I always enjoy attending the New York Women in Film and Television MUSE Award in New York City, I think I have been going for about a decade, and that is because this awards event is aptly named. One always leaves the event feeling inspired, and the women chosen are not just inspiring for anyone in the creative fields, but really for any career - and life itself.
Held again at Cipriani's the room was packed and full of vibrant energy, the kind of energy in my opinion, only New York City elicits. It was mostly women - and a few dozen men, attending to network and listen to the stories of the Muses. The theme of the event was "metamorphosis" with the room being filled with women in many stages of development and also those wonderfully spreading their wings.
The 45th Annual MUSE AWARDS for Vision and Achievement were given to the following women (see bottom of article for complete bios):
Pamela Anderson, Actor, Author
Marissa Bode, Actor and Activist - Loreen Arbus Changemaker Awards - known for WICKED
Lisa Cortes, Director and Producer
Celia Costas - Producer, The Mayor's Office on Media and Entertainment, - receiving the "Made in NY" Award
Amy Entelis - EVP Talent, CNN Originals and Creative Development, CNN World Wide
Versha Sharma, Editor-in-Chief - Teen Vogue Enid Roth Award for Excellence in Journalism
At the event MUSE Honoree Actress Pamela Anderson - with her signature no makeup look - began by explaining her late response because she was dealing with her father with cancer. Then she went on to talk about how it affected her and what she realizes now can be stumbling blocks to happiness and success. Her speech was short and to the point. Listen to a clip here.
The other Muses this year came from a variety of industries, and they all gave equally compelling and inspiring speeches. And it's always interesting to hear their origin stories. One amazing success story was told by Marissa Bode. As a very young actress she rose quickly by being cast in Wicked, And for those who don't know, she uses a wheelchair in real life, not just in the movie. That alone gives you an idea of her stamina and perseverance. Watch Marissa speak here.
The event was hosted with grace and humor by Nancy Giles.
New York Women and Film and Television is a nonprofit organization based in New York City which seeks to inspire, educate and inform women in the creative arts. Please visit the website at www.NYWIFT.org to view their many programs and for information on becoming a member.
ABOUT THE 2025 MUSE HONOREES
Meet our 2025 Muse Honorees
Pamela Anderson currently stars in the Gia Coppola-directed “The Last Showgirl,” for which she has been nominated in the Lead Actress Category for Golden Globe, SAG and Gotham Awards. The feature premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, then screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award, the Zurich Film Festival at which Anderson received the Golden Eye Award, the Savannah Film Festival at which Anderson received the Marquee Award, the Miami Film Festival at which Anderson received the Art of Light Acting Award and the Sun Valley Film Festival at which she received the Pioneer Award. IndieWire later bestowed the Performance Award on Anderson at its IndieWire Honors ceremony. With several projects on the horizon, Pamela Anderson will next be seen on the big screen in a starring role opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount’s upcoming “Naked Gun” reboot. Later in the year, Anderson will appear in Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning” with Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning Jamie Bell, Lucas Gage and Tracy Letts. Anderson’s cooking series “Pamela’s Cooking with Love,” premiered in February on Canada’s Flavour Network. On the docuseries, Anderson cooks with some of the world’s top chefs from her property on Vancouver Island. Anderson can also be seen in the new season of her popular docuseries “Pamela’s Garden of Eden,” which follows the renovation of her Vancouver Island property, along with the renovation of her sons’, Brandon Thomas Lee and Dylan Lee, Los Angeles home. In addition to her ongoing film and television work, Anderson works with her sons on Sonsie Skincare, a vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand that celebrates balanced living. In 2023, Anderson released her New York Times bestselling memoir “Love, Pamela” and starred in the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary produced by her son Brandon, “Pamela, A Love Story,” both of which gave an intimate glimpse into her journey. This past October, Anderson released her first cookbook, “I Love You: Recipes from the Heart,” which also became a New York Times bestseller. Among her other recent acting work, Anderson made her Broadway debut in 2022 as Roxy Hart in “Chicago,” for which she received critical acclaim across the board and a Playbill Award.
Marissa Bode made her feature film debut as principal character, Nessarose, in Universal’s Wicked duology directed by Jon M. Chu, and also starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh. As a disability rights activist, she is proud to be the first wheelchair user to play the role of Nessarose. Marissa has been acting since the age of 8 and trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She lives in Los Angeles and is honored to be an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters. In her free time, Marissa enjoys cooking and spending time with her three cats.
Lisa Cortés is a Grammy-nominated and Emmy-winning director and producer who generates bold, explosive art that shines light on important stories hidden from view. From executive-producing the Academy Award®- winning film, Precious, to producing and directing 2023’s “enthralling documentary” (Variety Magazine) Little Richard: I Am Everything, Lisa sparks cultural change through works of unrivaled excellence. Cortés is the founder of CORTