CNN has announced the broadcast date for “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” a special event recognizing ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve lives. The show will air on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The Top 5 CNN Heroes for this year were revealed on October 29, 2025, by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on “CNN News Central.” Cooper and CNN anchor Laura Coates will co-host the tribute broadcast.
Starting today, viewers can vote daily for their choice for CNN Hero of the Year at CNN.com/heroes. Voting requires email login, and each person gets 10 votes per day through Thursday, November 30, 2025. Votes can be allocated to a single hero or split among multiple finalists. Sharing votes on social media doubles their impact.
Each of the Top 5 CNN Heroes will receive $10,000, with the CNN Hero of the Year receiving an additional $100,000. The Elevate Prize Foundation will grant the CNN Hero of the Year an additional unrestricted grant of $100,000 and provide the remaining honorees with a generous grant of donation matching funds up to $50,000 each, organizational capacity-building, and resources to bring visibility to their work and maximize their impact. CNN is partnering with Pledge, a fundraising platform, to power giving for this year’s Heroes.
“CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” will be broadcast on CNN, CNN International, and CNN en Español on December 6. It will also be available for live streaming via CNN.com and the CNN app for pay TV subscribers. On-demand viewing will be available starting December 7, 2025, for CNN All Access subscribers and pay TV subscribers through CNN.com, the CNN app, and cable operator platforms.