‘Hacks,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘The Morning Show’ Among 2024 Sentinel Awards Winners
Hollywood, Health & Society, a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, unveiled its winners for this year’s Sentinel Awards on Wednesday, ahead of its celebratory ceremony on Oct. 24.
HH&S has presented the Sentinel Awards for nearly 25 years, recognizing some of the best TV storylines that responsibly inform audiences on critical topics, including climate change, racism, abortion and addiction.
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The ceremony, held at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, will be hosted by comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran Laraine Newman, with presenters including Sarayu Blue from Expats, Matt Shively and Selenis Leyva of Lopez vs Lopez and Yeardley Smith from The Simpsons.
“Television has the power to affect audiences’ perceptions and influence how they view and engage with the world. While entertainment is vital, it should never compromise accuracy, especially when addressing important topics — a hallmark of Norman Lear’s legacy. Thoughtful and responsible storytelling can educate, inspire and drive meaningful conversations, something critical to the evolution of our society,” Kate Folb, program director for Hollywood, Health & Society, said in a statement.
A full list of this year’s winners is below.
The Culture of Health:
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), body of work for 20 seasons — Shonda Rhimes (creator, executive producer), Meg Marinis (executive producer/showrunner, writer)
Depiction of Abortion:
The Morning Show (Apple TV+), “The Kármán Line” — Charlotte Stoudt (executive producer/showrunner, writer)
Depiction of Addiction:
Lopez vs Lopez (NBC), “Lopez vs Sobriety” and “Lopez vs George” — Debby Wolfe (creator, executive producer/showrunner, writer), George Lopez (creator, executive producer), Mayan Lopez (creator, producer), Dan Signer (writer)
Depiction of Caregiving:
Expats (Prime Video), “Central” — Lulu Wang (creator, showrunner, director, writer)
Depiction of End of Life:
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (FX), “Beautiful Babe” — Jon Robin Baitz (executive producer, writer, developed by)
Depiction of Mental Health:
Gen V (Prime Video), “#ThinkBrink” – Michele Fazekas (executive producer/ showrunner), Erica Rosbe (executive producer, writer)
Depiction of Smoking and Vaping:
Abbott Elementary (ABC), “Smoking” – Quinta Brunson (creator, executive producer/showrunner), Jordan Temple (co-executive producer, writer)
Depiction of Racism:
The Big Cigar (Apple TV+), “Panther/Producer” — Jim Hecht (executive producer, writer, developed by), Janine Sherman Barrois (executive producer/showrunner)
Depiction of Racism in Healthcare:
Dark Winds (AMC), multi-episode storyline — Graham Roland (creator, executive producer, writer), John Wirth (executive producer/showrunner, writer)
Depiction of Climate Consciousness:
Hacks (Max), “One Day” – Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (creators, executive producers, showrunners), Carol Leifer (co-executive producer, writer), Carolyn Lipka (writer)
Depiction of Economic Disparity:
The Simpsons (Fox), “Night of the Living Wage” – Matt Selman (executive producer/showrunner), Cesar Mazariegos (writer, supervising producer)
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