The annual Genesis Awards honors the news and entertainment media for raising awareness on a variety of animal protection issues.
Here's a selection of this year's 50 nominees, a look at why they are in the running, and a glimpse at a very special celebrity animal advocate who is the recipient of this year's Wyler Award.
Feature Film
AMAZING GRACE - The inspirational story of British abolitionist William Wilberforce, a pioneer in making the connection between human and animal rights. A tireless and passionate campaigner who worked within the political system to push through reforms, Wilberforce went on to establish Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Revealing his enlightened attitude toward animal welfare, the film brilliantly captures the timeless challenges facing a social activist. Its triumphant ending should offer hope to anyone who has fought for change. Distributed by Walden Media/Samuel Goldwin Films.
Dramatic Series
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION - In the episode, "Lying Down With Dogs," the writers of this top-rated drama tackled the brutal world of dogfighting. Through an innovative and darkly engaging plotline suggesting that a victim's life as a dogfighter may have led to her unusual murder, CSI's 22 million viewers were exposed to the cruelty involved in both the training and the fighting of dogs for this widespread, yet illegal bloodsport. CBS-TV.
TV Documentary
PLANET IN PERIL - Anderson Cooper, the respected and popular face of broadcast journalism, joined forces with dynamic wildlife reporter Jeff Corwin to present a powerful and disturbing series about the ubiquitous dangers facing the natural world. In the Genesis-nominated episode, Cooper and Corwin go undercover to investigate the thriving, illegal trade in exotic and endangered animals in Thailand's street markets and show how loopholes in the country's laws allow this internationally generated business to flourish. CNN.
TV Newsmagazine
INSIDE EDITION - One of the nation's highest-rated magazine shows shone light on two important issues. In recounting the story of a family who discovered the heartbreaking cost of being duped into buying unhealthy puppies online, the piece examined the appalling facts about puppy mills. And, in reporting on actor Paul Sorvino's campaign to stop thousands of unwanted or discarded race horses from being shipped to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses, the show drew attention to the horrors of horse slaughter. Syndicated.
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| Photo by Jonathan Ressler |
| Wyler Award Recipient Hayden Panettiere |
The Wyler Award
HAYDEN PANETTIERE - The star of NBC's Heroes and a hero in real life, 18-year-old Hayden Panettiere will be honored with The Wyler Award for drawing worldwide attention to the cruelty of Japan's whale and dolphin slaughter.
The award, given to a celebrity who has made news on behalf of animals, is named after Genesis Awards founder Gretchen Wyler, the former Broadway headliner and animal activist, who died last year.
"We feel Hayden is a very worthy successor to Sir Paul McCartney, last year's Wyler Award recipient," says Beverly Kaskey, senior director of The Hollywood Office of The HSUS and Executive Producer of The Genesis Awards. "She's an inspiring example to her generation—using her compassion, courage and celebrity to help animals in a very effective way."
Updated 3/6/08
