Steven Spielberg to be awarded Philadelphia’s Liberty Medal for artistic, humanitarian efforts

Spielberg to be awarded Philadelphia Liberty Medal

PHILADELPHIA — Filmmaker Steven Spielberg will be awarded Philadelphia’s 2009 Liberty Medal for his artistic and humanitarian achievements on Oct. 8.

The National Constitution Center made the announcement Tuesday.

Spielberg’s films include “Schindler’s List,” ”Saving Private Ryan” and “The Color Purple.” He has also established a foundation to produce video and oral histories of Holocaust survivors. The center says Spielberg will donate the award’s $100,000 cash prize to that organization, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.

The medal was established in 1988 to honor those whose actions represent the founding principles of the United States. Previous winners have included Bono, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.