Oprah Winfrey fought back tears as she was honoured at the 22nd annual Women in Entertainment breakfast in Beverly Hills on Wednesday (11Dec13) following a tribute from pal Maria Shriver.

Just hours after landing a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her performance in The Butler, Oprah was saluted at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she was presented with the coveted Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, named after the Hollywood mogul.

Lansing took the stage and told audience members, including Demi Lovato, Jane Fonda, Mandy Moore and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, that Winfrey was one of her personal idols, adding, "You conduct your life in a way that has inspired all of us."

But it was Shriver who brought tears to the honouree's eyes by reading a tribute poem she had written for the occasion.

Oprah said, "That beats a eulogy, I gotta tell you... You're still alive to hear it!

"Everybody needs friends like that. I hope you have some."