Oscar-Winning Actors Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin to Host the 2023 Media Access Awards with Easterseals
MAA Media Press Contact
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis - Christina Canseco, Pipere Boggio, Haley Powers, Justine Castillo
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Allison Gray
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LOS ANGELES – October 17, 2023 – Today, the Media Access Awards and nonprofit disability services provider Easterseals Southern California announced the hosts and honorees for the 2023 Media Access Awards. The annual awards ceremony will honor artists and film and television projects that are inclusive of disabled characters and actors at an intimate, star-studded celebration in Hollywood, CA on Tuesday, November 7. The 2023 Media Access Awards will air Sunday, December 3 at 9 p.m. PT on KCET, and Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal, with streaming on both websites and on the free PBS App. This will mark the first time in history that an awards show focused on celebrating disability representation will air on broadcast television.
Founded by Norman Lear in 1979, the Media Access Awards will once again pay tribute to individuals that have redefined on-screen representation for the disability community, while advancing the portrayal and employment of people with disabilities in Hollywood. Oscar-winning actors Troy Kotsur (“CODA”) and Marlee Matlin (“Children of a Lesser God,” “CODA”) will host the evening, marking the first time in history that two Deaf performers have hosted an awards show together.
“2023 has been another incredible year for on-screen diversity and inclusion for the disabled community,” said co-CEO’s of the Media Access Awards, Deborah Calla and Allen Rucker. “We can’t wait to celebrate these talented individuals once again for their strong efforts in furthering disability representation in film and television.”
The evening’s honorees are selected by the diversity committees of their professional guilds with awards from the Casting Society of America (CSA), Producers Guild of America (PGA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA). This year’s honorees are:
Media Access Norman Lear-Geri Jewell Lifetime Achievement Award
Named for the famed producer and the first disabled woman in a recurring role in a primetime comedy, which is awarded to an individual whose body of work includes and celebrates the disability experience.
- Honoree: Simon Cowell (“American Idol,” “America’s Got Talent”)
Media Access Award for Best Director
Awarded to a film or TV director, disabled or non-disabled, for achievement in the accurate portrayal of the disability experience.
- Honoree: Paris Barclay (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”)
Writers Guild of America West Evan Somers Memorial Award
Awarded to a writer or writers for achievement in writing accurate, three-dimensional disabled characters and story lines.
- Honorees: Peter Horton and David Schulner (“New Amsterdam”)
Easterseals Impact Award
Honoring an individual who through their work in entertainment, philanthropy or public discourse have advanced the effort for disability acceptance and inclusion.
- Honoree: Lauren “Lolo” Spencer (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”)
Casting Society of America Award
Awarded to a casting agent or agents who seek out and cast disabled performers for roles that indicate a disability and those that don’t.
- Honorees: Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn (“The Healing Powers of Dude”)
Producers Guild of America George Sunga Award
Awarded to a television, film or documentary producer that features disabled characters, performers and story lines.
- Honoree: Davis Guggenheim (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” “An Inconvenient Truth”)
Christopher Reeve Acting Award
A cash award created by Christopher Reeve, awarded to a disabled actor to celebrate their career in film or television.
- Honoree: Tobias Forrest (“Daruma,” “How To Get Away With Murder”)
Guests will be treated to a night filled with unforgettable moments and surprise appearances, including stand-up comedy by Ryan Niemiller and Nic Novicki, plus a musical performance by Amanda Mammana and presenters to be announced in the coming weeks.
“This is a landmark and historic achievement for the Media Access Awards with Easterseals to be broadcast on television. We are thrilled this amazing show celebrating disability in front of and behind the camera will be seen for the first time by a wider audience. We appreciate PBS SoCal for their inclusivity and shared vision with us around the importance of showcasing and honoring disability in entertainment, “ said Mark Whitley, CEO Easterseals Southern California.
The 2023 Media Access Awards with Easterseals Southern California ceremony is underwritten by Kevin & Claudia Bright, United Airlines, IMDbPro, Murray Reese Foundation, and Ruderman Foundation, with a special thanks to Reeve Foundation. Media Access Awards partners include DGA, WGA West, PGA, and CSA. For more information on this year’s underwriters, click here.
The 2023 Media Access Awards is produced by Calla Productions and co-produced by PBS SoCal/KCET, with executive producers Deborah Calla and show writer Allen Rucker.
For more information about the Media Access Awards, please visitmediaaccessawards.com or follow the conversation on Twitter,Facebook, and Instagram. The 2023 Media Access Awards will be seen exclusively onKCET on Sunday, December 3 at 9 p.m. PT and on PBS SoCal on Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m. PT with streaming on both websites and on the free PBS App. Viewers will be able to broadcast or stream this program with the option of closed captions or an audio description. Audio description provided by Woman of her Word.
About the Media Access Awards
As the largest minority group on the planet—and as the only minority group that anyone can join at any point of his or her life—the disability community is a robust, diverse, and integral part of our global fabric. The Media Access Awards celebrate this fact by honoring, highlighting, and promoting disability and its depictions in film, television, and new media. The Media Access Awards aim to recognize depictions of disability that are accurate, inclusive, and multi-faceted. Our awards ceremony honors those industry professionals who have advanced disability-related narrative in fields including writing, producing, casting, performance, and directing. We are proud and pleased to be at the forefront of creating and promoting opportunities for some of the brightest talents in the industry. www.mediaaccessawards.com
About Easterseals Southern California
Easterseals is leading the way to full equity, inclusion and access through life-changing disability and community services. For more than 100 years, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities. Easterseals Southern California provides essential services and on-the-ground supports to more than 15,000 people each year—from early childhood programs for the critical first five years, to autism services, daily and independent living services for adults, employment programs, and more. Our public education, policy and advocacy initiatives positively shape perceptions and address the urgent and evolving needs of the one in four Americans with disabilities today. Together, we’re empowering people with disabilities, families and communities to be full and equal participants in society. Learn more at: https://www.easterseals.com/southerncal.
About PBS SoCal and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org. KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO SmartCast TV. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.