BFCA to honor Damon at awards gala

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Actor and philanthropist Matt Damon is to be presented with the 4th Joel Siegel Award at the 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association, which organizes the yearly event, announced Tuesday Damon will be honored at its 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards Jan. 14.

Given annually, the Joel Siegel Award pays homage to beloved "Good Morning America" film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his long battle with cancer in June 2007.

Damon won his first two Critics' Choice Awards 13 years ago as the star and co-writer of "Good Will Hunting." He has gone on to receive five more nominations, including one last year for his work in "Invictus." Damon's other film credits include "Saving Private Ryan," the "Bourne" and "Ocean's" series and "True Grit."

"Matt personifies the values celebrated by the Joel Siegel Award," BFCA President Joey Berlin said in a statement. "Among his many charitable endeavors, Matt's work as co-founder of Water.org has inspired us to honor him. The profound mission of Water.org is to help bring a day when everyone on the planet can take a safe drink of water. Matt is also a founder of Not On Our Watch, which focuses global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities. He helps fight AIDS and poverty as a supporter of the ONE Campaign. He is also an ambassador for ONEXONE, a non-profit foundation committed to supporting, preserving and improving the lives of children at home in the United States and around the world, and a spokesperson for Feeding America, this country's largest hunger-relief organization. Clearly Matt understands, as Joel did, that the true value of celebrity is as an enhanced platform to do good works for others."