New York Women in Film and Television Announces 2025 Honorees For March Gala

New York, NY – New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is proud to announce the first round of honorees for the 46th annual NYWIFT Muse Awards. 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. This year’s awards celebration will be held Friday, March 20, 2026 at Cipriani 42nd St.

As part of a broadcast partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, viewers can also watch the 2025 awards on NYC Life, the lifestyle channel for the City’s broadcast network NYC Media, on TV on March 7th at 9pm, with an encore March 16th at 7pm, and online at: NYC Life Specials – NYC Media.

This year, NYWIFT will establish the NYWIFT Muse Award for Achievement in Sports & Media, recognizing the tremendous cultural impact of sports leaders – from players to journalists to executives – and how they can use their media platform to advance positive change. The inaugural award will be presented to basketball player Izzy Harrison.

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.

“Each year, the Muse Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate women whose work not only entertains and inspires, but also shapes culture and expands what’s possible in our industry,” said Cynthia López, CEO of New York Women in Film & Television. “Our 2026 honorees represent extraordinary excellence across performance, production, sports, and leadership, and we are honored to recognize their remarkable contributions to film, television, and the creative community.”

“Thrilled to return to Cipriani 42nd for our annual Muse Awards honoring and elevating women who are driving meaningful and necessary change in arts and entertainment,” said Kim Jackson, President of the NYWIFT Board of Directors. “As we enter our 46th year, NYWIFT is proud to continue the legacy, and is introducing a new sports category, reflecting our ongoing commitment to visibility, opportunity, and equity for women working across every corner of the media landscape.”

