Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1520149
28 SAG-AFTRA | Spring 2024 | sagaftra.org For Members SAG-AFTRA Accepts Prestigious Award from Spanish Actors Union S AG-AFTRA, the world's largest actor and media artist union, was among those honored at the 32nd Union of Actors and Actresses Awards in Madrid on March 11. The annual event is hosted by the Spanish actors union, the Unión de Actores y Actrices. SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland attended the ceremony on the union's behalf and accepted the "Premio Especial" Award. The Premio Especial is the highest honor given by the Spanish actors union, recognizing individuals and organizations that reflect "spirit and dedication toward the acting profession and community." Unión de Actores previously announced the honor in a Feb. 19 press release. In the announcement, SAG-AFTRA was praised for its longstanding commitment to actors and resilience during its TV/Theatrical/Streaming strike in 2023. Said Crabtree-Ireland, "Last year witnessed one of the toughest battles our industry has ever faced, and we were able to come together and say, 'Enough.' Our strike actions rewrote the rules for how technology and artificial intelligence protections can be achieved, and we reaffirmed the indispensable role that human art plays in the world of entertainment and storytelling. "This award belongs to each of our SAG-AFTRA union members who walked and raised their voices," he said. The Unión de Actores y Actrices is the professional and independent union for film, television and theater actors in Spain. It currently has 2,630 members. NYWIFT Honors SAG-AFTRA President, Members at 44th Annual Muse Awards N ew York Women in Film & Television hosted its 44th annual Muse Awards on March 27. Honorees during the event included SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, who was recognized for her leadership during negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers last year; SAG-AFTRA members Alex Borstein, Kyra Sedgwick, Tantoo Cardinal and Millicent Simmonds; and Latasha Gillespie, Michèle Stephenson and Oscar-winner Raney Aronson-Rath. Among the industry leaders at the event were Executive Vice President Linda Powell; Vice President, Los Angeles and L.A. Local President Jodi Long; and Vice President, New York and N.Y. Local President Ezra Knight. Drescher was unable to attend, and Powell accepted the award on her behalf and read a statement about facing personal challenges during the historic 118-day TV/Theatrical/Streaming strike in 2023 and its impact in the industry. "Eve n during the most challenging weeks of that strike, I remained inspired by those thousands who came to the picket lines and raised their voices, refusing to allow changing technology and business models to displace their ability to have a career in the performing arts," she said. "I was emboldened by thoughts of future generations whose dreams of achieving sustainable livelihoods needed to be protected. As I told our 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members, it's hard to change. We're in a different era now. And sometimes the best way to create a better world is to refuse to accept anything less. Know your value. Don't go on sale." SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Linda Powell at the 2024 New York Women in Film & Television Muse Awards on March 27. SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland at the 32nd Union of Actors and Actresses Awards in Madrid on March 11. PHOTO COURTESY OF STARPIX/NYWIFT