LOS ANGELES: Hollywood megastar George Clooney will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes for his work on screen and off, the organisation said Monday.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which decides the awards, said Clooney was chosen in large part for his humanitarian work, in particular for speaking out against the genocide in Darfur.

The prize honors a celebrity who had a substantial impact on the entertainment industry and will be presented to Clooney at this year's Globes ceremony on January 11.

Clooney, 53 and soon to marry British-Lebanese Amal Alamuddin, has won three Golden Globes, for The Descendants, and Syriana, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? He was nominated for four other films and for his role in the popular television drama ER.

The actor, producer, writer, and director co-founded “Not On Our Watch,” an organisation that works to fight genocides around the world. In 2010, he also co-produced a telethon, “Hope for Haiti,” which raised $66 million for earthquake relief.

Previous recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille award include Jodie Foster, Steven Spielberg, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Douglas and Martin Scorsese.