Lee Hyori, along with the director of the highly-acclaimed movie Dogani / The Crucible Hwang Dong-heok, were awarded the "2011 People Who Brighten The World" awards.


33 people were awarded in total by an environmental organization on December 12th. The winners were selected through a process that included a month of netizens voting, followed by a 13-judge panel weeding out the final awardees.


Lee has been very active in the animal protection movement. Director Hwang was touted for raising awareness on the rights of the disabled.


The "People Who Brighten The World" awards is in its seventh year running. It aims to recognize people and organizations that promote sharing, taking on challenges, and spreading warmth and light in dark sectors of the world.