LOS ANGELES, October 16, 2024 – Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center has unveiled their winners for the 2024 Sentinel Awards today. The star-studded awards ceremony will take place Thursday, October 24 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. HH&S has presented the Sentinel Awards for nearly 25 years, to recognize some of the past year’s best TV entertainment that responsibly informs audiences on critical topics.
The evening will be hosted by Laraine Newman, the iconic comedian, writer, SNL-veteran and The Groundlings founding member. Stars from the winning series will attend to present the trophy to the writers, showrunners, and executive producers who are taking on these important storylines. Presenters this year will include Sarayu Blue from “Expats,” Matt Shively and Selenis Leyva of “Lopez vs Lopez,” Yeardley Smith from “The Simpsons,” Todd Grinnell, and many more to be announced soon.
“The Sentinel Awards celebrates the voices and stories that transcend TV and help shape our culture,” said Laraine Newman. “Norman Lear’s work has touched countless lives, and I’m proud to celebrate the transformative impact of our craft. As we approach the November 5th election, it’s crucial to address the pressing issues facing voters, including significant topics like abortion, which will be honored for their portrayal onscreen at the Sentinel Awards. These narratives are more important now than ever.”
“Television has the power to affect audiences’ perceptions and influence how they view and engage with the world. While entertainment is vital, it should never compromise accuracy, especially when addressing important topics – a hallmark of Norman Lear’s legacy. Thoughtful and responsible storytelling can educate, inspire and drive meaningful conversations, something critical to the evolution of our society,” said Kate Folb, program director for Hollywood, Health & Society.
2024 Sentinel Award Winners
The Culture of Health:
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Body of work for 20 Seasons – Shonda Rhimes (Creator, Executive Producer), Meg Marinis (Executive Producer/Showrunner, Writer)
Depiction of Abortion:
The Morning Show (Apple TV+), “The Kármán Line” – Charlotte Stoudt (Executive Producer/Showrunner, Writer)
Depiction of Addiction:
Lopez vs Lopez (NBC), “Lopez vs Sobriety” & “Lopez vs George” – Debby Wolfe (Creator, Executive Producer/Showrunner, Writer), George Lopez (Creator, Executive Producer), Mayan Lopez (Creator, Producer), Dan Signer (Writer)
Depiction of Caregiving:
Expats (Prime Video), “Central” – Lulu Wang (Creator, Showrunner, Director, Writer)
Depiction of End of Life:
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (FX), “Beautiful Babe” – Jon Robin Baitz (Executive Producer, Writer, Developed by)
Depiction of Mental Health:
Gen V (Prime Video), “#ThinkBrink” – Michele Fazekas (Executive Producer/ Showrunner), Erica Rosbe (Executive Producer, Writer)
Depiction of Smoking and Vaping:
Abbott Elementary (ABC), “Smoking” – Quinta Brunson (Creator, Executive Producer/Showrunner), Jordan Temple (Co-Executive Producer, Writer)
Depiction of Racism:
The Big Cigar (Apple TV+), “Panther/Producer” – Jim Hecht (Executive Producer, Writer, Developed By), Janine Sherman Barrois (Executive Producer/Showrunner)
Depiction of Racism in Healthcare:
Dark Winds (AMC), Multi-episode Storyline – Graham Roland (Creator, Executive Producer, Writer), John Wirth (Executive Producer/Showrunner, Writer),
Depiction of Climate Consciousness:
Hacks (Max), “One Day” – Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (Creators, Executive Producers, Showrunners), Carol Leifer (Co-executive Producer, Writer), Carolyn Lipka (Writer)
Depiction of Economic Disparity
The Simpsons (Fox), “Night of the Living Wage” – Matt Selman (Executive Producer/Showrunner), Cesar Mazariegos (Writer, Supervising Producer)
Last year’s ceremony took place the evening after Norman Lear’s passing, becoming a celebration of his life and impact and giving the industry their first chance to mourn the TV giant. The show was hosted by Emmy-winning producer, legendary comedian, and writer, Larry Wilmore, and included a star-studded red carpet with attendance from Kathryn Hahn of Tiny Beautiful Things, Debbie Allen of Grey’s Anatomy, Adam Brody of Fleishman is in Trouble, Michael McKean of The Diplomat, Ben Harper of Extrapolations, Jason George, Jaina Lee Ortiz and Barrett Doss of Station 19, Peyton List, and many more. Stars presented the trophies to the showrunners and writers from their respective series for their powerful storytelling making a difference, including Tara Hernandez & Damon Lindelof for Mrs. Davis depicting A.I.; Liz Tigelaar & Cheryl Strayed for Tiny Beautiful Things (End of Life); Scott Z. Burns for Extrapolations (Climate Change); Taffy Brodesser-Akner for Fleishman is in Trouble (Maternal Health); Brent Fletcher & Todd Helbing for Superman & Lois (Breast Cancer); Anna Hagen for The Diplomat (Diplomacy); Chris Estrada for This Fool (Economic Disparities); Zach Anner, Gillian Grassie, and Matt Fleckenstein for Best Foot Forward (Disabilities); Julie Wong for Grey’s Anatomy (Abortion); Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige for Station 19 (Systemic Racism); and Adam Kay for This is Going to Hurt (Mental Health).
About Hollywood, Health & Society
HH&S provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for storylines dealing with health, safety and security through consultations and briefings with experts. Based at the Lear Center, HH&S is a free resource for writers, producers and others in search of credible information. Past and present support for HH&S has come from funders that include the CDC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Truth Initiative, the California Health Care Foundation, the John Pritzker Family Fund, Caring Across Generations, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information about resources for writers, go to www.HollywoodHealthandSociety.org
About The Norman Lear Center
Founded more than 20 years ago, The Norman Lear Center is a multidisciplinary research and public policy center studying and shaping the impact of entertainment and media on society. From its base in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Lear Center builds bridges among faculty who study aspects of entertainment, media and culture. Beyond campus, it bridges the gap between the entertainment industry and academia, and between them and the public. For more information, visit www.learcenter.org.
