The 12th Annual Genesis Awards paid tribute to the late John
Denver and provided one genuinely spine-tingling moment when a
celebrated sea captain renounced his Canadian citizenship
because of his country's continued seal hunting.
Nearly 1,000 people looked on as 21 Genesis winners were
honored in the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton,
including Shiloh, Charlotte's Web, Everybody
Loves Raymond, Primetime Live, Hard Copy,
Leeza, and The New York Times Magazine. The Doris
Day Music Award honored Denver and his touching song, "You Say
the Battle is Over," about the slaughter of our majestic
wildlife.
Co-hosted by Joely Fisher (Ellen) and Politically
Incorrect star Bill Maher, the ceremony featured such
presenters as Pierce Brosnan, Keely Shaye Smith, Alicia
Silverstone, Lyle Lovett, Martin Sheen, Leeza Gibbons, Montel
Williams, Ally Walker, Frances Fisher, Kevin Nealon, Bonnie
Hunt, Harry Hamlin, Sid Caesar, Shari Belafonte, Tippi Hedren,
Linda Blair, Peter Scolari, and Verdel, the dog from As Good
As It Gets. For the second consecutive year, The Genesis
Awards were broadcast as a special on Animal Planet.
Most Memorable Moments:
For the first time in Genesis history, there was a tie for
the Brigitte Bardot International Award: The Cook Report
for "Carte Blanche " shared the award with Countryside
Undercover for "It's a Dog's Life." Also: Guests of Honor
were California Senator Barbara Boxer and Capt. Paul Watson,
founder and president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
and defender of marine wildlife on the high seas. Watson
brought the crowd to its feet by renouncing his Canadian
citizenship because of that country's continued seal
hunting.
Winners:
Feature Film: Shiloh
Film Classic: Charlotte's Web
Doris Day Music Award, Classic: John Denver, for "You Say
the Battle is Over"
Network Documentary: Polar Bear: Arctic Terror,
ABC
Cable Documentary: Wild Discovery, "Cheetahs Running
for Their Lives"
Cable Documentary Series: The Ultimate Guide,
Discovery Channel
PBS Documentary: Frontline, "A Whale of a
Business"
Brigitte Bardot International Award: The Cook Report,
"Carte Blanche," a report on canned hunts, South Africa
Brigitte Bardot International Award: Countryside
Undercover, "It's a Dog's Life," England
Network Newsmagazine:Primetime Live, "Ndoki Rain
Forest," ABC
Syndicated Newsmagazine: Hard Copy
Reality Series: Wild Rescues, Animal Planet
Local Television News Series: UPN News, "Too Many
Pets," Los Angeles
Television Dramatic Series: Millennium, "Broken
World," Fox
Television Comedy Series: Everybody Loves Raymond,
"The Dog," CBS
Children's Television Program, Network: Adventures of
A.R.K., Discovery Channel
Television Talk Show: Leeza, "Pound Puppy Makeovers,"
ABC
Periodical: Harper's, "The Inhumanity of the Animal
People," by Joy Williams
Newspaper Feature Article: The New York Times
Magazine, "The Looting and Smuggling and Fencing and
Hoarding of Impossibly Precious, Feathered and Scaly Wild
Things" by Donavan Webster
Syndicated Newspaper Articles: Martha Mendoza, Associated
Press, for BLM wild horse investigation
Series of Newspaper Articles: Press Telegram
"Unwanted Pets: Searching for Solutions," by Susan Pack, Long
Beach, California
