Washington, Dec 20 : Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has been named as the `2008 Person of the Year' by animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

According to PETA, the philanthropist uses her fame and listening audience to help the less fortunate, including animals.

She has used her talk show `Oprah Winfrey Show' to uncover horrific cases of cruelty to animals in puppy mills and on factory farms, and Oprah even used the show to highlight the cruelty-free vegan diet that she tried.

Previous winners of the PETA award include U. S. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia in 2007 and the founders of the San Francisco-based cleaning product company Method in 2006. (ANI)