America the Beautiful

When 22-year-old Californian America Ferrera ascended the podium to receive her trophy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy at the recently concluded 64th Golden Globe Awards, there was hardly a dry eye in the room (spotted tearing on National TV were Annette Bening and Jada Pinkett Smith).

As what Halle Berry did for black women at the Oscars and Camryn Manheim for the 'big girls' at the Emmys, Ferrera, who plays an unattractive Latina in ABC's UGLY BETTY (still need vindication?), proved that being geeky can also be beautiful.