New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) Announces 45th Annual Muse Awards Honorees

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is proud to announce the honorees for the 45th annual NYWIFT Muse Awards, themed Metamorphosis, celebrating evolution, resilience, and growth in the ever-evolving media and entertainment industry. For more than 40 years, NYWIFT has presented the Muse Awards to celebrate and illuminate women of outstanding vision and achievement, both in front of and behind the camera in film, television, music, and media. The awards celebration will be held Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Cipriani 42nd St.

As part of a broadcast partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, viewers can also watch the 2024 awards on NYC Life, the lifestyle channel for the City’s broadcast network NYC Media, both on TV and online at: NYC Life Specials - NYC Media.

This year’s MUSE Award honorees include:

CBS Sunday Morning contributor, comedian, actress, and self-described “Accidental Pundette” ​Nancy Giles​ will once again serve as the event’s emcee.

“NYWIFT is beyond excited to honor this year’s dynamic group of women, all of whom speak to our theme of metamorphosis. Like the monarch butterfly, these changemakers persist despite the odds, bringing beauty to our world through their creative work and offer us inspiration and hope in challenging times,” said NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez.

"For 44 years NYWIFT has celebrated our industry’s muses, both in front and behind the camera, and this year's honorees continue to inspire us with their fearless storytelling,” shared NYWIFT Board of Directors President Kim Jackson.

NYWIFT is also excited to continue its partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment with the “Made in NY” Award. The “Made in NY” Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to New York City’s entertainment industry over the course of their careers.

“We are thrilled to honor legendary producer Celia Costas, a dynamic force in the world of film production, with a “Made in NY” award at this year’s NYWIFT Muse Awards,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinny Kaufman. “A born and raised New Yorker, Celia has been celebrated for bringing complex, impactful stories to life and for giving back to the local community by helping to guide and foster the next generation of filmmakers.”

Founded in 1977, NYWIFT connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity and equity in media, to better reflect our world and transform our culture. The Muse Awards gala luncheon is NYWIFT’s flagship fundraising event — and a highlight of the New York City entertainment industry calendar — attended by an enthusiastic audience of 700 leading executives from every major studio, broadcast and cable network, and film production facility.

Recent NYWIFT achievements include:

About the 2025 Muse Awards Honorees

Marissa Bode made her feature film debut as principal character, Nessarose, in Universal's Wicked duology directed by Jon M. Chu, and also starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh. As a disability rights activist, she is proud to be the first wheelchair user to play the role of Nessarose. Marissa has been acting since the age of 8 and trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She lives in Los Angeles and is honored to be an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters. In her free time, Marissa enjoys cooking and spending time with her three cats.

Lisa Cortés is a Grammy-nominated and Emmy-winning director and producer who generates bold, explosive art that shines light on important stories hidden from view. From executive-producing the Academy Award®- winning film, Precious, to producing and directing 2023’s “enthralling documentary” (Variety Magazine) Little Richard: I Am Everything, Lisa sparks cultural change through works of unrivaled excellence.

Cortés is the founder of CORTÉS FILMWORKS, an NYC-based multimedia production company founded by Lisa Cortés to produce scripted, unscripted and branded content properties spanning music, social justice, crime and other topics. Cortés Filmworks is committed to telling complex, powerful stories from new perspectives, and elevating the talent often overlooked by the mainstream.

Celia Costas is an Emmy-award winning producer whose credits include numerous ‘Made in NY’ productions, such as tick, tick... BOOM!, The Intern, Annie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Angels in America. Throughout her decades long career, she has served as a Location Manager, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Executive Producer and Producer on more than 40 feature films and television projects. In addition to her achievements in the entertainment industry, Costas, who is born and raised in Brooklyn, is on the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn College, part of CUNY, and runs an Annual Lecture Series for the Department of Classics in memory of her father, a Classics Professor Emeritus of that institution. Celia also serves on the Advisory Board of The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, where she shares her expertise and passion for producing with up and coming filmmakers.

Amy Entelis is the Executive Vice President for Talent, CNN Originals and Creative Development for CNN Worldwide. She leads the CNN Originals group and is responsible for the development, production, and acquisition of original, long-form premium content for CNN’s global platforms. Since joining CNN in 2012, Entelis has led the development and launch of more than 50 multipart series for CNN Original Series, and she has acquired, commissioned, or executive produced more than 65 feature and short films for CNN Films. This work has earned more than 120 awards and 450 nominations, including an Academy Award® for the CNN Film Navalny. Notable titles include the Peabody and 13-time Emmy® Award winning Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown; the PGA and BAFTA Award-winning Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which CNN Films acquired with DC Studios and HBO; three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and the forthcoming Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain; The Last Movie Stars (dir. Ethan Hawke); Three Identical Strangers (dir. Tim Wardle); John Lewis: Good Trouble (dir. Dawn Porter); Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice; the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; the two-time Academy Award® nominated, RBG (dir. Betsy West and Julie Cohen); Apollo 11 (dir. Todd Douglas Miller); and Blackfish (dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite). As the head of talent for CNN Worldwide, Entelis oversees all on-air correspondents, anchors, and contributors for CNN programming and global platforms. A graduate of Vassar College and Columbia Journalism School, she began her career in television journalism at ABC News.

Versha Sharma is the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, leading a newsroom that covers fashion, politics, culture, and identity for young audiences. Since joining in May 2021, she has won several leadership awards and a National Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best News & Politics Cover. She formerly covered global issues as managing editor and senior correspondent at NowThis. She currently serves on the boards of the Online News Association and International Women’s Media Foundation. Sharma has continually rallied for diversified voices across the media landscape and in leadership positions, pushing the conversation forward on the issues most affecting young people today.

Past recipients of MUSE Awards include some of the most respected women in the entertainment industry such as Fran Drescher, Kyra Sedgwick, Sharon Stone, Sandra Oh, Rashida Jones, Rachel Brosnahan, Gloria Estefan, Ann Dowd, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Mary-Louise Parker, Anne Sweeney, Martha Stewart, Robin Wright, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, America Ferrera, Laura Dern, Julianna Margulies, Blythe Danner, Victoria Alonso, Gabourey Sidibe, Meryl Streep, Martha Plimpton, Cicely Tyson and Lucy Liu. Additional information on the event available at https://www.nywift.org/.

About New York Women in Film & Television

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity in media. NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers. NYWIFT brings together more than 2,500 women and men working both above and below the line. NYWIFT is part of a network of 60 women in film organizations worldwide, representing more than 15,000 members. NYWIFT is a nonprofit 501c3 public charity.

More information can be found online at: www.NYWIFT.org.

Follow on all social media platforms @NYWIFT.

About the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment’s mission is to support and strengthen New York City’s creative economy and make it accessible to all. Including film/TV, music, theatre/live performance, digital games and publishing, the creative industries account for roughly 440,000 local jobs and have an economic impact of over $150 billion annually. MOME comprises four divisions: The Film Office, which coordinates on location production throughout the five boroughs; NYC Media, the City’s official broadcast network and production group; the Press Credentials Office, which issues press cards; and Creative Sector Programs to advance industry and workforce development across NYC’s creative sectors.