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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND
TO HONOR
Sonia Friedman CBE
Seth MacFarlane
AND
Warner Bros. Television group

AT 2024 GALA
ON MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2024
AT THE NEW YORK MARRIOTT MARQUIS

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

New York, NY (March 19, 2024) – The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, announced today that it will host its Annual Gala on Monday, April 8, 2024, in New York City. The evening will celebrate Sonia Friedman CBE, Olivier and Tony Award-winning producer; Seth MacFarlane, Founder, Fuzzy Door and Award-winning writer, actor, director, producer and singer; and Warner Bros. Television Group, Emmy-winning producer of scripted, unscripted and animated programming, as they receive the Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor.

For photos of the honorees, click here.

The Annual Gala that honors entertainment professionals working in film, television, theater, music and dance will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway) with 6 pm ET cocktails, followed by a 7 pm ET dinner and tribute. The evening will include special performances and presentations as guests come together to support the Fund’s programs that foster stability and resiliency and provide a safety net over the lifespan of members of the performing arts and entertainment industry nationwide.

Special guests will include Annette Bening, Maria Friedman, Liz Gillies and more.

“It’s incredibly meaningful for the Entertainment Community Fund to celebrate Sonia Friedman, Seth MacFarlane and Warner Bros. Television Group at our Annual Gala. Their commitment to the Fund and their peers in performing arts and entertainment is truly commendable, and we’re deeply grateful for their contributions to our work and the industry overall,” said Entertainment Community Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa.

“We are thrilled to honor Sonia, Seth and Warner Bros. Television Group at this year’s gala, especially after such an immensely challenging year for the entertainment industry,” said Annette Bening, Entertainment Community Fund Board Chair. “I’m looking forward to recognizing this year’s recipients on April 8, along with the invaluable work done by the Fund to help those in need in our community.”

The Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor was inaugurated on May 9, 1910 when it was first presented to President William Howard Taft. The award was revived in 1958, and since 1992, when Shubert Organization President Bernard B. Jacobs was recognized, the award has been presented at an annual fundraising gala. Since then, dozens of leaders have been recognized with this high honor given to individuals and organizations that enrich the entertainment community. To view past honorees, visit

entertainmentcommunity.org/gala-honorees-and-awardees.

Tickets to the benefit begin at $1,750 with tables available beginning at $15,000. For more information and special sponsorship opportunities, please contact 212-627-1000 or reach out to entertainmentcommunity@resevt.com. Learn more and purchase tickets at entertainmentcommunity.org/Gala2024.

Special guests subject to change

ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND

The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a national human services organization that addresses the unique needs of people who work in performing arts and entertainment with services focused on health and wellness, career and life, and housing. Since 1882, the Fund has sought to ensure stability, encourage resiliency and be a safety net for those who shape our country’s cultural vibrancy. Learn more at entertainmentcommunity.org.

ABOUT SONIA FRIEDMAN CBE

One of the most influential and successful international theater producers of all time, Sonia Friedman CBE has developed, initiated and produced over 260 new productions since 1990 and, together with her company, has won 61 Olivier Awards, 39 Tonys and three BAFTAS.

In 2019, Sonia was awarded ‘Producer of the Year’ at the Stage Awards for a record-breaking fourth time. In 2018, she was also featured in TIME 100, a list of Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2017, she took the number one spot in ‘The Stage 100’, becoming the first number one in the history of the compilation not to own or operate West End theatres and the first solo woman for almost 20 years.

Notable Broadway and West End productions have included: Dr Semmelweis, Leopoldstadt, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Piano Lesson, Jerusalem, The Ferryman, Ink, The Inheritance, Dreamgirls, Travesties, The Jungle, 1984, Hamlet (Andrew Scott), Hamlet (Benedict Cumberbatch), King Charles III, The River, Richard III/Twelfth Night (Mark Rylance), The Norman Conquests, Boeing-Boeing.

Current and forthcoming productions include: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Global), Merrily We Roll Along (Broadway), Patriots (Broadway), Stereophonic (Broadway), Funny Girl (Us Tour), The Book of Mormon (West End and UK & Europe Tour), Stranger Things: The First Shadow; a co-production with Netflix (West End), The Hills Of California (West End), Mean Girls (West End), Fangirls (Lyric Hammersmith), Oedipus (West End) and many other shows in development including Paddington: The Musical.

