Show to get SID CAESAR Comedy Award at the 19th Genesis Awards

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The Humane Society of the United States Hollywood Office Salutes the Best in Animal-Friendly News and Entertainment at Nineteenth Genesis Awards - Saturday, March 19

'Two Brothers' Purrs and 'The Corporation' Profits From Among 23 Genesis Wins


HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 23 -- Universal Pictures' "Two Brothers," Zeitgeist Films' documentary, "The Corporation," NBC's "Dateline," ABC's "8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter" and "World News Tonight With Peter Jennings," Showtime's "Huff," HBO's "Real Sports" and Animal Planet's "Animal Cops Houston" and syndicated favorites "The Montel Williams Show" and "Celebrity Justice" are among the 23 honorees being feted for their positive coverage of animal issues at the Nineteenth Genesis Awards. Presented by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Hollywood Office, the Genesis Awards will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2005 in the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA. The show is taped and edited for a two-hour Television Special, airing primetime on Animal Planet on Saturday, May 14th at 8.00 p.m.
The annual Genesis Awards pays tribute to the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal-protection issues. Recipients are honored in a wide range of categories for covering emerging issues, or bringing a fresh perspective to long-standing ones.

"Given the tumultuous times we live in, I find it significant that local news and network news feature programs like Dateline and World News Tonight continue to recognize the importance of animal issues," says Gretchen Wyler, VP of The HSUS Hollywood. "However, 2004 was the year of the documentary feature film, and while 'Fahrenheit 9/11' raised the heat on the political front, 'The Corporation' was equally hard-hitting about the impact of big business on animals and the environment."

Film and TV celebrities lending their support as presenters at this year's Genesis Awards are, among others: Ed Asner, Linda Blair, Stockard Channing, James Cromwell, Kaley Cuoco, Amy Davidson, David Duchovny, Will Estes, Bill Maher, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna, Cheri Oteri, Carl Reiner, Eric Roberts, Nicollette Sheridan, Alicia Silverstone, Sela Ward, Persia White and Debra Wilson.

Adds Wyler, "This past year produced a bounty of Genesis material, including impressive new dramas like 'Huff,' and third season comedy favorites like '8 Simple Rules' which continues to insert positive animal messages into its storylines. But 2005 has already gotten off to a promising start with top-rated show 'CSI' creating a compelling and provocative episode about the disgraceful 'sport' known as canned hunts. Clearly, animal stories are 'hot.'"

Finalists are selected from material released in 2004. Entries are submitted by members of the news and entertainment industry or by the general public. Winners are chosen by the seventeen-member Genesis Awards Committee.

Gretchen Wyler and Robert Halmi, Sr. are the executive producers; Paul Flattery is the producer and Mike Dempsey is the director of the Genesis Television Special.

The Nineteenth Genesis Awards are made possible in part by our corporate benefactors: BoDog.com, MassMutual Financial Group, Michel Financial Group, Porsche Cars North America, Southwest Airlines and Urban Decay Cosmetics.

THE NINETEENTH GENESIS AWARD WINNERS

Feature Film
TWO BROTHERS - Universal Pictures

Documentary Film
THE CORPORATION - Zeitgeist Films

Family Feature Film
BENJI: OFF THE LEASH - Mulberry Square Productions

SID CAESAR Comedy Award
8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER "Finale - Part Deux" - ABC

Dramatic Series
HUFF "Is She Dead?" - Showtime

TV Newsmagazine
DATELINE NBC - "Out To Pasture"

National News Feature
WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH PETER JENNINGS - "Animal Cruelty?" - ABC

Children's Programming
THAT'S SO RAVEN - "A Goat's Tale" - Disney Channel

Cable Documentary
PAPA BEAR - Animal Planet/Discovery

TV Newsmagazine
REAL SPORTS - "Dog Fears" - HBO

TV Talk Show Syndicated
THE MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW

TV Newsmagazine Syndicated
CELEBRITY JUSTICE

Reality Programming
ANIMAL COPS HOUSTON - Animal Planet

PBS Documentary - National
BEST FRIEND FORGOTTEN

Local PBS Documentary
OUT OF THE PIT: DOG FIGHTING IN CHICAGO - WTTW (Chicago)

Local News Feature
KTVU (Bay Area) - Circus Elephants

Local News Series
WPMI-TV (Mobile, Alabama) - "Pork and Politics"

Periodical
TIME Magazine - "Saving the Big Cats" by Terry McCarthy with
Andrea Dorfman

Series of Newspaper Articles
FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL - "Below the Surface" by Sally Kestin

Cartoonist/Ongoing Commitment
PATRICK MCDONNELL - "Mutts"

Brigitte Bardot International Award
CARTE BLANCHE (South Africa) - "Animals and the Law"

Doris Day Music Award
NELLIE MCKAY - The Dog Song - Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Student Award
MICHAEL CROLAND, Journalist - Carnegie Mellon University


For more information about the Nineteenth Genesis Award winners, go to www.hsus.org and click on "Press Room," or contact Sue Blackmore at The HSUS Hollywood Office. Phone (818) 501 2275 or e-mail: sue@hsushollywood.org

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than eight million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through legislation, litigation, investigation, education, advocacy and fieldwork. The non-profit organization, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2004, is based in Washington, DC and has 10 regional offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.

Promoting the Protection of All Animals


Source: The Humane Society of the United States Hollywood Office