The Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors will be taking place on December 4th, promoted by Variety, and will honor individuals who support the under-represented theme of faith in entertainment storytelling.
The class of 2024 visionary honorees also include:
- Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, founders, JuVee Productions
- Jessica Matten, actor (Dark Winds, Rez Ball), producer, and philanthropist
- Arian Moayed, actor, (Succession, Inventing Anna, A Doll’s House), EP of Motherland, and co-founder of Waterwell
- Jay Shetty, best-selling author, podcast host, On Purpose
- Erica Lipez, executive producer, writer and showrunner, We Were the Lucky Ones
Additionally, Grammy-winning reggae artist Ziggy Marley is slated to accept the award for the Bob Marley: One Love film.
“The Global Faith & Media Study identified an important data point — 82 per cent of the world identifies as religious, spiritual, or a person of faith. We live in a spiritual world and there is a large market who cares deeply about this topic. As a result, the Coalition for Faith & Media is committed to ensuring faith is meaningfully portrayed in the media. In entertainment, this means accurate, nuanced characters that reflect authentic lived experiences people have every day. We’re beyond excited Variety’s recognising some of today’s industry leaders who are doing this work in meaningful ways” Sara Critchfield, a founding member of the CFAM, said in an official press release.
“Variety is excited to host this important event in partnership with the Coalition for Faith & Media to improve and expand portrayals of faith in entertainment and media” Variety’s Chief Operating and Marketing Officer Dea Lawrence added.
“In order to better understand Bob’s message you have to look past the legend and see the human being, his struggles, emotionally, spiritually, and physically” Ziggy Marley commented.
“I cherish the opportunity to bring depth, dignity, and authenticity to the portrayal of Abbott Elementary’s Barbara Howard — a woman of faith, reminding viewers of the strength, resilience, and hope that such a character embodies in everyday life” heryl Lee Ralph, actress, producer and director commented.
