Celebs Attend 37th Annual Gracie Awards

Los Angeles, CA – May 23, 2012 – Last night, Hollywood’s stars shone a little brighter as the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) descended upon the historic Beverly Hilton Hotel, for the 37th Annual Gracie Awards. 2012 National Gracie Award winners were honored in a star-studded gala hosted by Emmy® Award-winning actress Angela Kinsey. The Gracie Awards (also known as “the Gracies”) recognize exemplary programming created for women, by women, and about women in all facets of media, including radio, television, cable and new media.  The awards program also encourages the realistic and multifaceted portrayal of women in entertainment, news, features and other programs.

The black-tie Gala attracted the best and brightest in the industry including: Premiere Network’s Delilah; TNT Rizzoli & Isles’ Lorraine Bracco; ABCGrey Anatomy’s Loretta Devine; Best-selling author and Food Network’s Giada de Laurentiis; Academy-Award winner Sally Field; NBC News/Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie; TNT Rizzoli & Isles’ Angie Harmon; RLTV’s Florence Henderson; NBC Chuck’s Zachary Levi; ABC Family Switched at Birth’sConstance Marie; Academy-Award winner Marlee Matlin; E! and Style Network’s Giuliana Rancic; Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson; CNN Early Start’s Zoraida Sambolin; USA Network Fairly Legal’s Sarah Shahi; Miss Representation’s Jennifer Siebel Newsom; CBS CSI’s Elisabeth Shue; ESPN’sHannah Storm; ABC Modern Family’s Ariel Winter…and hundreds more.

The audience was dazzled by electrifying musical performances by singer-songwriter and Universal Republic Recording Artist Vicci Martinez, a top-four finalist from season one of The Voice on NBC, and by Hannah McIalwain, a contender from season one of The Glee Project on Oxygen.

“The Gracies Gala is a wonderful event, and the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is proud to recognize such extraordinary women,” said AWMF Chair Valerie K. Blackburn. “It’s an honor to be in this community of talented women who are so committed to creating innovative, intelligent and insightful programming.”

The Gracies are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Alliance for Women in Media that supports educational programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Gracie Awards, established in 1975, honors programming and individuals of the highest caliber in all facets of radio, television, cable and web-based media, including news, drama, comedy, commercials, public service, documentary and sports.

The event is made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: A+E Networks/Lifetime, Arbitron, Inc., Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., CBS News, CNN, Disney/ABC Television Group, E! Networks, ESPN/espnW, Food Network/Cooking Channel, Ford Motor Company Fund, Katz Media Group, Inc., National Association of Broadcasters/NABEF, NBC News, Oxygen Media, Premiere Networks, and RLTV;  Media Partner:  Ovation; Beauty Sponsor:  Sexy Hair; Wine Sponsor: House of Mandela.

For more information about the 2012 Gracies, please visit www.thegracies.org. For the most up-to-date, insider information, follow the Gracie Awards on Twitter @thegracies.