Viola Davis to Receive First Ever #SeeHer Award | About the ANA | ANA

Viola Davis to Receive First Ever #SeeHer Award

A&E and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to Partner on First Time Award Presented at the "22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards" 

New York – December 6, 2016 – The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and A&E Network will partner at the “22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards” to introduce and present actress Viola Davis with the first-ever #SeeHer award. Davis embodies the values set forth by the #SeeHer mission, including pushing boundaries on changing stereotypes and her recognition of the importance of accurately portraying women across the entertainment landscape. The award will be given out on-air during the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards, Sunday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on A&E, hosted by T.J. Miller. 

The #SeeHer movement is spearheaded by the ANA, the largest marketing and advertising association in the United States. The initiative was launched earlier this year by the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment (ANA AFE), the industry’s foremost advocate for sophisticated, realistic, family-themed content on traditional and digital platforms. #SeeHer’s mission is to lead a movement to accurately portray all women and girls in media so that by 2020 they see themselves reflected as they truly are. 2020 is the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. 

“We are thrilled to partner with the ANA on #SeeHer. It is crucial that women, especially young women of every shape, size and ethnicity, see themselves reflected in the media. Only a small portion of the female population is portrayed, and we want to help change the dialogue,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming for A&E Network.

“#SeeHer is addressing an important issue in today’s society,” said Bob Liodice, ANA CEO.  “We are proud to be leading the movement with marketers and our industry. Partnering with A&E for this new award and having critics recognize a trailblazer who has advanced the #SeeHer initiative is a key milestone for us.”

"We are honored to have Viola Davis accept the first Critics' Choice #SeeHer award. Her commitment to gender equality in roles on screen and off is an inspiration for this movement," said Gail Tifford, Co-Founder of #SeeHer, Vice President Media and Digital Engagement, Unilever North America. 

“This award is recognition of what #SeeHer embodies,” added ANA AFE Chair Stephen Quinn.  “Marketers and content creators need to work together to ensure change.”

The Critics' Choice Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA (Broadcast Film Critics Association) and BTJA (Broadcast Television Journalists Association) to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics' organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 300 television, radio, and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film-going public. BTJA is the collective voice of almost 100 journalists who regularly cover television for TV viewers, radio listeners and online audiences. Historically, the Critics' Choice Awards are the most-accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.

The “22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards” will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment.  BFCA/BTJA are represented by WME and Dan Black of Greenberg Traurig.

 

About the #SeeHer Initiative

Despite the strides made to accurately portray women and women in the media, an unconscious bias persists against women and girls in advertising, media, and programming. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE) launched the #SeeHer initiative in June 2016 in a joint partnership with The Girl’s Lounge, after the White House announced the elimination of gender bias in media as critical to the nation’s future. The #SeeHer Initiative mission is to accurately portray all women and girls in media by 2020, the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote. For more information, visit www.SeeHer.com, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

About the ANA and AFE

Association of National Advertisers (ANA)

The mission of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.

ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE)

The ANA AFE is a coalition of national advertisers with more than 850 family brands, whose members represent $35-plus billion of U.S. television ad spend. The group’s mission is to find, nurture, and support high-quality content the entire family can enjoy on multiple distribution platforms. In 2016 the AFE expanded its mission to include gender equality through its #SeeHer initiative. For more information see www.SeeHer.com and www.anaafe.net.

About A&E Network

A&E leads the cultural conversation through high-quality, thought provoking original programming with a unique point of view. Whether it’s the network’s distinctive brand of award-winning disruptive reality, groundbreaking documentary, or premium scripted drama, A&E always makes entertainment an art. The A&E website is located at aetv.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aetv and Facebook at facebook.com/AETV. For more press information and photography please visit us at press.aenetworks.com.

                                                  

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Press Contact:
Jaime Yandolino, 917.833.8344
Jaime.yandolino@aenetworks.com