ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION’S 50TH ANNUAL GRACIE AWARDS CELEBRATED FIVE DECADES OF HONORING TRAILBLAZING WOMEN IN MEDIA

Hosted by Comedian Fortune Feimster the Milestone Event Highlighted the Power of Women’s Voices 

Grammy-Winning Artist Cam Electrified the Audience with Powerful Performances

Winners Included Hunter King, Jaime Kern Lima, Norah O’Donnell, Stephanie Koenig, Lisa Ling, and More; Presenters Included Joey King, Bethany Joy Lenz, Christina Hendricks, Jenna Dewan, Jimmy Kimmel, Karen Pittman, Kyle Richards, Megyn Price, and Monica Lewinsky

Los Angeles, CA (May 20, 2025)–Tonight, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) proudly celebrated their 50th Annual Gracie Awards with a star-studded evening recognizing the influential women who continue to shape the media landscape. Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the historic event was hosted by comedian and actress Fortune Feimster, whose signature humor and heartfelt storytelling captivated the audience and set the tone for a night of laughs, inspiration, and celebration. The night ended on a high note with the incredible vocals of Grammy-winning artist Cam, whose musical talent gripped the audience.

The evening featured moving tributes, impactful acceptance speeches, and a renewed commitment from AWMF to continue its mission of advocating for inclusive representation and empowering the next generation of women in media. This year’s Gracies are going to a record-breaking 160 winners from across the media landscape.

Presenters included inspiring figures such as Atsuko Okatsuka, Bethany Joy Lenz, Christina Hendricks, Jenna Dewan, Jillian Escoto Ong, Jimmy Kimmel, Jo Ling Kent, Joey King, Karen Pittman, Kyle Richards, Monica Lewinsky, Sean Valentine, and Teddi Mellencamp,all of whom presented awards and made a lasting impact on the evening’s honorees. Winners in attendance include Allison Tolman, Angela Yee, Carolina Miranda, Christine Ebersole, Dara Reneé, Deidrich Bader, Ed Begley Jr., Hunter King, Jaime Kern Lima, Jon Cryer, Lisa Cryer, Lisa Ling, Loni Love, Megyn Price, Morgan Dudley, Nneka Onuorah, Norah O’Donnell, Stephanie Koenig,Tyler Hynes and more. And keeping social media followers updated on the evening’s special moments were Reneé and Dudley (Descendants: The Rise of Red)who joined AWMF as this year’s Digital Impact Ambassadors.

