The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation will honor New York Yankees radio announcer Suzyn Waldman with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2024 Gracie Awards Luncheon. Waldman is being honored for being a trailblazer for women in sports broadcasting.
In the 1990s, Waldman became one of the first women to provide play-by-play TV commentary for a Major League Baseball team, calling Yankees games on WPIX-TV. In 2005, she became the MLB’s first full-time female color commentator on WCBS Radio, where she was partnered with John Sterling. The duo moved to WFAN in 2013, working together until Sterling’s retirement in April.
Waldman is also credited with helping to end the feud between former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Yankees player-turned-manager Yogi Berra. She has also covered the New York Knicks.
ABC News Senior National Affairs Correspondent and 20/20 Co-Anchor Deborah Roberts will host the 49th annual Gracies Luncheon, scheduled for June 18 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
Roberts, recognized for her extensive journalism career and contributions to ABC’s 20/20, Good Morning America, and The View, has received multiple honors including a Peabody Award and several Emmy Awards. In addition to her broadcast accomplishments, Roberts is also celebrated as a New York Times bestselling author.
AWMF President Becky Brooks said, “We are thrilled to recognize Suzyn Waldman’s pioneering contributions to the industry with the Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award. This event promises to be a memorable celebration of talent and achievement in media.”
She added, “We are honored to have Deborah Roberts host this year’s Gracies Luncheon. Her illustrious career and dedication to impactful reporting epitomize the values we celebrate at the Gracie Awards.”
The Gracie Awards Luncheon celebrates the outstanding contributions of women in media, highlighting significant achievements of women who have documented and narrated critical moments, and providing a platform for student winners whose inspiring content signals a bright future for the industry. The theme for this year’s event is “Feminine Strength, both Large and Small,” reflecting the powerful impact of women in media across various platforms.
