The Seventh Annual Genesis Awards featured the debut of the Brigitte Bardot International Award. It was bestowed to the Russian TV newsmagazine, +11, for a segment on the groundbreaking anti-vivisection work of Tatyana Pavlova, director of the Centre for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the first animal-rights group in Russia.

The ceremony was hosted by Rue McClanahan, Earl Holliman, and Mariette Hartley, before an audience of nearly 1,000 people at the Century Plaza Hotel. The sponsor was John Paul Mitchell Systems, Inc. Presenters included Julie Brown, Kevin McCarthy, Dick Van Patten and Finola Hughes, who bestowed 24 Genesis Awards to winners such as Rescue 911, the family feature film Beethoven, Sports Illustrated, radio personality Garrison Keillor, the dramatic series Sisters, and A Current Affair.

Memorable Moments

Awardees Howard Rosenberg (Los Angeles Times), Christine Lund (KABC-TV) and Carla McClain (Tucson Citizen) proclaimed there was no other award they would have rather won. The Film Classic Award was presented to producer Frank E. Taylor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller for The Misfits (1961), which offered an unprecedented look at the cruelty of wild-horse roundups.

Also, the Doris Day Music Award was presented to the popular heavy metal group Megadeth for the title track to its album Countdown to Extinction,, which spotlights species destruction and the horrific "sport" of canned hunts.

Winners:

Feature Film: Beethoven

Film Classic: The Misfits

Animated Feature Film: FernGully: The Last Rain Forest

Film Documentary: Mountain Gorilla (IMAX)

Doris Day Music Award: MegaDeth

Brigitte Bardot International Award: +11

Dolly Green Special Achievement: Wyland

Television Documentary: Nova (PBS)

Television Documentary, Cable: The Nature of Things (CBC/TDC)

Television Newsmagazine, Daytime: The Home Show (ABC)

Television Newsmagazine, Evening: A Current Affair (FOX)

Television Reality Program: I Witness Video (NBC)

Television Reality Program: Rescue 911 (CBS)

Television Dramatic Series, Network: Sisters (NBC)

Television Children's Special: CBS Schoolbreak

Television Comedy Series: The Simpsons (FOX)

Television News Series: KABC Eyewitness News, Los Angeles

Television Commentator: George Michael, WRC News, Washington D.C.

Television Commentary Series: Dennis Ferrier, KCAL, Los Angeles

Radio Variety Show: Garrison Keillor

Periodical: Life

Sports Periodical: Sports Illustrated

News Article: Houston Chronicle

Series of News Articles: Tucson Citizen

Newspaper Magazine Articles: Los Angeles Times Magazine