Top Honors Presented at the 47th Annual Gracie Awards

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, May 25, 2022

47th Annual Gracie Awards

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation presented the 47th Annual Gracie Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Hosted by Holly Robinson Peete, the awards recognized exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. Ava Duvernay, Jillian Mercado, Tamron Hall and Pose received top honors during the ceremony.

Highlights from the awards include:

• Actress Jillian Mercado received the Gracie Award for her role in the Showtime drama The L Word: Generation Q, which she dedicated to the millions of people with disabilities who want to see physical manifestations of themselves on screen. In a heartfelt speech she said, "It was hard to imagine that as a young disabled Latina, I would ever be on this stage with you all winning this award for Actress in a Breakthrough Role. My mind can't honestly compute what is happening but I am so beyond thankful and grateful to be here." She continued, "opportunities are far and few in between for the disabled community. We must do better."

• Tamron Hall accepted the Gracie Award for "Best On-Air Talent." In her acceptance speech, she spoke about the importance of seeing diverse role models on screen and noted her appreciation for trailblazers like Carole Simpson, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Linsey Davis. Hall concluded her speech by addressing the Texas elementary school tragedy, saying. "You don't have to be a parent to understand pain, you don't have to be a mom to understand loss, but you have to be a human to open your eyes and to see that none of us should rest easy tonight because too many tonight won't be able to say goodnight."

• Award-winning writer, director and producer Ava DuVernay accepted the award for "Best Family Series" for her first unscripted television series Home Sweet Home that sends powerful messages about inclusion and acceptance, and used the platform to encourage empathy after today's Texas elementary school tragedy. "It's so important to tell these [types of] stories because the stories that we tell each other matter. If we can tell stories that allow us to see each other in ways that we truly are our most intimate spaces, maybe we would safeguard so that there were not shootings, mass shootings. If we could just see each other, understand each other, have empathy for each other... . See each other," DuVernay pressed, "and let's be kind and better to each other. Storytelling can do that."

• POSE was honored with the Grand Award for Drama. Actor Our Lady J took the stage to accept the award from Medalion Rahimi. "Thank you for tuning in to laugh with us, and not at us, as trans women continue to be the butt of jokes today," she said. "We're at a very volatile moment and a very sensitive and delicate moment for the trans community and for the world at whole. We know that we can go backwards in time and it's organizations, and thanks to allyships of every person in this room tonight that hopefully we won't go back in time."

• Actress Nasim Pedrad accepted the award for "Best Actress in a Breakthrough Role in Comedy '' for CHAD, for which she is also creator, writer, executive producer and showrunner. She thanked the Alliance for Women in Media and her parents, saying, "Mom, I can't think of anything less exciting for immigrant parents than to find out your daughter wants a career in improv, but you always encouraged me to follow my heart and do what makes me happy."

• Rose McIver presented the award for "Best Actress in Leading Role Drama" to Melanie Lynskey for her character in Showtime's acclaimed new series Yellowjackets. In her acceptance speech, Melanie joked, "It's amazing to be 45 years old in a size 12... and be playing the sexiest, most interesting, most fun role of my entire career. I never thought it was going to get better, but it did."

• Medha Gandhi awarded "Co-host Radio Nationally Syndicated said, "I was often told by the higher ups in this industry that I was too different, too much of a tomboy, too nerdy, too outspoken, and not QUITE blonde enough to advance in this business. But, thanks to a few guardian angels who had some faith in me, here we are."

• "We all benefit from standing on the shoulders of the successful women who have been honored before us on this Gracie stage," a highlight of the show from Ellen K, receiving Weekend Host/Personality Entertainment.

Singer-songwriter Christina Perri unveiled her baby bump for the first time on the red carpet and then performed during the show. She opened the gala with a special performance of her chart-topping single "A Thousand Years." Later in the evening she returned to the stage to perform "Evergone," a deeply personal song off of her new album about the loss of her daughter.

Additional winners, presenters and notable attendees included Dana Cortez, Brie and Nikki Bella, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Sheinelle Jones, Bethany Joy Lenz, Shannon Thornton, Sarah Thomas, Angelica Vale, Zach Sang, Ashley Williams, Mimi Rogers, the Mathis family, Deon Cole and more.

To view the complete list of winners, their work and acceptance speeches, visit allwomeninmedia.org.