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"Made in NY" Awards
"Made in NY" Awards 2009
On June 15, 2009, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the fourth annual "Made in NY" awards to six individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the City's entertainment industry. Actress Edie Falco; Broadway composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gerry Byrne, Senior Vice President for the Entertainment Group at Nielson Business Media; Hungry Man, a New York-based commercial production company; Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, a not-for-profit advocacy organization; and "Sesame Street", which celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2009, were honored at the ceremony at Gracie Mansion. The Mayor was introduced by Elmo from "Sesame Street" and joined by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber and Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting Commissioner Katherine Oliver.
At the ceremony, Mayor Bloomberg acknowledged the CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light," which will come to an end this fall after fifty-seven years on air. The show, which the Guinness Book of World Records named the world's longest-running TV drama, has been based in New York City since 1949 when it was a radio serial. The Mayor also recognized recent New York City College of Technology graduate Michael McLean, the first recipient of the "Made in NY" Scholarship, which is awarded to students who are pursuing a baccalaureate degree in the Entertainment Technology field at the New York City College of Technology.
Edie Falco
She is known to television audiences from her Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG award-winning role of Carmela Soprano on the groundbreaking HBO series "The Sopranos." She has also been featured in recurring roles on the HBO dramatic series "Oz" and the NBC series "Law & Order" and "Homicide." Falco has appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning play Sideman and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. She can currently be seen in the Showtime series "Nurse Jackie," which is filmed entirely in New York City.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
A native New Yorker, Lin-Manuel Miranda is the composer-lyricist-star of the 2008 Tony Winner for Best Musical, In the Heights. In the Heights received four 2008 Tony Awards, nine Drama Desk Nominations, including Best Music, Best Lyrics, and an award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. He collaborated with Stephen Sondheim to translate selected songs in the new revival of West Side Story into Spanish. He has also composed music for PBS's show "The Electric Company."
Gerry Byrne
In 2008, Gerry Byrne was named to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Entertainment Group for Nielsen Business Media. In his new role, he has responsibility for the global entertainment, music and literary publishing enterprises across digital, print and face-to-face platforms. Brands in the portfolio include Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Kirkus Reviews, The Bookseller, Film Journal International, and film industry expositions. In January 2009 the Media cluster of Adweek, Brandweek, Mediaweek, Editor & Publisher and the Clio Awards were added to his group.
Hungry Man
Since its founding in 1997, Hungry Man has been an award-winning international production company headquartered in New York. Hungry Man is home to 20 top-ranking directors worldwide and has produced some of the most popular spots in the world today. During the past year, Hungry Man produced the high profile brand launches of Microsoft as well the Sprint campaign featuring many iconic New York City images and memorable spots for American Express starring Martin Scorsese and Tina Fey. Hungry Man is currently run by its three partners: directors Hank Perlman and Bryan Buckley and Executive Producer Kevin Byrne.
Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts
Established in 1986, Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts is a national not-for-profit advocacy organization based in New York City that seeks solutions to the problems of racism and exclusion in theatre, film, and television. It serves as an expert advocate and educational resource for the full creative participation of American arts and entertainment professionals who are African American, Asian American, Native American, Latino, South Asian, Arab American, those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, blind or low vision, or who have intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities. The Alliance promotes and facilitates inclusive hiring practices and standards, diversity in leadership, and balance portrayals of persons of color and persons with disabilities.
Sesame Street
"Sesame Street" stands out as the most thoroughly developed and researched preschool television program and media offering with a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on the development of the whole child. Produced in New York since its inception in 1969, "Sesame Street" has introduced generations of children to information and experiences ranging from nutrition and space exploration to lessons about cooperation, friendship, and diversity with the help of the beloved Muppets including Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. Honored with more Emmy awards than any other television show in history, "Sesame Street" continues to set the gold standard for excellence in educational media, giving children the best head start in school and life. On November 10, 2009, the show entered its 40th season.