Mayor Adams, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Announce Honorees for 2025 "Made in NY" Awards, Celebrate Film and Television Production in New York City

May 27, 2025

Following 10-Year Hiatus, Awards Ceremony at Gracie Mansion
Will Honor Achievement in New York City Film and Television  
Darren Aronofsky, Michelle Buteau, Celia Costas, Tracy Morgan, and Thomas J. O’Donnell
to Be Honored for Contributions to Cultural Sector
Awards Ceremony Comes Amid Broader Administration Efforts to Bolster Creative Sector With Expanded State Tax Credit, Workforce Training Programs, and New Studio Groundbreakings

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman today announced the honorees for the 2025 “Made in NY” awards ceremony to celebrate individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the city’s media and entertainment industry. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Kaufman will host the awards ceremony to celebrate the honorees at Gracie Mansion on June 16, 2025, the first time the ceremony will be held at the mayor’s official residence in 10 years. This year’s honorees are Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky; actress, comedian, producer, and writer Michelle Buteau; Emmy Award-winning producer Celia Costas; Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Tracy Morgan; and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Thomas J. O’Donnell.

Created in 2006 by MOME, the Made in NY awards shine a light on the film and television artists who bring the streets and iconic locations of New York City to screens around the world and encourage global audiences to visit, work, and live in the city. The Adams administration helped bolster New York City’s film and television industry, winning an expanded tax credit in Albany this year to bring more film and television productions to the five boroughs, preparing over 4,000New Yorkers for careers in the creative industry through the city’s , and breaking ground on new production campuses in Manhattan and Queens.

“From the gritty defiance of ‘Taxi Driver’ to the electric tension of ‘Do the Right Thing,’ from the unforgettable charm of ‘Moonstruck’ to the raw energy of ‘Midnight Cowboy,’ films made in New York City don’t just entertain — they define generations,” said Mayor Adams. “For over a century, our streets have set the stage for cinematic masterpieces that have shaped global culture, inspired countless artists, and cemented New York’s place as one of the creative capitals of the world. These stories create more than just movie magic — they drive our economy, support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and keep our cultural legacy alive. With the return of the ‘Made in NY’ awards ceremony, we celebrate the extraordinary artists who continue to turn our city into the world’s greatest film set. From investing in new studios and training programs to expanding tax credits, our administration is committed to supporting this vital industry and the vibrant future it promises.”

“We are very excited to announce that the 2025 ‘Made in NY’ Award honorees are Darren Aronofsky, Michelle Buteau, Tracy Morgan, and Thomas J. O’Donnell — a group of people who collectively help tell a powerful story about the resilience and future of New York City’s film and TV industry,” said MOME Commissioner Kaufman. “Together with Celia Costas, who received her award earlier this year, these honorees bring jobs and dollars to the City of New York by committing to productions here, despite the hardships of the pandemic, labor stoppages, and industry shifts. We are excited to honor them on June 16 at Gracie Mansion with the return of the ‘Made in NY’ Awards ceremony. Combined with the recent welcome expansions to the state film tax credit, our studio infrastructure, our incredible local talent base, and the work of our administration to make this a ‘City of Yes’ for film production, we think the future for this industry in New York City is bright.”

The Made in NY awards ceremony follows the Tribeca Festival, which continues its 23rd annual run this year, allowing industry executives to attend the ceremony afterwards and see New York City’s production offerings. The return of the Made in NY awards also mirrors the spirit of Tribeca, which was founded in 2002 to unite artists and storytellers and revitalize Lower Manhattan following the 9/11 attacks. Just as Tribeca helped spark a cultural recovery two decades ago, MOME’s reinstatement of the Made in NY awards acknowledges the film and television community’s resilience and revival in the aftermath of the pandemic and industry labor strikes of the past few years.

For the first time ever, MOME and the Tribeca Festival will jointly present a Made in NY award to Darren Aronofsky, an industry figurehead who has made a significant impact on both the Tribeca Festival and the city’s entertainment industry as a whole. Aronofsky will receive his honor on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, as part of a special presentation during the Tribeca Festival’s 25th anniversary screening of his film “Requiem for a Dream.”

Entertainment for the evening will be provided by Brooklyn-native and founder and curator of the Video Music Box, Ralph McDaniels, who will serve as DJ. The event is generously sponsored by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Broadway Stages, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, East End Studios, MBS Group, Haddad’s, and Pantalones Tequila.

In addition to the four honorees set to be celebrated on June 16th, MOME proudly presented a Made in NY award to producer Celia Costas earlier this year at the 45th Annual New York Women in Film & Television Muse Awards. Former recipients of the Made in NY award include Awkwafina, , Jeffrey Wright, and “Sesame Street.”

Under the Adams administration, the city created the first-ever Film and Television Production Industry Council to advise the city’s production policies and programs; expansion ofthe NYC Public School Film Festival, which celebrates the talent and diversity of student voices; extended support for various local film festivals to elevate diverse storytelling; and introduced Executive Order 21, requiring each city agency to have a film office liaison and expedite filming on New York City property, helping to keep New York City on screens for audiences around the world to encourage tourism and cement New York City’s role as a global production hub.

“New York City is the greatest city in the world,” said Darren Aronofsky. “It’s also the greatest canvas in the world.” 

