BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Leading members of the news and entertainment media found themselves basking in the Hollywood spotlight this weekend when the winners of the 21st Genesis Awards were announced in a glittering ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States, the annual Genesis Awards is the only event of its kind which celebrates the major news and entertainment media for showcasing animal-protection issues.
Happy Feet, Charlotte's Web, Fast Food Nation, Larry King Live, The Simpsons, Bones, 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, PBS' Nature series and Extreme Makeover; Home Edition were among those honored in 18 eclectic categories, spanning film, TV drama, comedy, children's programming, documentary and print. Long-time advocate Sir Paul McCartney was recognized with the first-ever Wyler Award for using his celebrity to draw attention to animal issues.
"This was a banner year for media coverage," said Beverly Kaskey, Director of The Hollywood Office of The Humane Society of the United States and Executive Producer of the Genesis Awards. "You can't open a newspaper, turn on TV, or go to a movie without seeing something to do with animals. Even the issue of global warming continues to be propelled into the media by the plight of the polar bear."
Offering up a unique blend of poignant and inspirational moments, the 21st Genesis Awards also provided its share of edgy humor, courtesy of Sid Caesar Comedy Award presenter Bill Maher, who observed that the recent pet food recall came as no surprise, given that humans had fallen ill because of tainted food, "so you can imagine what they put in pet food," he said.
Among the celebrities joining Maher as presenters at this year's Genesis Awards event were: James Cromwell, Pauley Perrette, Esai Morales, Wendie Malick, Amy Smart, Ben Stein, Steve Valentine, Constance Marie, Persia White, Alexandra Paul and Dominic Scott Kay, 10-year-old actor and the voice of Wilbur the pig from the Genesis award-winning feature film, Charlotte's Web, who endeared himself to the 800 strong audience by saying, "We all need to be the animals' voices because they can't speak for themselves."
In recognizing the major news and entertainment media for highlighting emerging issues or for bringing a fresh perspective to long-standing ones, the Genesis Awards does what few other awards shows do – that is, it advocates change and a desire to make a difference on behalf of animals.
The HSUS is further developing its innovative Animal Content in Entertainment (ACE), an industry resource and companion program to the annual Genesis Awards, designed to actively promote and develop animal issue storylines and themes in the entertainment media.
The 21st Genesis Awards are made possible in part by our corporate patrons: MassMutual Financial Group, Southwest Airlines, BeKind.org and Market Development Group; corporate benefactors: Prai Beauty Group, Nature's Miracle, E/The Environmental Magazine, Humane Wireless and Cosmic Catnip, and sponsor Issimo.
21st GENESIS AWARD WINNERS
OUTSTANDING FEATURE FILM
OUTSTANDING FAMILY FEATURE FILM
OUTSTANDING FAMILY FEATURE – ANIMATED
For a delightful tale about an outcast penguin who saves himself from the misery of zoo confinement and his community from the threat of human over-fishing
SID CAESAR COMEDY AWARD
For attempting to take the "bull" out of the so-called bravery of bullfighting.
OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC SERIES
For a stark and dramatic demonstration of the methods used in slaughtering farm animals.
OUTSTANDING CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING
For a mythical tale about animals held captive for human entertainment that resonates
with the way animals are used in circuses today.
OUTSTANDING TV TALK SHOW
For an in-depth examination of the brutal cruelty of the Canadian seal hunt.
OUTSTANDING TV NEWSMAGAZINE
For spotlighting the plight of polar bears threatened by global warming, the fragility of baby African elephants orphaned by ivory poachers, and tigers teetering on the brink of extinction in India.
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION – "The DeAeth Family"
ABC
For an exceptional makeover, transforming both a family's home
and their adjoining animal shelter, and providing a compassionate
look at the needs of animals.
OUTSTANDING NATIONAL NEWS
For a 2-part report exposing the threat to Alaskan brown bears, whose habituation to
humans made plans to open their sanctuary to hunters particularly shameful.
OUTSTANDING CABLE DOCUMENTARY
For a no-holds-barred exposé of the abject cruelty of a licensed Class B dog dealer who was subsequently prosecuted in one of the most notorious cases of animal cruelty in recent years.
OUTSTANDING PBS DOCUMENTARY
CHIMPANZEES: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY
Nature
For a poignant study of how the space programs of the 60s, medical research and life in entertainment have adversely impacted the lives of chimpanzees, man's closest living relative.
OUTSTANDING LOCAL NEWS FEATURE
For a prodigious output of intrepid reports spanning a diverse range of urgent topics from the
Canadian seal hunt to turkey farm cruelty to foie gras, and pets in condos.
OUTSTANDING LOCAL NEWS SERIES
For exploring the controversial horse slaughter issue, including the distressing effects on people living close to a Texas slaughterhouse.
OUTSTANDING LOCAL NEWSMAGAZINE
For an in-depth examination of the different forms of everyday abuse that have necessitated the formation of L.A.P.D's new animal cruelty task force.
BRIGITTE BARDOT INTERNATIONAL – TV/FILM
For chronicling the work of the Sea Shepherd team in its brave attempts to stop Japanese whalers from killing the ocean's gentle giants in the waters of Antarctica.
BRIGITTE BARDOT INTERNATIONAL – PRINT
For condemning mass livestock shipments to slaughterhouses in the Middle East and the inhumane methods used to kill the animals
OUTSTANDING WRITTEN WORD
For an in-depth and alarming look at the inhumane conditions endured by pigs in factory farms and the disturbing evidence of the human health and environmental fall-out from these industrial operations
THE WYLER AWARD
For his enduring commitment to being a compassionate and powerful voice of the animals.
For more information, please visit www.genesisawards.org
-30-
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at www.humanesociety.org.
