The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced that Emmy® Award-winning performer, Fran Brill, will be the Lifetime Achievement Honoree at the 3rd Annual Children’s & Family Emmy® Awards. This prestigious honor will be presented to her during the ceremony on Saturday, March 15 in Los Angeles.
In addition, NATAS has announced the 2025 Gold and Silver Circle Honorees in the Children’s & Family community, recognizing individuals who have made enduring contributions in broadcasting. Inductees are exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and brightest in the industry.
Gold Circle – 2025 Children’s & Family Inductees:
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Charlie Adler, Voice Director and Actor – Disney, Nickelodeon, Sony, Cartoon Network
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Hedda B. Sharapan, Child Development Consultant, Fred Rogers Productions
Silver Circle – 2025 Children’s & Family Inductees:
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Richard A. Fernandes, VP of Original Series (‘Noggin’), Paramount
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Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer, GBH Kids
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Susette Hsiung, Executive Vice President, Studio Production & Network Programming Operations, Disney Branded Television
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Linda Simensky, Head of Character Development and Scripted Content, Duolingo
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Halle Stanford, Executive Producer, The Jim Henson Company
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Steven Vincent, Senior Vice President, Music and Soundtracks, Disney Branded Television
“Ms. Brill has enjoyed a stellar career, from creating iconic and loveable Muppet characters to voice acting on cartoons, including ‘Doug’ and ‘Sheep in the City,’ which has brought so much joy to children and their families,” said Adam Sharp, NATAS President and CEO. “We’re honored to fête her in front of so many of her peers and fans. And we’re thrilled to celebrate and welcome this new group of television industry legends into the Gold and Silver Circle.”
Fran Brill said: “I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which has done so much to advance the arts and sciences of television. My years of working on ‘Sesame Street,’ under the leadership of cultural icons Jim Henson and Joan Ganz Cooney, made an enormous contribution to the person I became. I feel both fortunate and proud to have created characters that live on today, and I hope young people continue to look to ‘Sesame Street’ and pursue careers in puppetry; there is no other medium like it.”
Fran Brill was the first female Muppet™ performer after Jane Henson to be hired by Jim Henson. Brill joined ‘Sesame Street’ in its second season. She created and performed the characters of Zoe and Prairie Dawn and performed many other memorable neighborhood characters. Her other work with the Muppets includes ‘The Muppet Show,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Jim Henson Hour,’ ‘Dog City,’ ‘The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland,’ ‘CinderElmo,’ and ‘Zoe’s Dance Moves with Paula Abdul.’ As an actress, Brill appeared Off-Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Playwrights Horizons and was twice nominated for the Drama Desk Award. She has also played leading roles at many regional theatres including the Long Wharf Theater, Yale Repertory, Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and the Mark Taper Forum. Her film credits include ‘Midnight Run,’ ‘City Hall,’ ‘What About Bob?’ and ‘Being There.’ Brill has guest-starred on many primetime dramas including several Law & Order series, ‘Third Watch’ and ‘Against the Law.’ She has also voiced hundreds of commercials and performed in the animated series, ‘Doug.’
Brill served on the Screen Actors Guild Women’s Voice-Over Committee, which was created to prove to advertisers that women could sell cars as well as chocolate chip cookies. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Jim Henson Legacy.
About NATAS:
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy® Awards for News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime, and Children’s & Family programming, as well as achievements in television Technology & Engineering.
NATAS membership consists of more than 18,000 broadcast and media professionals represented in 19 regional chapters across the country. Beyond awards, NATAS has extensive educational programs including regional student television and its Student Award for Excellence and the National Student Production Awards for outstanding journalistic work by high school students, as well as scholarships, publications, and major activities for both industry professionals and the viewing public.
