The Muse Awards, NYWIFT’s annual gala holiday luncheon, celebrate the vision and achievements of women who work in the entertainment industry. Each year, remarkable and accomplished women are honored with this prestigious award. It is NYWIFT’s flagship fundraising event — a highlight of the New York City holiday season in the entertainment industry — and is attended by an enthusiastic audience of 1,200 leading executives from every major studio, broadcast and cable network, and film production facility.
Past Honorees
2024: Raney Aronson-Rath (Enid Roth Award for Excellence in Journalism), Alex Borstein (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award), Tantoo Cardinal, Fran Drescher, Latasha Gillespie, Millicent Simmonds, (Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award), Kyra Sedgwick, Michèle Stephenson (Nancy Malone Directing Award)
2023: Arianna Bocco, Danielle Brooks (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award), Deborah Chow (Nancy Malone Directing Award), Maria Hinojosa (Enid Roth Award for Excellence in Journalism), Sandra Lee, Freida Pinto, Lauren Ridloff (Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award), Sharon Stone, Janet Yang
2021: Sandra Oh, Christy Haubegger, Darnell Martin (Nancy Malone Directing Award), Alexis Fish, Patina Miller (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award), Jason DaSilva (Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award)
2020: Awkwafina (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award), Rachel Brosnahan, Rashida Jones, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, Alana Mayo, Gina Prince-Bythewood (Nancy Malone Directing Award), and Ali Stroker (Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award)
2019: Ann Dowd, Gloria Estefan, Caroline Hirsch (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award); Anjali Sud, Kasi Lemmons (Nany Malone Directing Award), Shoshannah Stern (Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award), Jane Rosenthal (Career Impact Achievement Award)
2018: Ellen Burstyn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lisa Nishimura, Tricia Brock (Nancy Malone Directing Award), Maysoon Zayid (Loreen Arbus Award), Terry Lawler (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award)
2017: Laura Dern, Judith Light, Amy Emmerich, Julie Dash (Nancy Malone Directing Award), Regina K. Scully (Loreen Arbus Award), Alysia Reiner (Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Made in NY Award)
2016: Mary-Louise Parker, Martha Plimpton, Debi Mazar, Jacki Kelley, Amy Goodman (Loreen Arbus Award)
2015: Gabourey Sidibe, Blythe Danner, Patricia Clarkson, Sarah Barnett, Victoria Alonso, Lizz Winstead (Loreen Arbus Award)
2014: Mary Bailey, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dawn Ostroff, Wanda Sykes, Abigail Disney (Loreen Arbus Award)
2013: Ellen Barkin, Connie Britton, Robin Wright, Sonia Manzano, Frances Berwick, Nancy Malone (Loreen Arbus Award)
2012: Mariska Hargitay, Lucy Liu, Lisa F. Jackson, Kim Martin, Debra Zimmerman & Women Make Movies (Loreen Arbus Award)
2011: Christine Baranski, Marcie Bloom, Claire Danes, Nadine Shelby Schramm, Martha Stewart, Independent Television Service (ITVS) (Loreen Arbus Award)
2010: Vanessa Williams, Cindi Berger, Pat Swinney Kaufman, Abbe Raven, Marsha Hunt
2009: America Ferrera, Julianna Margulies, Allison Silverman, Andrea Wong, Chicken & Egg Pictures (Loreen Arbus Award)
2008: Linda Kaplan-Thaler, Laura Linney, Cynthia Nixon, Cyma Zarghami, Eastman Kodak (Loreen Arbus Award)
2007: Gale Anne Hurd, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Suzana Peric, Julie Taymor, Lauren Zalaznick
2006: Betty Cohen, Katie Couric, Mable Haddock, Ellen Lewis, John Wells
2005: Tina Fey, Debra Lee, Julianne Moore, Susan E. Morse
2004: Lee Grant, Susan Lucci, Anne Sweeney, Kristi Zea
2003: Whoopi Goldberg, Bonnie Hammer, Ellen Kuras, Emma Thompson
2002: Frances McDormand, Kate McEnroe, Lois Smith, Alfre Woodard
2001: Dede Allen, Meryl Poster, Phylicia Rashad, Liv Ullmann
2000: Annette Bening, Carole Black, Madhur Jaffrey, Rachel Portman
1999: Mary Lea Bandy; Anjelica Huston; Barbara Kopple; Marquita Pool-Eckert; Cicely Tyson
1998: Candice Bergen; Ida Lupino (posthumously); Sheila Nevins; Dyanna Taylor
1997: Ruby Dee; Judy McGrath; Mira Nair; Barbara Walters; Dianne Wiest
1996: Mary Tyler Moore; Rita Moreno; Rosie O’Donnell; Juliet Taylor; Christine Vachon
1995: Angela Bassett; Diane Keaton; Cokie Roberts; Gena Rowlands; Thelma Schoonmaker
1994: Lauren Bacall; Grace Blake; Karen Cooper; Sally Field; Penny Marshall; Jane Pauley
1993: Jane Alexander; Robert De Niro; Pat Fili-Krushel; Holly Hunter; Charlayne Hunter-Gault; Jane Rosenthal
1992: Linda Ellerbee; Nora Ephron; Kay Koplovitz; Diane Sokolow
1991: Jodie Foster; Linda Gottlieb; Peggy Rajski
1990: Geraldine Laybourne; Susan Sarandon; Patrizia von Brandenstein
1989: Glenn Close; Susan Seidelman; Joan Micklin Silver
1988: Sigourney Weaver
1987: Barbara Corday
1986: Jessica Lange
1985: Lily Tomlin; Jane Wagner
1984: Goldie Hawn; Anthea Sylbert
1983: Meryl Streep
1982: Dustin Hoffman
1981: Robert Benton; Arlene Donovan
1980: Pauline Kael