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 2026 Muse Awards Honorees
Please find headshots of this year’s honorees here.Jamie Brewer is an award-winning actress, model, and disability-rights advocate whose career has expanded what on-screen and on-stage representation can look like. She broke out as Adelaide “Addie” Langdon in FX’s American Horror Story: Murder House, launching a multi-season collaboration with creator Ryan Murphy. Brewer went on to play fan-favorite Nan in American Horror Story: Coven, appeared as Marjorie in Freak Show, and returned as Hedda in Cult before reprising Nan in Apocalypse. She later returned to the universe on American Horror Stories, reprising Addie in “Game Over.” Known for precision and fearless humor, she brings warmth, humanity, and sharp comedic timing to every role. Her television credits also include Southland, Switched at Birth, and Station 19. On the feature side, Brewer appears in the Russo Brothers’ drama Cherry opposite Tom Holland, and in the buddy comedy Bromates, executive produced by Snoop Dogg. She starred in the independent feature Turnover and holds a producer credit, reflecting her growing footprint behind the camera and her commitment to inclusive storytelling that feels fresh, commercial, and culturally relevant. Brewer has also made history on stage and on the runway. For her performance as Amy in the Roundabout Theatre Company production Amy and the Orphans, she received both a Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award. In fashion, she became the first model with Down syndrome to walk at New York Fashion Week, appearing in Carrie Hammer’s “Role Models Not Runway Models” show, a landmark moment for visibility and representation. Beyond her artistic work, Brewer is a passionate advocate for inclusion and access. She has served as an ambassador for Changing the Face of Beauty and has been recognized for her impact as a visible, joyful leader and role model for people with disabilities. Brewer continues to build a dynamic body of work across film, television, theater, and fashion, while using her platform to champion a more inclusive entertainment industry.Patricia Cardoso is an award-winning film and television director. Her first feature, Real Women Have Curves, was a box office and critical success and was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her directing credits include episodes of Queen Sugar, Will Trent, The Society, and Tales of the City, as well as the feature El Paseo de Teresa. She was the first Latina director to win a Sundance Audience Award and a Student Academy Award®. She is a Fulbright Scholar, a former archaeologist, and was the director of Sundance’s Latin American Program. She is a Professor of Filmmaking at UC Riverside.Isabelle “Izzy” Harrison, a native of Nashville, TN, hails from an athlete legacy family. As one of 12 siblings, her father was a former NFL Pro Bowler, brother a retired NBA player, and each of her siblings played a sport at the D1 collegiate level. 6’3’’ Izzy took her talents to the University of Tennessee, and made her way to the 2015 WNBA Draft where she was selected as the 12th Overall Pick to the Phoenix Mercury. She was later traded to the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces, before landing with the Dallas Wings in 2019. In her four years with the Wings, Izzy made an immense impact on the court and became a standout for her exceptional leadership ability. She then signed with the Chicago Sky in 2023, and heading into the 2025 WNBA Season as a free agent, found her newest home with the New York Liberty. Aside from making her mark in WNBA history, Izzy is especially known for her trend setting style and unforgettable tunnel looks. Her social following blew up as a result of the custom-created Jordan Brand looks she sported before games and the incredible makeup & hair she paired with. So much so, that her style took her to NYFW ’22, closing Kim Shui’s legendary Grand Central show, and landing her on the cover of OFFICE Magazine. Her followers consistently come to her page for skincare, beauty, and styling tips – in addition to watching her on-court highlights. Aside from fans knowing Izzy as one of the coolest women in sports, she is also commended for her consistent advocacy and work in the mental health space. Additionally, she’s a massive voice for the Lupus Foundation of America, having lost one sibling and helping another in their organ donation search due to the illness. Insane athletic ability, killer fashion sense, and an unwavering heart are what make Izzy Harrison known as basketball’s IT GIRL.Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actor. The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award, she has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama. Blessed with a luminous soprano and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling, she is equally at home on Broadway, the opera stage, and screen, while also maintaining a major career as a concert and recording artist. Trained at The Juilliard School, McDonald made Broadway history as the most decorated performer in Tony Awards history and the first actor to win in all four acting categories. Her acclaimed theater work includes Carousel, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Ohio State Murders, and the 2024–25 revival of Gypsy. She has appeared at the world’s foremost concert halls and with virtually every major American orchestra. On screen, McDonald is known for her work in Private Practice, The Good Fight, The Gilded Age, and numerous film and television projects, earning multiple Emmy nominations. Her recording career includes acclaimed releases on the Nonesuch and Decca Gold labels. A passionate advocate for equal rights, LGBTQIA+ causes, and at- risk youth, McDonald co-founded Black Theatre United and serves on the board of Covenant House International. Inducted into Lincoln Center’s Hall of Fame, she remains one of today’s most vital cultural figures.Jane Raab is best known for her work on the HBO series SEX AND THE CITY for which she received two DGA Awards and the Producers Guild Danny Thomas Award for Episodic Television Comedy. She also produced HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA for HBO and LIFE ON MARS for ABC. Additionally Jane has produced pilots for ABC (DIRTY SEXY MONEY and CASTLE), CBS (LIMITLESS) and FOX (THE STREET). In 2014 she was the recipient of the MADE IN NEW YORK Award. For 8 years she was the Executive Producer on CBS’s cop drama BLUE BLOODS where in addition to her Producing duties, she also directed 4 episodes. She went on to serve as a Co-EP on CBS’s THE CODE starring Dana Delaney. Additionally, at the start of the COVID pandemic, she produced the first season of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Dana Delaney. Most recently, Jane produced THE ENDGAME for NBC and THE CALLING for PEACOCK. A native New Yorker, Jane ascended the ranks of film and television production starting as a LOCAL 161 Production Coordinator on such films as SPLASH, POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, A CHORUS LINE and BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS. She later
went on to Production Manage such films as MUSIC OF THE HEART starring Meryl Streep and PRELUDE TO A KISS with Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin. She was also the UPM on the first season of SPIN CITY, the first four camera sitcom shot in NYC since the 1950’s. Jane lives in the West Village with her husband, recording engineer, Richard Alderson and West Highland Terrier, Millie.Joy-Ann Reid is a journalist, author, documentary producer, and nationally recognized political commentator. She is the former host of The Reid Report, AM Joy, and MSNBC’s Emmy-nominated, two-time NAACP Award-winning program The ReidOut. Her current project, The Joy Reid Show, airs on YouTube and podcast platforms. Reid is the author of four books, including the New York Times bestsellers Medgar and Myrlie and The Man Who Sold America. A Harvard graduate, she has worked in radio, digital media, and national politics. Reid is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and co-owner of Image Lab Media Group with her husband.Past recipients of MUSE Awards include some of the most respected women in the entertainment industry such as Pamela Anderson, 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/.