduled for the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 17.

In 1991 she founded The DIVA (Divinely Inspired Victoriously Anointed) Foundation in memory of the many friends she lost to the disease. As an original company member of the groundbreaking Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, who believes in artistic activism she created Divas Simply Singing! — an evening of song and healing — that, after 26 years, is the longest-consecutive running AIDS benefit musical in the country.

She has impacted the lives of thousands on college campuses, in churches, community organisations, and AIDS organisations around the world. She has done so much for so many and her work is not done.

Ralph is currently on location shooting Villa Capri with Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones.

Created in 2013, the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards were a way to publicly recognise and celebrate the greatness of people from around the world. This annual fund-raising gala honours people who are making significant contributions toward securing peace, social justice, human rights, and/or social capital in their communities and on a global basis.

Each year the Ali Center pays tribute to a number of high-profile “seasoned humanitarians” who are named as Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awardees. Ralph will join past award honorees including Geena Davis, Harry Belafonte, Matt Lauer, and Susan Sarandon.