NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 13, 2019 – New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is proud to present the 40th Annual NYWIFT MUSE AWARDS gala luncheon on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 11:30am at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel. Highlights from the celebration will be broadcast for the first time on CUNY TV. CBS Sunday Morning contributor, comedian, actress, and self-described “Accidental Pundette” Nancy Giles will again emcee the afternoon’s event, which celebrates women of outstanding vision and achievement both in front of and behind the camera in film, television, the music industry, and digital media. This 2019 honorees include: Emmy Award-winning Actress Ann Dowd, Grammy Award-Winning Singer Gloria Estefan, Director Kasi Lemmons, Creator/Writer Shoshannah Stern, Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud, and Emmy Award-Nominated Prouder and CEO & Co-Founder of Tribeca Enterprises Jane Rosenthal.
“The honorees for the 40th Annual NYWIFT Muse Awards bring together an incredibly eclectic and thoughtful body of work that engages audiences of the media and entertainment industry from all sectors. We are thrilled to partner this year with CUNY TV for our first-ever television broadcast of The Muse Awards, to bring this inspirational landmark event to wider New York audiences,” said New York Women in Film & Television Executive Director Cynthia Lopez.
“Now celebrating its 40th year, the annual NYWIFT Muse Awards continues this organization’s long tradition and dedication of applauding the work and achievements of women in our industry and we look forward to honoring this year’s incredible roster of accomplished women,” said New York Women in Film & Television Board of Directors President Jamie Zelermyer.
In celebration of the event’s 40th anniversary, NYWIFT will present a special Career Impact Achievement Award to Jane Rosenthal, a past Muse for the first time. NYWIFT is also pleased to continue its partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media Entertainment, which will present its “Made in NY” award, established in 2006 which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to New York City’s entertainment industry over the course of their careers. Previous “Made in NY” honorees include Meryl Streep, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachael Ray, Tina Fey, Spike Lee, John Leguizamo, Alysia Reiner, Michael K. Williams, and Judith Light. This year’s honoree will be announced soon.
The honorees for this year’s Muse Awards are some of the most extraordinary women in the business:
Ann Dowd, American stage, screen and television actress, mother, humanitarian and New Yorker. Dowd was the recipient of the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’ for her role as Aunt Lydia in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Dowd has shot countless films and television series in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area including the thriller “Compliance”, for which she received the National Board of Review Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress,’ and the acclaimed HBO series “The Leftovers,” for which she received her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Dowd has also played 9 different characters within the “Law & Order” franchise, all filmed in New York City.
Gloria Estefan, Seven-time Grammy award-winning singer, actress, songwriter, author of two New York Times best-selling children’s books, philanthropist and humanitarian. She is considered one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved performers and one of the most successful crossover artists in Latin music history, having received recognition for her achievements as an international superstar in both the Latin and non-Hispanic entertainment industries. She is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honors honoree, and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song awarded by the Library of Congress.
Anjali Sud, CEO of Vimeo, the world’s leading professional video platform. Anjali leads a global team of over 600 individuals dedicated to empowering creators with the tools and inspiration to tell their stories. Anjali previously served as General Manager and Head of Marketing at Vimeo, where she oversaw the growth of over 150 million members using the platform. Before that she held various positions in e-commerce, finance and media at Amazon and Time Warner.
Kasi Lemmons, “Nancy Malone Directing Award”, The Award-winning director, writer, actress and professor who has been a staple in Hollywood for nearly three decades, and will receive The Nancy Malone Directing Award. Her acclaimed 1997 feature directorial debut, “Eve’s Bayou”, was recently inducted into the National Film Registry, and is considered among the first to showcase the beauty of African American Southern culture. The film received the Independent Spirit Award for ‘Best First Feature’, and the National Board of Review bestowed her with a special first-time director award. Her latest opus is “Harriet” a deeply resonant and powerful drama based on the life of American icon Harriet Tubman played by Cynthia Enviro in the titular role. The award is named for Nancy Malone, an Emmy Award-winning producer and director, one of the first female directors in television, and a founding member of Women in Film in Los Angeles who dedicated her life to women’s advancement in TV, film and digital media.
Jane Rosenthal, “Career Impact Achievement Award”, NYWIFT will present the Career Impact Achievement Award to Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, CEO, and executive chair of Tribeca Enterprises. Rosenthal first received a Muse Award in 1993; the special Career Impact Achievement Award was created in honor of the NYWIFT Muse Awards’ 40th Anniversary, to celebrate a woman whose commitment to the industry, like that of the organization, has stood the test of time and only expanded in its reach and scope since it was initially recognized. Rosenthal is an Emmy-nominated producer and CEO and co-founder of Tribeca Enterprises, a global media company that encompasses the Tribeca Film Festival and award-winning branded content division Tribeca Studios. She is also a co-founder and co-chair of the Tribeca Film Institute, a nonprofit arts organization that champions storytellers to be catalysts for change in their communities and around the world. Rosenthal has established herself as a leading producer of critically and commercially acclaimed film and television. Recent projects include Martin Scorsese’s highly lauded Netflix feature crime drama “The Irishman,” and the Emmy Award-winning four-part Netflix series “When They See Us,” about the Central Park Five case.
Shoshannah Stern, “Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award”, has been making strides in the film, TV, and theater world by portraying a variety of characters, including some written specifically for her. Most recently, Shoshannah has wrapped Season Two of SundanceTV’s “This Close”, a dramedy she wrote, created and stars in. This show is based on a web series,”The Chances”, created with her writing partner, Josh Feldman that debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The first season has won a Media Access Award and been nominated for both a GLAAD and a Peabody Award. She’s the recipient of their 14th Annual Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award; created with the generous support of NYWIFT member Loreen Arbus, it is given to an individual, organization or corporation in the entertainment industry that has helped to create and bring about significant change to benefit and aid women.
The NYWIFT Muse Awards is always a highly anticipated celebration at the height of the holiday season. Join leading executives from major studios, broadcast and cable networks, and media production facilities as they celebrate these influential women. Past recipients include some of the most respected women in the entertainment industry such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Mary-Louise Parker, Anne Sweeney, Martha Stewart, Robin Wright, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, America Ferrera, Laura Dern, Julianna Margulies, Blythe Danner, Victoria Alonso, Gabourey Sidibe, Debi Mazar, Martha Plimpton, Cicely Tyson and Lucy Liu.
Tickets are $199 for most New York Women in Film & Television members and $399 for nonmembers. Corporate tables and sponsorships are also available. To purchase, please visit nywift.org/MUSE. Please find extended bios for this year’s honorees here.
About New York Women in Film & Television New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) advocates for equality in the moving image industry and supports women in every stage of their careers. As the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers. NYWIFT brings together nearly 2,500 women and men working both above and below the line. NYWIFT is part of a network of 50 women
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