Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been confirmed to attend the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Abu Dhabi tonight.

The Oscar winner, renowned for her performance in Shakespeare in Love, will join a bevy of A-list stars including Kevin Spacey, host of the awards ceremony, and British actors Hugh Grant and Clive Owen.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.

Yesterday, Grant was one of several major celebrities taking part in the Laureus Golf Challenge at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, as part of events surrounding the awards night. The sportsmen and women will be honoured with what has been called the 'Oscars of the sporting world' at a gala event at the Emirates Palace hotel. The Laureus Awards are the latest high-profile sporting event to be staged in Abu Dhabi.

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