Danielle Brooks Among This Year's New York Women in Film and Television Honorees

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is proud to announce the honorees for the 43rd annual NYWIFT Muse Awards.

For more than 40 years, NYWIFT has presented the Muse Awards to celebrate and illuminate women of outstanding vision and achievement, both in front of and behind the camera in film, television, music, and digital media.

CBS Sunday Morning contributor, comedian, actress, and self-described "Accidental Pundette" Nancy Giles will once again serve as the event's emcee. David Yurman, America's foremost luxury jewelry brand, has designed and provided this year's Muse Award statues for honorees, as well as an exclusive gift for attendees. The awards celebration will be held Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at Cipriani 42nd St.

This year's MUSE Award honorees include

IFC Films President Arianna Bocco
Award-winning actress and singer Danielle Brooks, who will receive the "Made in NY" Award presented by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
Filmmaker Deborah Chow, who will receive the Nancy Malone Directing Award
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa, who will receive the inaugural Enid Roth Award for Excellence in Journalism
Emmy and President's Volunteer Service Award-winning television host, chef, and author Sandra Lee
BAFTA & SAG Award-winning actress and producer Freida Pinto
Tony Award-nominated actress Lauren Ridloff, who will receive the Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award
Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress, artist, and activist Sharon Stone
AMPAS President Janet Yang

"The party is just getting started! We at NYWIFT are thrilled to host our 43rd year of the Muse Awards back in-person, since COVID-19 impacted our city, our industry, and our world. And what better way to celebrate Women's History Month than to return to celebrate this incredible roster of women that are reinventing how media is made.

They are influencers on screen, behind the camera, in the newsroom, and in the executive suite - fighting for everything from the voices of women, the BIPOC community, and disabled folks to be heard, to body positivity, safety on set, awards representation, and more, not to mention creating content that has entertained and informed millions.

That content not only got us through the pandemic, but it is our economic engine in the worldwide markets. You will not want to miss this party, with corporate partners like fashion icon David Yurman and many others - NYWIFT is bringing the community back together to celebrate women leaders in the media field!" said NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez.

"After two years of a virtual Muse, I am excited to gather in person with my fellow NYWIFT members to celebrate an amazing slate of talented and accomplished women like Maria Hinojosa, who has been one of the journalists working tirelessly to bring diverse stories and diverse talent to public media and the news industry," said NYWIFT Board of Directors President Leslie Fields-Cruz.

"We at David Yurman are thrilled to design the awards for NYWIFT's 43rd annual Muse Awards. NYWIFT's mission to illuminate women in media and strengthen gender parity in the industry aligns with the David Yurman values of inclusion and female empowerment, and we are honored to continue our partnership for the third year in a row, said Carolyn Dawkins, Chief Marketing Officer at David Yurman.

This year, NYWIFT is thrilled to announce the inaugural Enid Roth Award Excellence in Journalism Award, with the organizational support of the Enid Roth estate. The award is named for Roth, an Emmy winner who had a celebrated 40-year career in journalism in New York and was the longtime Director of Local News at NBC. The Enid Roth Award for Excellence in Journalism will recognize trailblazing women in journalism. This year's award will be presented to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.

NYWIFT is also excited to continue its partnership with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment with the "Made in NY" Award. Established in 2006, the "Made in NY" Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to New York City's entertainment industry over the course of their careers.

"We are proud to present this year's "Made in NY" Award to Danielle Brooks, a powerhouse of both NYC's stage and screen who ascended from Juilliard to bring to life one of the most memorable characters in 'Orange Is the New Black' and deliver inspirational performances on Broadway, notably in 'The Color Purple' and most recently in 'The Piano Lesson,'" said the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner, Anne del Castillo. "In honoring her with the "Made in NY" Award at NYWIFT's Muse Awards this year, we celebrate her career and her ongoing efforts to portray strong characters, promote body positivity, and support women's creative voices in NYC."

Founded in 1977 by producer/director Lenore DeKoven, Hollywood Reporter New York bureau chief Morna Murphy Martell, and writer/director/producer and marketing executive Marilyn Casselman, NYWIFT connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity and equity in media, to better reflect our world and transform our culture. The Muse Awards gala luncheon is NYWIFT's flagship fundraising event - and a highlight of the New York City entertainment industry calendar - attended by an enthusiastic audience of 700 leading executives from every major studio, broadcast and cable network, and film production facility.

Danielle Brooks is an Award-winning actress and singer. She most recently starred in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play THE PIANO LESSON opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington and directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Brooks just wrapped filming THE COLOR PURPLE, the Warner Bros. feature film adaption coming out in December of the Broadway musical which previously garnered Brooks a Tony nomination, where she will reprise the iconic role of "Sofia."

She can also currently be seen in James Gunn's HBO Max spinoff series PEACEMAKER. Brooks, a graduate of The Juilliard School, is the co-founder of "Black Women on Broadway."

Photo by Ira Black

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