The Rock shocks fans by giving away his People’s Choice Award
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, WWE star turned beloved actor, was awarded the People’s Champion Award at the 2021 People’s Choice Awards on Tuesday, and surprised everyone by promptly giving the award away.
He was presented with the award by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who said of Johnson, "His achievements are legend. His work ethic is unparalleled. He transcends all demographics. He is impossible not to like and he can sure put down a lot of pancakes.
"But even with all that, the thing that really stands out the most? He's kind. … You see, kindness is a choice. And what I admire most in Dwayne is his choice to show unwavering kindness to everyone around him."
Taking the stage, Johnson thanked Bezos, who he called his “drinking buddy”, before sharing a story about the first time he met Muhammad Ali, who was also known as the “People’s Champ”. He went on to talk about the last time he saw Ali, which was at an event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, adding that working with the organisation was a “privilege and an honour”.
He then told the audience that there was a recipient of a wish in the audience, a woman named Shushana. He said of Shushana, "I met her earlier. I told her how inspired I was by her story. She is a survivor. She has fought literally for her life. She has inspired her family, her friends, now you guys here, now the world that is watching."
The Rock proceeded to invite her onto the stage and offer his award to her. Handing his award to her, he told her, "You represent everything that it means to be a people's champion.” Kind gestures like this demonstrate why Johnson is so beloved by fellow celebrities and fans alike.
Johnson was nominated for three other People’s Choice Awards that evening: Male Movie Star of 2021, Male TV Star of 2021, and Social Star of 2021.
Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for DJ