ABOUT SETH MACFARLANE

Seth MacFarlane’s talents encompass every aspect of the entertainment industry. A true multi-hyphenate, he is behind some of today’s most popular content in television, music, and film, having garnered five Emmys, five Grammy nominations and an Academy Award nomination.

At 24, MacFarlane became the youngest showrunner in television history when his animated series Family Guy aired on Fox. Currently celebrating 25 years on-air, the show has garnered MacFarlane five Emmy Awards, four of which make him a tied record-holder for the most voice-over Emmy wins of all time. MacFarlane also serves as co-creator, executive producer and voice actor on the fan-favorite animated series American Dad!, which just finished airing season 18.

Through his Fuzzy Door production banner, MacFarlane recently released the Ted event series for Peacock. The series, which he wrote, directed and reprised the voice of the iconic and loveable foul-mouthed teddy bear, is currently the number one original comedy streaming in the U.S. MacFarlane also created, executive produces and stars in Hulu’s Emmy nominated series The Orville. He also executive produced Nat Geo/Fox’s Cosmos: Possible Worlds, the second installment of his 21st century version of Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey, which received 13 Emmy nominations and was seen by more than 135 million people.

MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut in 2012 with the then-highest-grossing original R-rated comedy film of all time, Ted. In addition to voicing Ted, MacFarlane co-wrote and produced the film, which went on to make more than $545 million worldwide. Fresh off the success of Ted and hosting Saturday Night Live, MacFarlane hosted the 85th Academy Awards and was nominated for “Best Original Song” for “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from Ted. The highly anticipated sequel, Ted 2, was released in June 2015. MacFarlane and Fuzzy Door are currently in pre-production on Paramount’s The Naked Gun remake starring Liam Neeson, which is slated for a July 28, 2025 theatrical release.

MacFarlane boasts an impressive musical portfolio, having released eight studio albums: Music is Better Than Words, Holiday for Swing, No One Ever Tells You, In Full Swing, Once In A While, Great Songs From Stage & Screen, Blue Skies and his latest, We Wish You The Merriest. The duet Christmas record sees him and longtime collaborator Liz Gillies collaborating once more on the heels of their 12-track Songs From Home record. These critically acclaimed albums have earned him five Grammy nominations and several No. 1 debuts on the Jazz charts. With a profound appreciation of the Great American Songbook, MacFarlane has performed with legendary composer John Williams, duetted with Barbra Streisand and joined numerous renowned symphonies across the country. Last year, he was featured in Logic’s chart-topping hit “Self-Medication”, which boasts more than 36 million Spotify streams.

Through the Seth MacFarlane Foundation, MacFarlane is an avid supporter of climate conservation, science communication, cancer research, free speech and equal rights for all. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA dual strike, MacFarlane donated $6 million to the Entertainment Community Fund to provide financial assistance to the thousands of film and television professionals across all departments impacted by the work stoppage. In honor of his late mother, Perry MacFarlane, he funded The Australia Wildlife Hospital’s Perry MacFarlane Koala Intensive Care Ward, and USC Keck School of Medicine’s Perry MacFarlane Memorial Laboratory. In 2018, MacFarlane donated $2.5 million to NPR and it’s local Los Angeles station KPCC. In 2012, he purchased and donated the Carl Sagan papers, funding the Seth MacFarlane collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan archive at the Library of Congress.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP
Warner Bros. Television Group is one of the entertainment industry’s most celebrated producers of scripted, unscripted and animated programming, with nearly 90 series across almost 20 platforms. Since its founding in 1955, the Studio has produced some of television’s most seminal works including The Big Bang Theory, the DC Arrowverse, ER, Friends, Fringe, classic Looney Tunes shorts and The West Wing, to name a few. From its storied library to its most popular and acclaimed shows of today including Abbott Elementary, All American, The Bachelor franchise, the hit Harley Quinn animated series,  Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, The Voice, You, Young Sheldon and the upcoming The Penguin, Warner Bros. Television Group has a rich legacy of producing high quality entertainment programs that leave an indelible mark on pop culture and connect with audiences everywhere.

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