“I am beyond excited to be included in this year’s ‘Made in NY’ Awards,” said Michelle Buteau. “My show is a love letter to New York. New York is a beautiful character in every show and film, and it is so amazing and necessary to celebrate her.” 

“I am so honored and grateful to be a working member of this brilliant community of New York Filmmakers,” said Celia Costas. “I'm forever thankful for the opportunity to follow a career path which has informed and enriched my life in so many ways.” 

“I am honored to receive this Made in NY award,” said Tracy Morgan. “I truly was made here, I love this city, and I love giving back to it in any way that I can. And of course, Go NY Go.”

“I’m honored by the recognition of the importance of the film industry to our great city and the role organized labor plays in its success,” said Thomas J. O’Donnell. “On behalf of the two thousand theatrical Teamsters I represent, I thank Mayor Adams and his administration for supporting this vital industry.” 

About the 2025 “Made in NY” Honorees

Darren Aronofsky is an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Aronofsky, whose award will be presented in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival, recently transformed the city street to their iconic 1990s grit for the upcoming film, “Caught Stealing.” Aronofsky heads Protozoa Pictures, based in Chinatown. His credits as a director include “π,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain,” “The Wrestler,” “Black Swan,” “Noah,” “Mother!,” “The Whale,” and “The Sphere Experience: Postcard From Earth.” As a producer, his credits include “Jackie,” “The Good Nurse,” “Some Kind Of Heaven,” “Viktor, Holding Liat,” Peabody and Emmy-award winning “The Territory,” “Limitless,” “Welcome To Earth,” “One Strange Rock,” and the upcoming “Pole to Pole.”

Michelle Buteau is an actress, comedian, producer, and writer. The multihyphenate stars in the Netflix comedy series “Survival of the Thickest,” which she created and executive produced and will begin filming its third season soon. Inspired by her autobiographical book of essays of the same name, the series was released in July 2023. Buteau received an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)” for the series. She recently wrapped production for “Spa Weekend.” Earlier this year, Buteau released her second Netflix comedy special, “A Buteau-Ful Mind” which was recorded live at Radio City Music Hall, becoming the first woman to tape a special at the iconic venue. Her first Netflix special, “Welcome to Buteaupia,” won the Critics Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special. Buteau also stars in the hit comedy “BABES.” Buteau is known as the host of the hit Netflix reality competition show, “The Circle,” which released its seventh season in September 2024, as well as the second season of Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown.” She has also hosted the 2024 Billboard Music Awards and the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party livestream. Buteau’s other film and television highlights include “Marry Me,” “The First Wives Club,” “Always Be My Maybe,” “Someone Great,” “Russian Doll” and “Awkwafina is Nora From Queens.” She has also appeared in “Key & Peele,” “Broad City,” “Rick and Morty,” and “Zootopia+.”

Celia Costas is a born and raised New Yorker and Emmy-award winning producer whose credits include numerous Made in NY productions, such as “tick, tick... BOOM!,” “The Intern,” “Annie,” “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” and “Angels in America.” Throughout her decades-long career, she has served as a location manager, assistant director, unit production manager, executive producer, and producer on more than 40 feature films and television projects. In addition to her achievements in the entertainment industry, Costas is on the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, where she runs an annual lecture series for the Department of Classics in memory of her father, a former classics professor emeritus of that institution. Costas also serves on the Advisory Board of the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, where she shares her expertise and passion for producing with up-and-coming filmmakers.

Tracy Morgan — one of the most well-respected comedians and actors in his field — will soon begin filming yet another TV series in New York City, following the 10-episode order for “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” by NBC. In 2024, Paramount+ announced Morgan will star in the comedy series “Crutch” about a Harlem widower whose grown children move back home. His latest stand-up special, “Tracy Morgan: Takin' It Too Far,” premiered on Max in August 2023. Morgan is widely known for his role as “Tracy Jordan” on NBC’s “30 Rock,” earning an Emmy nomination and multiple NAACP Image Award nods. He starred in TBS’s “The Last OG,” Amazon’s “Coming 2 America,” and films including “Scoob!,” “What Men Want,” and voiced “Fox” in Netflix’s “Green Eggs & Ham.” A veteran of “Saturday Night Live,” Morgan created iconic characters like “Astronaut Jones” and “Brian Fellows.” His specials include Netflix’s “Staying Alive,” Comedy Central’s “Bona Fide,” and HBO’s “Black & Blue.” He’s the author of the memoir “I Am the New Black” and continues to tour globally as a stand-up comedian.  

Thomas J. O’Donnell has worked tirelessly to support New York City productions throughout his more than 35-year tenure in the industry and, most recently, as president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. O’Donnell first worked in the film industry in 1974 on the feature film “The Stepford Wives” and began coordinating transportation for motion picture production companies in 1986. In 1990, he became secretary-treasurer of Theatrical Teamster Local 817, and was elected president in 2013. From 2014 to 2022, he was director of the Motion Picture & Theatrical Trade Division for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. O’Donnell has also held positions including vice president of the Council of Motion Picture & Television Unions and executive trustee of the Museum of the Moving Image. In 2015, he was honored with a DGA Labor Award and, in 2016, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. O’Donnell has a B.S. in Industrial Psychology from St. Bonaventure University.
Headshots of this year’s honorees are available online.

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