New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is pleased to announce the broadcast of the 40th Anniversary NYWIFT Muse Awards on CUNY TV throughout the second week of March 2020 in celebration of Women’s History Month. This is the first time the celebrated program – a staple of the New York entertainment industry holiday calendar – will be aired on television. The hour-long broadcast will feature highlights from the event, including empowering speeches by each honoree, as well as exclusive never-before-seen red carpet interviews.
The 40th Anniversary NYWIFT Muse Awards gala luncheon honoring women of vision and achievement both in front of and behind the camera took place on December 10, 2019 at the New York Midtown Hilton with 1,200 entertainment industry leaders in attendance. The honorees included some of the most extraordinary women in the film, television, digital and music business: seven-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actor and author Gloria Estefan; Emmy Award-winning actor Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale, Compliance, The Leftovers); Anjali Sud, CEO of Vimeo, the world’s leading professional video platform; and award-wining director, writer, actor and professor Kasi Lemmons (Harriet, Eve’s Bayou). Writer/creator Shoshannah Stern (This Close) received the Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award. Caroline Hirsch, owner of Caroline’s on Broadway and founder of the New York Comedy Festival, received the Made in NY Award from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. And NYWIFT presented producer Jane Rosenthal, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises and a past Muse honoree, with its first-ever Career Impact Achievement Award in honor of Muse’s 40th anniversary. Rosenthal’s longtime friend and collaborator Robert DeNiro made a surprise appearance to congratulate her onstage at Muse, a fun moment which is included in the CUNY broadcast. CBS commentator Nancy Giles emceed.
The full broadcast is now available on CUNY TV’s YouTube channel:
The 40th Anniversary NYWIFT Muse Awards aired on CUNY TV:
Monday, March 9th at 10 PM
Tuesday, March 10th at 3 PM
Thursday, March 12th at 8 AM and 2 PM
Saturday, March 14th at 9 AM
Sunday, March 15th at 4 PM
Monday, March 16th at 6 AM and 12 PM
Robert DeNiro makes a surprise appearance to congratulate longtime collaborator Jane Rosenthal at the 2019 NYWIFT Muse Awards (photo credit: Lars Nikki/Getty Images)
“I am thrilled to partner with a public educational institution of this caliber like CUNY TV and am so grateful to CUNY Vice Chancellor for Communications & Marketing Maite Junco and Interim Executive Director of CUNY TV Gail Yancosek for their support and diligent efforts to bring Muse to the screen,” said NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia Lopez. “Our landmark partnership with the leaders at CUNY is a perfect example of women supporting and celebrating one another, which is the heart and soul of not only the Muse Awards, but of our organization as a whole. This was my first Muse Awards as NYWIFT Executive Director, and what better way to celebrate these incredible women during our anniversary year than to broadcast their achievements to a smart, informed NYC audience.”
“The NYWIFT Muse Awards is a beloved tradition for our community of women artists, leaders, media-makers, and changemakers,” said NYWIFT Board President Jamie Zelermyer. “We are excited to share our celebration of women calling the shots with the wider New York community, and broadcasting on an educational platform like CUNY TV will hopefully inspire important conversations about women leaders and the media.”
“We are thrilled that CUNY is part of this celebration of talented women who continue to tear down barriers, lead the way and set the standard for their industry,” said CUNY Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Maite Junco, who oversees CUNY TV. “CUNY has always served as a champion for diversity and gender equity and giving people the best chance to shine and televising this event fits perfectly into our mission. A special thanks to everyone at NYWIFT for partnering with CUNY TV to amplify this cultural happening. It’s a fitting and well-timed way to recognize the impact of women everywhere during Women’s History Month.”
“As a lifelong member of NYWIFT and a lifelong woman in television, it’s a double pleasure to present this program to all our CUNY TV viewers, men and women alike, and share the exceptional stories of the women honored with a NYWIFT MUSE Award,” said CUNY TV Interim Executive Director Gail Yancosek.
See the full CUNY TV broadcast schedule at https://tv.cuny.edu/schedule.php
Learn more about the NYWIFT Muse Awards at www.nywift.org/muse.
