President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to over 10 individuals last Monday, including actress Meryl Streep and musician Stevie Wonder.

The nation's highest civilian honor went to a diverse group of activists, artists, scientists and public servants, Huffington Post reports.

According to the White House, the award is given out each year to the people who have made "especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

According to Yahoo, Obama said, the recipients "have made America stronger, wiser, more humane, more beautiful."

"Not only have they made our world better, but by following their example, they make us better," he added.

Streep and Wonder received awards for their cultural contributions along with actress Marlo Thomas, writer Isabel Allende and journalist and author Tom Brokaw.

"For more than 50 years, Stevie has channeled his inner visions into messages of hope and healing, becoming one of the most influential musicians in American history," Obama said.

Other recipients included dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, and Edward Roybal, the Democrat from California who founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Writer and curator Suzan Harjo was honored for her work with fighting for Native American Rights.

"It just feels wonderful, and it's not something I'm used to," she said before the ceremony. "Usually when there's some sort of spotlight on me, it's bad. Someone is going to be nasty about me in public."

Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell was honored for his long and tireless fight for health care reform.

"For more than half a century, in every single Congress, John introduced a bill calling for comprehensive health care," Obama said. "That is, until he didn't have to do it anymore."

More than 500 artists, scientists, activists and public servants have been honored with the Medal of Freedom since President John F. Kennedy established it in 1963.

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