Whoopi Goldberg will no doubt be playing off her designer experience when she speaks at the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star awards on Jan. 26.

She may have only launched her intentionally ugly Christmas sweater collection with Lord & Taylor and Hudson’s Bay three months ago, but Goldberg has turned up at New York Fashion Week over the years. At FGI’s upcoming event at Cipriani 42nd Street, the Oscar-winning actress will deliver the keynote address and some comic relief for the up-and-coming talent.

This year’s Rising Star awards will be the group’s 20th with the focus still fixed on celebrating emerging forces in fashion, beauty and related industries for their creativity and vision. The Womenswear award will be revealed by Prabal Gurung. This year’s nominees include Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Claudia Li, Jeffrey Dodd, Ji Oh, Protagonist’s Georgia Lazzaro, Romeo Hunte New York’s Romeo Hunte and Wai Ming’s Emily Brady Koplar.

Saks Fifth Avenue’s Eric Jennings will be at the podium to award the Menswear prize. Nominees include David Hart, Garciavelez’s Carlos Garciavelez, Peyman Umay and Stephen F’s Stephen Ferber.

The Real Real’s Julie Wainwright will reveal the Retail award, with nominees including Bandier’s Jennifer Bandier, byReveal’s Megan Berry and S’well’s Sarah Kauss.

This year’s Fine Jewelry contenders — 64Facets’ Gourav Soni, Dana Bronfman, Meredith Marks and Misahara Jewelry’s Lepa Galeb-Roskopp — will find out who the winner is from Harper’s Bazaar Amanda Weiner Alagem. Warby Parker’s Neil Blumenthal will hand out the Accessories award to one of the following — Aimee Kestenberg; Allison Mitchell; Freida Rothman; From the Road’s Susan Easton; MR.’s Heather Hubbard; Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company’s Bruce R. Katz, or Tarryn Simone.

Linda Wells will honor the Beauty Corporate nominees — Firmenich’s Alexandra Besnard, International Flavors & Fragrances’ Chiaki Nomura, MAC Cosmetics’ Cate Powell and Smashbox Cosmetics’ Kia Ragland. Less than a month after Bobbi Brown announced she was exiting her company, she will present the Beauty Entrepreneur award. This year’s nominees include Artis’ Matthew Waitesmith, Farmacy’s Mark Veeder, Hot House Beauties by Isabel Toledo’s creative duo of Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Milk Makeup’s Zanna Roberts Rassi, Strange Love NYC’s Elizabeth Gaynes and The Riddel Group’s Holly Riddel.

Aerin Lauder will be the presenter for the Home Furnishings — Product Innovation award with Apparatus’ Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson; Roll & Hill’s Jason Miller and Yield’s Andrew Deming, and Rachel Gant in-the-running. Hearst Magazine is the lead sponsor for this month’s awards luncheon with additional sponsorship from Saks Fifth Avenue and the Hildun Corp.