US President Joe Biden on Friday awarded the country's top civilian honour to Oscar-winning Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh and 18 other people.

In a ceremony at the White House, the 81-year-old Biden presented Yeoh and other winners with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by placing the award around their necks.

The White House praised Yeoh for continuing to "shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture," as the 61-year-old actress became the first Asian woman to win the best actress Oscar for her performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" last year.

Other winners of the Presidential Medal of Freedom include Biden's Democratic allies - former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, former vice president Al Gore, former secretary of state John Kerry, and former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg.

Biden said the winners have made exemplary contributions to the US, and the world.

"They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service." Biden said.

Biden himself received the medal of freedom days before former US president Donald Trump entered the White House in January 2017. (Additional reporting by AFP)