As Women Writers Week continues at RogerEbert.com, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) has just announced the winners of the 2017 Gracie Awards, honoring the achievements of female luminaries in new and traditional media platforms. This year’s 42nd annual awards gala, which will take place Tuesday, June 6th, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, supports the AWMF’s educational programs and scholarship campaigns that benefit women in media. Among this year’s honorees are America Ferrera, Drew Barrymore, Samantha Bee, Lena Dunham, Alia Shawkat, Robin Roberts, Mariska Hargitay, Linda Ellerbee, Olivia Colman and Savannah Guthrie, and touch on issues spanning from immigration to reproduction rights, race relations to women in the workforce. On Tuesday, June 27th, local and student award winners will be recognized at the Gracie Awards Luncheon at the Cipriani in New York City.

“If we learned one thing this year, it is that the strength, courage and contributions of women are crucial and necessary components in moving the world forward,” said Sarah Foss, AWMF Chair and ‎Chief Product Officer, Advertising Management Systems, Imagine Communications. “As we look to honor women in media, we take pause and recognize the millions of women who are not able to use their voice and creativity to share their message with the world. We hear you. We are you. And we stand beside you. We look forward to another great year and congratulations to the 2017 Gracie Award honorees.”

Here is the complete list of this year’s winners. Congratulations to one and all!

TELEVISION – GALA HONOREES

Soft News Feature: Hidden Figures“: Women of NASA, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt

Actress in a Breakthrough Role: Alia Shawkat (Search Party), TBS

Sports Feature: All The Way Back: The Story of Emily Fogle, CBS Sports Network

Actress in a Leading Role – Comedy or Musical: America Ferrera (Superstore), Universal Television

Interview Feature (Grand Award): Between Breaths: A Story of Anxiety, Addiction, Hope (ABC News 20/20), ABC News

Special or Variety: Black Girls Rock!, BET Networks

News Series: Brock Turner Case, CBS News

Ensemble Cast: Call the Midwife, Neal Street Production for BBC and PBS

Interview Feature: Chessy Prout, the St. Paul’s Accuser (Savannah Guthrie), NBC’s TODAY Show

Comedy: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, CBS Television Studios

Producer – Reality: Denise Contis (Naked and Afraid XL), Discovery Channel

Actress in a Supporting Role – Comedy or Musical: Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), CBS Television Studios

Actress in a Featured or Guest Role: Drew Barrymore (Odd Mom Out), Bravo Media

Limited Series: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Warner Bros. Television

Musical and Ensemble Cast (Grand Award): Hairspray Live!, Universal Television

Documentary: He Named Me Malala, National Geographic Channel

Reporter/Correspondent: Isobel Yeung (Afghan Woman’s Rights), VICE on HBO

Producer – Entertainment: Lisa Wolfinger – Mercy Street, Lone Wolf Media and Scott Free for PBS

Producer – Non-Fiction: Lori McCreary (The Story of God with Morgan Freeman), National Geographic Channel

Actress in a Supporting Role – Drama: Lynn Whitfield (Greenleaf), OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Actress in a Leading Role – Drama: Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television

Reporter/Correspondent: Nelufar Hedayat, Fusion TV

Family Series (Grand Award): Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, Nickelodeon in association with Lucky Duck Productions

Actress in a Supporting Role – Made for TV Movie or Limited Series: Olivia Colman (The Night Manager), AMC Networks

Investigative Feature: Outside the Lines: Baylor Rape Crisis, ESPN

Director: Renee Cullen, CNN

Actress in a Leading Role – Made for TV Movie or Limited Series: Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience), Starz Entertainment

On-Air Talent – News or News Magazine: Robin Roberts (Game Changers with Robin Roberts), ABC News and Rock’n Robin Productions

On-Air Talent – Entertainment or Sports: Samantha Bee (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), TBS

Producer – News: Stephanie Busari, CNN

Made for TV Movie: Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le, Lifetime

