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News Archives

"Made in NY" Awards 2008 Honorees


Michelle Byrd, Executive Director, Independent Feature Project (IFP)

Michelle Byrd is a 16-year veteran of American independent film. Since 1997 she has served as the Executive Director of IFP, the nation’s oldest organization nonprofit membership and advocacy group for independent filmmakers. IFP’s events and programs enable filmmakers to share information, build relationships, secure funding and find audiences outside the Hollywood studio system. Since its founding in 1979, IFP has facilitated the development, financing or distribution of 7,000 independent films. More than 20,000 filmmakers have participated in IFP’s programs. Byrd also serves on a number of industry boards, including the LMEC, the Mayor’s Diversity Task Force, the New York Production Alliance, and the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, which supports the artistic achievements of female actors, writers and directors.


Jesse L. Martin

Jesse L. Martin has starred on “Law & Order” for nine years as Detective Ed Green, appearing in nearly 200 episodes until his departure in April 2008. He has received multiple Screed Actors Guild award nominations and eight NAACP Image Award nominations for his work on the show. Martin first came to prominence when he starred on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent, the rock opera re-telling of Puccini’s La Boheme. His extensive New York theatre credits run the gamut from Shakespeare to musical comedy and include such productions as Timon of Athens, his Broadway debut, and The Inspector General at National Actors Theatre. His television appearances include “Ally McBeal” and “The X Files” while on screen, Martin has been featured in Mary Stuart Masterson’s directorial debut “Cake Eaters,” “Season of Youth,” and the independent feature “The Restaurant.” He will next be seen in Jay DiPietro's feature debut “Peter and Vandy,” which was recently filmed in New York.


Robert Greenberg, Chairman and Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA

Robert Greenberg has been a pioneer in the advertising and communications industry for more than three decades. He leads R/GA, which has become one of the most successful advertising agencies with a digital expertise, creating integrated marketing campaigns and experiences for the world’s most recognized brands, including L’Oreal Paris, Nike, Nokia and Verizon. To date, Greenberg has won the Academy Award, numerous Clios, Cannes Lions and the D&AD Black Pencil. Among his most notable awards are the 2007 BDA Lifetime Achievement Award, Clio Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Communications in 2003, and the Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design. Greenberg serves on the Board of Directors of the Art Directors Club and many others, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Tisch School of the Arts.


Rachael Ray, Television Host

In the fall of 2007, best-selling cookbook author Rachael Ray launched the successful syndicated daytime program, “Rachael Ray.” Now an iconic Food Network television personality, Ray is also editor–in-chief of her own lifestyle magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray. In its inaugural year, “Rachael Ray” won a 2007 Daytime Emmy Award and was nominated for six others. Prior to “Rachael Ray,” she created a series of cooking classes, including a course teaching “30-Minute Mediterranean Meals.” The CBS station in Albany-Schenectady, WRGB-TV, discovered her and signed her on to do a weekly “30-Minute Meals” segment for the evening news, which was nominated for two regional Emmys in its first year. In the spring of 2007, Ray launched a nonprofit organization, Yum-o! that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. The organization also feeds hungry American kids and funds cooking education and scholarships.


Theatre for a New Audience

Founded in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, Theatre for a New Audience strives to help develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama, including modern classics, in America. Theatre for a New Audience produces for audiences Off-Broadway and has also toured nationally and internationally. The Theatre’s productions have earned numerous awards and nominations, including the Drama Desk, OBIE and Tony Awards. As part of its commitment to serve a broad audience, Theatre for a New Audience runs the largest Shakespeare education program in New York City. More than 115,000 students have been served through the programs since 1984. Dorothy Ryan, managing director, accepted the award on behalf of the Theatre for a New Audience.

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