New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) have announced the honorees of this year’s Muse Awards. An annual tribute to “women and men of outstanding vision and achievement in front of and behind the camera in film, TV, music, and digital media,” the 2021 edition will be held virtually December 16, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. CBS Sunday Morning contributor Nancy Giles will host the ceremony, whose theme this year is perseverance.
The 2021 recipients are Sandra Oh, stage and screen actress Patina Miller, director Darnell Martin, chief inclusion officer at WarnerMedia Christy Haubegger, LGBTQ content producer Alexis Fish, and disability rights activist Jason DaSilva.
For over two decades Alexis has been at forefront of LGBTQ media advocating for queer voices in publishing, film, tv and music. As VP of Pride at MRC, she created the first Billboard Pride List, launched the first Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter Pride Summit and oversaw The Hollywood Reporter’s first annual Pride issue and list. Prior to her work as Editor of Billboard Pride, she was a founding editor of Condé Nast’s first LGBTQ vertical, them. Her award winning film producing includes executive producing John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus. She was SVP of the first independent LGBTQ television network, QTV.
“The honorees for our 42nd annual NYWIFT Muse Awards have proven that perseverance is one of the keys to becoming creative leaders in the entertainment field today,” said NYWIFT executive director Cynthia Lopez. “Each recipient is breaking barriers in their own respect and working to build inclusive media environments that offer a plethora of voices and visions including people of color, those with disabilities, and women. Their legacy will lead future generations that want to reimagine our industry. We look forward to celebrating these risk-takers, agitators for change, and visionary women and men.”
Martin will be presented with the Nancy Malone Directing Award. Her feature credits include “I Like It Like That” and “Cadillac Records.” She won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director for the former. Martin has also helmed the TV movie adaptation of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and episodes of “New Amsterdam” and “Being Mary Jane,” among many other shows.
Miller, who has appeared in productions of “Sister Act,” “Into the Woods,” and “Hair” and counts “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” and “The Many Saints of Newark” among her screen credits, will receive the Made in New York Award. DaSilva will take home the Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award.
No word on what Oh and Haubegger’s specific honors will be.
Oh most recently starred in and exec produced academia dramedy “The Chair,” and did voice work for “Raya and the Last Dragon.” She will reprise her Emmy-nominated role of Eve Polastri in the upcoming final season of “Killing Eve.” In 2018, she became the first Asian woman to receive an Emmy nod for Best Actress – Drama for the spy thriller. Overall, Oh has nabbed 12 Emmy nominations for her acting, producing, and hosting work.
