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EXCLUSIVE: Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale, Saturday Night Live) will receive the 2025 WIF Honors’ inaugural Icon Award on Thursday in Los Angeles. The accolade “celebrates storytellers whose artistry and unforgettable performances have captured the zeitgeist, defining a generation and shaping the cultural landscape.” WIF Honors is an annual gala that raises vital funds for Women In Film’s education, career, and advocacy programs. Wiig joins the previously announced honorees: Tessa Thompson, Nia DaCosta, Dede Gardner, and Gabrielle Nadig, receiving the Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film; Mara Brock Akil, Judy Blume and Regina King receiving the Crystal Award for Advocacy in TV; Jamie Lee Curtis to receive the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award to be presented by Fonda; and Maude Apatow to receive the WIF Max Mara Face of the Future Award. “Kristen Wiig is the perfect embodiment of our inaugural Icon Award,” Kirsten Schaffer, CEO of WIF, shared. “Her singular voice and unforgettable performances have brought endless laughter and raw honesty to audiences everywhere. Whether she is playing Gilly on SNL, or Annie in Bridesmaids, or Maxine in Palm Royale, her work has left an indelible mark on American culture.” Additionally, Karen Pittman joins the program to present her Forever colleagues, Brock Akil and King, with their award for their collaboration on the hit Netflix series. E! News correspondent Francesca Amiker and NPR News Culture Desk correspondent Mandalit del Barco will also join the program as moderators for short conversations. Amiker will moderate a discussion with Thompson, Gardner, and Nadig on their work on Hedda, and Del Barco will moderate a conversation with Akil and King on their work together on Forever. This year’s WIF Honors, themed Unity, underscores that our shared commitment to equity, sustainability, and stories that represent the breadth of the human experience can transform culture. The evening will also feature a special appearance by comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. Victoria Alonso and Tracy McKnight co-chair the 2025 WIF Honors. Alongside Alonso and McKnight, the WIF Honors Committee is comprised of WIF Board of Directors Tara Duncan, Monica Levinson, Andrea Nelson Meigs, Rachel Rusch, and Talitha Watkins. The event is designed and produced by Anchor Street Collective.