NOTABLE MOMENTS

• Fortune Feimster started the show with her charismatic humor saying, “…there’s nothing I enjoy more than being in a room full of women. Not because I’m gay, though that does factor into this.” And, through her personal experiences, she highlighted the importance of representation by saying, “Let’s talk about the importance of representation. When I was a kid, there was no ‘Will and Grace,’ there was no ‘Xena the Warrior Princess.’ There surely was no WNBA or ‘We Can Do Hard Things.’ Representation matters — and seeing women tell the truth, challenge the system, or just make us laugh through a rough week? That changes people. And for some of us, it literally made us realize we’re gay.”
• Jimmy Kimmel takes the stage to present the award for Writer – Unscripted to his wife, Molly McNearney—but not without delivering a few trademark laughs first. Before getting to the main event, he turns to comedian Fortune Feimster, quipping, “Has anyone asked about the orphan girls yet?”—referring to the glittering, golden-girls who handed out the Gracie statues. “Pretty sure that’s illegal,” he deadpans. With the crowd laughing, Kimmel shifts into a more heartfelt tone and gives his wife the flowers she deserves. “She is proof,” he says, “that becoming emotionally entangled with your boss is always a very good idea.” He praises Molly for juggling it all, calling her “the person I trust the most—both at home and at work.” He highlights her advocacy for women in the industry and beyond, and then closes with a smile: “And she’s funny, too.”
• In a surprising family affair, Joey King, celebrated sister Hunter’s accomplishments by presenting her and the cast of “Holiday Touchdown, A Chiefs’ Love Story,” with the Best Ensemble Cast – Made for TV Movie.” While, Jamie King, Hunter and Joey’s mom, handed them with the Gracie statue.
• The first ever Gracie for Best Women’s Health News Feature or Series tore at every emotional string. Kyle Richards and Teddi Mellencamp, who is living her own cancer journey, presented the award to Sara Sidner for “Sara Sidner’s Breast Cancer Journey.” Through chemo, surgery and fear, Sara showed up and let the world see her journey, people witnessed honesty and vulnerability.  Teddi expressed that “Because of Sara, women finally booked their mammograms. Because of Sara, people saw that even when your body feels broken, your spirit can be stronger than ever.” Sara took the stage and revealed that just a few days ago she had surgery to remove an infected breast implant. She told the audience that looking perfect is not important, the most important thing is that we are here. “We only have a finenight amount of time so please stop using it to try to be perfect and look perfect… you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you.” 
• Another emotional moment of the night came when Jenna Dewan presented the award to Carolyn Hepburn for SC Featured: The 6-Year Plan. While taking the stage, Hepburn was joined by the four remarkable Mamba basketball players who were coached by Kobe Bryant. She went on to say: “in 2017, Kobe handpicked 11 girls to join his Mamba AAU basketball team, with a bold vision to develop them over six years and lead them to a state high school championship. He called it “The 6-Year Plan.” After the tragic loss of Kobe and several others, these young women chose to honor his legacy. They carried out his vision with resilience and heart, ultimately winning the state championship he and they had dreamed of. These talented women show up, play on, and honor their lost loved ones with courage, determination, and love.”
• Throughout the night stories of past scholarship winners were highlighted. Fatima Moein, Lisa Ling, Lesli Foster and Pavlina Osta spoke about the impact the Gracies have had on their careers and what it meant to win and receive a scholarship. Becky Brooks, President of AWMF, reminded the audience that the Gracie Awards are the largest fundraiser for the organization providing scholarships, mentorship, and programming for women at every stage of their careers. It helps support the next generation of women in media.
• Jamie Kern Lima highlighted the importance of speaking your truth, that tonight’s award “is proof that stories told from the soul… stories rooted in truth and vulnerability… matter.” She went on to deliver a speech that resonated, saying, “Your story doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful…You don’t have to fit the mold to make magic… You don’t need to earn a seat at the table – You are the table! So, to every woman who’s ever felt unheard, or unseen, or underestimated — your voice matters. Your story matters. And you don’t have to change who you are to be worthy of being heard. You don’t need permission to share your voice — you are the permission…”

Below, please find links to access house footage, which includes b-roll of arrivals; interviews with honorees and presenters; clips from the ceremony; and more.

Video Credit – Getty Images Video: (EPK) Alliance For Women In Media Foundation’s 50th Annual Gracie Awards

Photo Credit – Getty on behalf of The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation: https://dam.gettyimages.com/selects/50th-annual-gracie-awards

The Gracie Awards are proudly sponsored by Disney Entertainment, Katz Media Group, The Internet & Television Association, Premiere Networks, Morgan Stanley, CNN, FOX Sports, CBS News, NBC Sports, Bloomberg, Hallmark Media, Jamie Kern Lima, NBC Entertainment, Hempz, ABC News, ESPN, and FarmHouse Fresh.

The Gracie Awards Gala will be produced by female-owned production companies, and all-female production teams from Do Great Projects and Mythical Creatures with Kristin Whalley serving as Executive Producer.

The complete list of this year’s winners may be found at www.allwomeninmedia.org.

About The Gracie Awards
The Gracie Awards is the largest fundraiser of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation which advances women in media through educational programs and scholarships. The Gracie Awards honors exemplary programming and individual talent created by, for, and about women. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has created partnerships and joint initiatives with the Emma Bowen Foundation, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and other organizations that are philosophically aligned with the mission of the Foundation. For more information about The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and the Gracie Awards please visit allwomeninmedia.org and follow us on X (@AllWomeninMedia), (#TheGracies), Instagram (@allwomeninmedia), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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