For Kazan, however, the greatest show on earth was the show of human emotions.

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Previous winners of the Cecil B DeMille Award - named for the famed director of The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show on Earth - include Robert DeNiro, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Al Pacino and Morgan Freeman, who was awarded the honour earlier this year.

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There was also a powerful sense of the possible for a newcomer to the greatest advertising show on earth GoPro, the new HD video camera for a new generation of activistas.

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Cruises remain a popular way to take in the greatest natural show on earth.

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"Welcome to the greatest music show on earth, " said rapper LL Cool J at the beginning of the evening in his role as ceremony host.

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Times Square must surely be the greatest advertising show on earth.

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Another highlight: the Polaria Centre, an aquarium and theater featuring educational programs about the Northern Lights (greatest show not on earth), and local polar bears and seals.

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