The Gracies are bringing two of journalism’s most recognizable voices to the same stage. TODAY co-host Sheinelle Jones will lead a fireside chat with Katie Couric as the Alliance for Women in Media honors the pioneering broadcaster with its 2025 Gracies Icon Award.
The Gracies Leadership Awards, to be held at Tribeca 360° in New York City on November 18, will see NAB Leadership Foundation President and Chief Impact Officer Michelle Duke receive the AWM Legacy Leadership Award.
Additional award recipients include iHeartMedia EVP of Global Music Marketing and Strategy Alissa Pollack, Kino Lorber COO Martha Benyam, The Walt Disney Company President of Global Advertising Rita Ferro, BET Networks EVP Connie Orlando, NBCUniversal Local Chairman Valari Dobson Staab, and Paper Kite Productions Head of Audio and Podcasts Jenna Weiss-Berman.
The ceremony will also recognize Columbia University student Dayana Matasheva as the recipient of the 2025 AWM Foundation/NCTA – The Internet & Television Association Student Scholarship.
Alliance for Women in Media President Becky Brooks said, “Sheinelle and Katie are two of the most respected voices in journalism, each using their platforms to inform and inspire. To have them together on stage promises an authentic, insightful conversation that embodies what the Gracies are all about, celebrating women whose work shapes and advances our industry.”
