Alliance for Women in Media Foundation Announces Sponsors of 40th Annual Gracies Awards Gala

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is pleased to announce longtime supporter Ford Motor Company as the official automobile sponsor and Crown Media Family Networks as the reception sponsor of the 40^th Annual Gracies Awards Gala. The 40th Annual Gracies Awards Gala will take place on May 19, 2015, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.

"We are happy to have Ford back and to welcome Crown Media this year," said Kristen Welch, AWMF Chair and SVP, Global Content Operations at Discovery Communications. "With the support of our sponsors and the AWMF community, we are proud to honor outstanding individuals and programming by, for or about women, especially in our 40^th year."

"Crown Media Family Networks is honored to be a part of the iconic Gracie Awards and support The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation," said Bill Abbott, President & Chief Executive Officer, Crown Media Family Networks. "The AWM's efforts to recognize the contributions of pioneering women in entertainment and to empower young women as they embark on their careers continually raise the bar in our industry."

"Henry Ford recognized the need to provide opportunities for women back in the early 1920's, and we are proud to continue that tradition," said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "By working with the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, we are providing deserving young women the opportunity to improve their education and meet their full potential."

The new 2015 Ford Lincoln MKC will be on display at the gala.

Other sponsors of the Gracies Gala include Charles and Moll Anderson Family Foundation, CNN, AMC Networks, Katz Media Group, NCTA, National Association of Broadcasters / NABEF and CBS Entertainment.

The Gracies Awards (also known as "the Gracies") recognize exemplary programming created by, for and about women in all facets of media, including radio, television, cable and new media. The awards program also encourages the realistic and multifaceted portrayal of women in entertainment, news, features and other programs. This year's program features Tracee Ellis Ross as host, Linda Perry as entertainment, Amy Pham as DJ and Kristen Johnston as opening comedian.

The Gracies are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Alliance for Women in Media that supports educational programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Gracies Awards, established in 1975, honors programming and individuals of the highest caliber in all facets of radio, television, cable and webbased media, including news, drama, comedy, commercials, public service, documentary and sports.

For more information about the 2015 Gracies Awards, please visit www.thegracies.org. For the most uptodate, insider information, follow the Gracies Awards on Twitter @thegracies.

ABOUT CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS
Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit of Crown Media Holdings, Inc. housing cable's leading family friendly networks, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as well as their corresponding digital extensions HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMoviesandMysteries.com. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 85 million subscribers and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 56 million homes in the United States. Hallmark Channel features an ambitious slate of original content, including movies; scripted series, such as Cedar Cove, When Calls the Heart, and Good Witch; annual specials like Hero Dog Awards and Kitten Bowl; world premieres of Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations, and a daily 2-hour lifestyle show, Home & Family. Hallmark Channel is also home to annual holiday franchise, Countdown to Christmas, featuring a lineup of 24/7 holiday programming, including The 12 New Movies of Christmas. Rounding out the networks' lineup are television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Middle, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, recently rebranded from Hallmark Movie Channel, is a 24-hour digital cable network featuring a unique mix of original movies and acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and mystery genres. The network also features its own annual holiday programming franchise, the Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas, as well as presentations from the award-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame library. For more information, please visit www.crownmediapress.com Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter (Join the conversation at #HeartofTV), Pinterest, GetGlue, YouTube
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving.  Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning and other inspiring programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people's lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.

About the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation:
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television) supports and promotes educational programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has created partnerships and jointinitiatives with the National Middle School Association, the Emma Bowen Foundation, the American Red Cross and other organizations that are philosophically aligned with the mission of the Foundation. The Foundation also supports Empowering America®, an initiative which pays tribute to many of America's most pioneering and inspiring women. Through this program, the Foundation provides Empowering America® educational collateral to needy urban middle schools around the country. The Foundation also produces nationally acclaimed recognition programs, including the Gracie Awards®, a live gala that honors exemplary programming created for, by, and about women.

SOURCE Alliance for Women in Media

Related Links

http://www.allwomeninmedia.org