Hard News Feature: The Killing Machine (60 Minutes), CBS News

Family Series: The Powerpuff Girls, Cartoon Network

Talk Show – Entertainment: The View, ABC Television Network

Interview Series: The Women of Silicon Valley, NBC’s TODAY Show

Non-Fiction or Reality: This Is Life With Lisa Ling, CNN

Drama: This Is Us, 20th Century Fox Television

Talk Show – News: TODAY, NBC’s TODAY Show


RADIO – GALA HONOREES

Special: A Date with the First Lady (Cafe Mocha Radio), Miles Ahead Broadcasting

Producer: Adell Coleman (SiriusXM Urban View), SiriusXM Radio

Interview Feature – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Amanda Lindhout – A Gut-Wrenching Call Home (The Current), CBC Radio One

Host/Personality: Cheree Carter, Cumulus Media

Imaging: Cheree Carter, Cumulus Media

News Feature – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Europe Wakes Up To Prospect of Female Terrorists (Eleanor Beardsley), National Public Radio

Talk Show: GMA After Hours, ABC Radio

Reporter/Correspondent – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Hanna Rosin (Invisibilia), National Public Radio

Co-host: Kelly Ford (Ty, Kelly and Chuck), Cumulus Media

Public Service Announcement: McVay Minute and J:30, Dawson McAllister Association

Producer – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Meara Sharma (Kidnapped), On the Media, WNYC Studios

Interview Feature: Sandyland: On the M Train, SiriusXM Radio

Public Affairs – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Stretched: A Working Parents’ Juggling Act (All Things Considered), NPR News

Investigative Feature – Non-Commercial Syndicated: The Cost Of Crossing (Jasmine Garsd), National Public Radio

News Feature: Two Little Bombs (Leila Fadel), NPR

Crisis Coverage – Non-Commercial Syndicated: Zika – Mothers in Brazil, National Public Radio


INTERACTIVE MEDIA – GALA HONOREES

Original Online Programming – Standalone Video (Grand Award): #MoreThanMean – Women in Sports ‘Face’ Harassment, Just Not Sports & One Tree Forest Films, Sarah Spain & Julie DiCaro

Online Video Host or Correspondent: Bianna Golodryga, Yahoo News

Original Online Programming – Standalone Audio: Breasts Unbound, Audible, LLC.

Website – Information or Entertainment: Broadly, VICE Media

Website – News: espnW.comespnW

Online Producer – News: Ingrid Formanek, CNN International

Digital Newsletter: Lenny, Lenny Letter

Blog: Madaya Mom, ABC News

Online Producer – Information or Entertainment: Michelle Nash (Webucation), FUSION

Podcast Host: Nora McInerny (Terrible, Thanks for Asking), American Public Media

Podcast: Startup Season 4: Dov Charney’s American Dream, Gimlet Media

Original Online Programming – News or Documentary: The Racial Politics of Abortion, ESSENCE Magazine

Original Online Programming – Video Series: UPLift Someone: Give UP a Gift, UP TV


TELEVISION – LUNCHEON HONOREES

Documentary – Local: #Playfor22, WKRC-TV

Hard News Feature – Student: Behind Closed Doors, University of Maryland, College Park

Community/Regional Programming – Local: Breast Cancer 2 Bikini, KTVN Channel 2 News (Sarkes Tarzian – CBS Affiliate)

Soft News Feature – Local: Food Truck Fighting Hunger, WCVB

Producer – Live – Local: Kaitlyn Anderson (CBS 13 News Live at Five), WGME

On-Air Talent – Student: Katiuska Guzman (The Roundabout), William Paterson University of New Jersey

Producer – Edited – Local: Kim Nordt-Jackson (Cosmos – An HD Odyssey), KTRK-TV

Director – Local: Kristin Dickerson (Miss Lori), KTUL Tulsa’s Channel 8

Sports Feature – Local: Lumberjill (Kylee Knoles, John Dempsey), News 12 Connecticut

Talk Show – Local: MomsEveryday, Gray Television, Inc.

