Carol Ann was so inspired by our winners' stories that she felt compelled to immortalise them in her own words.
Her poem, Love's Gesture, describes the bravery and selflessness all our winners have shown when faced with difficult, often heartbreaking challenges.
Carol Ann is proud to be part of the event that celebrates unsung heroes. "I've always admired the Pride of Britain Awards," she said. "They have a truth and integrity and I love the way they focus on ordinary people.
"It's a great antidote to the celebrity culture that has become so dominant today. These are real stories about real people and I wanted to see if I could write a poem for them.
"I thought about how we are all ordinary and what we would do if we were tested in that way."
In the poem, Carol Ann describes the immense courage of 23-year-old cancer campaigner Kristin Hallenga with the line: "Did you know when cancer draped its shroud on your back you'd make it a flag?" The perseverance of Major Phil Packer is summed up with: "Paralysed, you'd get up and walk".
And Carol Ann has revealed that it was our Child of Courage winners who have touched her the most.
She said: "It was the children who I found very brave. To find children so young showing that selflessness and bravery is very inspiring."

Love's Gesture
Did you know your hands could catch that dark hour,
like a ball, then throw it away into long grass
and when you looked again at your hands, there
was your life-line?
Or when death came,
with its vicious, biting bark, at a babe,
your whole body was brave;
or came with its boiling, scalding burns,
your arms reached out, love's gesture.
Did you know
when cancer draped its shroud on your back,
you'd make it a flag;
or ignorance smashed its stones through glass,
you'd see light in the shards, tears in hard eyes;
paralysed, you'd get up and walk;
traumatised, you'd stand up and talk?
Did you know
at the edge of your ordinary, human days
the gold of legend blazed,
where you kneeled by a wounded man,
or healed a woman?
Look
each of your hands is a star.
Your blood is famous in your heart.

Written for the Pride of Britain Awards 2009 by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy