Wallace & Gromit to Receive Humane Seal of Approval at Twentieth Anniversary Genesis Awards

Academy Award Nominated Feature Leads the Pack at The Humane Society of The United States Annual Celebration of Animal-Friendly News and Entertainment Media

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Dreamworks’ Academy Award nominated "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," Miramax’s "An Unfinished Life," Warner Bros’, "Duma," Shadow’s "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill," CBS’ "CSI," CNN’s "Larry King Live," ABC’s "World News Tonight," "Primetime" and "Rodney," The New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post are among 20 distinguished news and entertainment media honorees being acknowledged for positive coverage of animal issues at the Twentieth Anniversary Genesis Awards. Presented by The Hollywood Office of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Twentieth Anniversary Genesis Awards will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2006 in the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, CA. The show is taped and edited for a two-hour Television Special, airing primetime on Animal Planet on Saturday, May 6th.

The annual Genesis Awards pays tribute to the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal-protection issues. Recipients are honored in a wide range of categories for highlighting emerging issues, or bringing a fresh perspective to long-standing ones.

"There have been some lean years for stand-out Genesis movie candidates, says Gretchen Wyler, VP of the Hollywood Office of The HSUS. "Happily, that was not the case in 2005, which saw the release of the Oscar nominated comedy ’Wallace & Gromit;’ critically acclaimed gems like ’Duma’ and ’The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,’ and Lasse Hallstrom’s overlooked drama ’An Unfinished Life,’ starring Robert Redford. In a year that appears to mark Hollywood’s return to more socially conscious product, perhaps this wealth of material is no mere coincidence."

In addition to its 20 award categories, this year’s event will feature The Heroes of Katrina, a special segment hosted by Ben Stein, which salutes the news media for drawing attention to the plight of the disaster’s animal victims. Those being cited include: CNN’s Anderson Cooper, KCAL-TV’s David Jackson, ABC’s Good Morning America, PBS’s Now and Nature, CBS’ Sunday Morning, KARE-TV 11 (Minneapolis) and Animal Planet Heroes.

"The news media continues to do a sterling job of spotlighting animal-protection issues, but when it came to Katrina, they surpassed themselves," says Wyler. "Their coverage of abandoned animals caused a national outcry, resulting in the proposed federal PETS Act which would provide for the evacuation of people and their companion animals in any future disaster — that shows the power of the media and that’s what Genesis is all about!"

Celebrities lending their support as presenters this year include to date: Jennifer Aspen, Julia Barr, Ed Begley, Jr., Kelly Bishop, Linda Blair, David Boreanaz, James Cromwell, Emily Deschanel, Jorja Fox, Tippi Hedren, Lauren Holly, Anne-Marie Lucas, Joe Mantegna, Moby, Shelley Morrison, Alexandra Paul, Eric Roberts, Charlotte Ross, Amy Smart, Steve Valentine, Kate Walsh and Persia White.

The Hollywood Office of The HSUS recently launched Animal Content in Entertainment (ACE), an industry resource and companion program to the annual Genesis Awards, designed to actively promote and develop animal issue storylines and themes in the entertainment media.

The Twentieth Anniversary Genesis Awards are made possible in part by our corporate benefactors: Southwest Airlines Co., MassMutual Financial Group, Michel Financial Group, BeKIND.org, Market Development Group, Urban Decay Cosmetics and Prai.Beauty Group.

The Twentieth Anniversary Genesis Awards Winners

Outstanding Feature Film — Animated Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit For unleashing the inimitable duo on an eccentric adventure, in which Gromit’s canine savvy helps them win through with a unique and humane version of pest control.

Outstanding Feature Film An Unfinished Life For a moving tale of damaged lives, in which a bear’s miserable confinement in a roadside zoo comes to symbolize the need for all concerned to be free to embrace life again.

Outstanding Family Feature Film Duma For a poignant story about a boy’s relationship with an orphaned cheetah cub, and his growing awareness that he must (and he does) release the animal back into the wild where he belongs.

Outstanding Documentary Film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill For an enchanting profile of a real life "St. Francis" whose search for meaning in his life is fulfilled by a flock of wild parrots whose intelligence and individual personalities are a revelation.

Outstanding Dramatic Series CSI — "Unbearable" For a powerful and groundbreaking episode that takes the lid off the deplorable "sport" of canned hunting, revealing a link to surplus zoo animals, and the trade in bear parts.

Sid Caesar Comedy Award Rodney For putting a face on beef by suggesting people would be less inclined to eat meat if they had to butcher the cow themselves, proving that humor is often the best recipe for making a point.

Outstanding Cable Documentary Jane Goodall: When Animals Talk For a fascinating look at the sophisticated communicative and cognitive abilities of a variety of species, demonstrating the untapped brain-power of non-human animals.

Outstanding National News Feature ABC World News Tonight For highlighting multiple issues, including an elephant cull in South Africa; the debate about wild horses and horse slaughter in the U.S, and the underestimated intelligence of farm animals.

Outstanding TV Network News Magazine Primetime For an investigation into the brutal trapping methods used in the trade of wild dolphins for tourism’s popular "swim with" programs.

Outstanding TV Talk Show Larry King Live — CNN For an expose of the cruel Chinese dog and cat fur industry, which supplies a largely unregulated global trade in unlabeled pelts, sold illegally in many countries, including the U.S.

Brigitte Bardot International Japan Times For a courageous condemnation of the shameful Japanese practice of slaughtering dolphins to protect the country’s fisheries, and as the by-product of supplying dolphins for theme parks.

Outstanding Children’s Programming Higglytown Heroes — "Kip’s Shadow" For delivering a wonderfully entertaining and informative companion animal 101 lesson for pre-schoolers, involving responsible care and the plight of strays.

Outstanding Local PBS Documentary Visionaries — "Beyond Shelter" For an inspirational look at the benefits of positive interaction with companion animals, illustrated by the effects of humane education and persevering with difficult dogs.

Outstanding Local News Series KGO-TV (Bay Area) For an ambitious two-part undercover investigation into the inhumane conditions endured by battery caged egg-laying hens, forcing Trader Joe’s to switch to cage-free eggs.

Outstanding Local News Feature KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) For shining the spotlight on two critical local issues: the ongoing controversy surrounding the L.A. Zoo’s elephant program, and the new LAPD Task Force, created to combat animal fighting.

Outstanding Periodical American Conservative — "Fear Factories" For a thought provoking cover story in a break-through outlet, presenting an unequivocal condemnation of the inhumane practices of factory farming.

Outstanding Newspaper Magazine Feature New York Times Magazine — "Planet of the Retired Apes" For a landmark cover story exploring Chimp Haven, a first of its kind government facility offering retired research chimpanzees an idyllic environment in return for their "services" to mankind.

Outstanding Series of Newspaper Articles Washington Post For breaking the story about a tax scam, which allows trophy hunters tax breaks for selling taxidermies of rare animals killed on safari and "canned hunts."

Outstanding Cartoonist — Ongoing Commitment Bizarro For turning common perceptions about the role of animals in our world upside down, with a wry, edgy humor that never fails to hit the mark.

Outstanding Newspaper Editorials Santa Barbara News Press For an unrivalled collection of 44 insightful, timely and reasoned editorials, exploring an array of significant animal issues in need of public attention and effecting change in the process.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization with 9.5 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The non-profit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the web at hsus.org.