January 9, 2013

The Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau today announced the kickoff of its 22nd Annual Media Awards Gala with the call for nomination suggestions, inviting members of the public to nominate people or projects worthy of recognition.

Tell us about movies you watched that inspired you, about TV shows that showed an accurate portrayal of Muslims and Islam or a book that deserves attention. We want to hear from you about the projects and people that touched your heart.

Submissions for consideration should be sent to hollywood@mpac.org by Tuesday, Jan. 22, with the subject line “Media Awards 2013.”
Submissions should include your name and contact information, the name of the project or artist and a link to the nominated material, if applicable.

The 22nd Annual Media Awards Gala honoring voices of courage and conscience will be held this spring in Los Angeles.

Since 1991, MPAC’s Media Awards Gala has honored artists, actors, activists and executives who use art and media to create enriching and humanizing portrayals of Islam and Muslims, promote diversity and social justice and inspire action.

“We’re proud to recognize those who take a thoughtful and enriching approach to storytelling, and who use their artistic platform to advance understanding for audiences worldwide,” said Deana Nassar, MPAC’s Hollywood Liaison. “Last year was a big year in the arts, and we look forward to your nominations of projects and people who deserve to be recognized as voices of courage and conscience.”

Submissions for consideration should have been released after Jan. 1, 2011, and fall under the following genres:

• Film: Must have played in major markets (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago)
• Television: Must have aired on a national or cable network
• Music: Must be music artist or entertainer
• Books: Must have been published by a recognizable publisher
• Theater: Must have been staged in an equity theater

Submissions for consideration should be sent to hollywood@mpac.org by Tuesday, Jan. 22, with the subject line “Media Awards 2013.”
Submissions should include your name and contact information, the name of the project or artist and a link to the nominated material, if applicable.

Since 1991, MPAC's Media Awards Gala has honored artists, actors, authors, and activists for their artistic contributions to promoting diversity and inspiring action.

Past recipients include:

• HBO documentary “Saving Face” and its subject Dr. Mohammad Jawad
• Independent film “Kinyarwanda”
• TLC for the reality series “All-American Muslim”
• Actress Hiam Abbass and the film “Miral”
• CBS’s “The Good Wife”
• Rashid Ghazi and Ash-har Quraishi for their documentary “Fordson:Faith, Fasting, Football”
• ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" episode “Give Peace a Chance”
• Hit Bollywood director Karan Johar for his film "My Name is Khan"
• Fox Searchlight for "Slumdog Millionaire" and actor Anil Kapoor
• "The Simpsons" episode "Mypods & Boomsticks"
• Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!"
• Producer Lawrence Bender for "An Inconvenient Truth"
• The CW sitcom "Aliens in America"
• Producer Omar Amanat for "The Visitor" and "Darfur Now"
• Alec Baldwin for his outspoken support for civil liberties post-9/11
• Warner Independent Pictures and director Hany Abu-Assad for "Paradise Now"
• Warner Brothers & Section Eight Productions for "Syriana"
• Morgan Spurlock for the documentary "Where in the World is Osama bin Laden" and the FX show "30 Days"
• Michael Moore for his documentary "Bowling for Columbine"
• Spike Lee for "Malcolm X"

MPAC's Media Awards is a production of its Hollywood Bureau, which serves as a bridge between the Muslim community and the entertainment industry. The Bureau is responsible for advancing Muslim American perspectives in the entertainment industry by promoting accuracy and authenticity in Islam for the Hollywood community. The Bureau also works with the Muslim American community to nurture creative talent and connect aspiring Muslim filmmakers, writers and actors with Hollywood professionals.