Director – Student: Murugi Thande, Women of WUSA9

Producer – Student: Murugi Thande, Women of WUSA9

Hard News Feature – Local: Rape Cases in Utah Courts, ABC 4 Utah

Soft News Feature – Student: The Business of Moving On (Angelo Bavaro), Maryland Capital News Service

Investigative Feature – Local: Toxic Safety, KPIX-TV

Documentary – Student: Unspoken: Heroin Addiction in the Muslim Community, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

On-Air Talent – Local: Vicky Nguyen, KNTV NBC Bay Area


RADIO – LUNCHEON HONOREES

Talk Show – Student: A League of Our Own – How Social Media Affects Women (Juliana Spano), Radio Hofstra University

Public Affairs – Student: A League of Our Own – Women In Prison Project (Juliana Spano), Radio Hofstra University

Producer – Non-Commercial Local: Anita Rao (The State of Things), WUNC

Host/Anchor – Non-Commercial Local: Anne Hallward MD (Still Here: Caregiving and Dementia), Safe Space Radio

Interview Feature – Non-Commercial Local: As It Happens – Rumana Monzur Interview, CBC Radio One

Hard News Feature – Local: Boyfriends Killing Boys (Megan Cloherty), WTOP Radio

News Feature – Student: Decision 2016 (Kelly Green, Alyssa Compa, & Geneva Gerwitz), Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM

Host/Anchor – Local: Erin O’Malley (WBMX Boston Middays), CBS Radio

News Feature – Non-Commercial Local: Homeless and Alone, She Struggles Toward Graduation (Laura Yuen), Minnesota Public Radio|American Public Media

Imaging – Local: Jillian Kempton (WLTW 106.7 Lite FM), iHeartMedia

Producer – Student: Juliana Spano, Radio Hofstra University

Reporter/Correspondent – Non-Commercial Local: Karen Foshay (KCRW Investigates: Burned), KCRW

Talk Show – Non-Commercial Local: Ladies, Let’s Talk, Vermont Public Radio

Producer – Local: Laurel Lee (Pulse Roundtable Broadcast), Cox Media Group

Interview Feature – Local: New York Primary Day – Election Central with Rita Cosby, WABC Radio/Cumulus Media

Crisis Coverage – Local: Orlando Pulse Tragedy Roundtable, Cox Media Group

Host/Personality – Student: Pavlina Osta (Toni Tennille – Surviving Muskrat Love), The Pavlina Show

Documentary – Non-Commercial Local: Seven Schools Later: One Student’s View of Segregation (WNYC’s Radio Rookies), WNYC Radio

Co-host – Local: Shelli Sonstein (The Jim Kerr Rock ‘n Roll Morning Show – Q104.3), iHeartMedia

Public Affairs – Local: Sonstein Sunday (Q104.3), iHeartMedia

Crisis Coverage – Student: Stonewall Inn Vigil for Orlando (Kacie Candela), WFUV

Interview Feature – Student: Strike A Chord: Veterans Returning Home (Blaine Kaniewski), WFUV

Special – Non-Commercial Local: Taking the Lead (Note to Self), WNYC Studios

Public Service Announcement – Local: The New 93Q Cares For Kids Radiothon, Cox Media Group

Soft News Feature – Local: Then You Stand (Exceptional Women – MAGIC 106.7), Beasley Media Group


INTERACTIVE MEDIA – LUNCHEON HONOREES

Online Video Host or Correspondent – Student: Concepts with Kacie: Bubbles, WFUV

Podcast – Student: Rebecca Lewis – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, WFUV

Online Producer – Student: ‘Stealing Intimacy’GlobalGirl Media UK

Original Online Programming – Student: Tech Talk: Your Career, Your Choice, Passaic County Technical Institute, PCTI

Website – Student: Victoria’s Amazing World, Victoria Bonavita


For more information about The Alliance for Women in Media, visit their official site. 

Chaz Ebert

Chaz is the CEO of several Ebert enterprises, including the President of The Ebert Company Ltd, and of Ebert Digital LLC, Publisher of RogerEbert.com, President of Ebert Productions and Chairman of the Board of The Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation, and Co-Founder and Producer of Ebertfest, the film festival now in its 24th year.

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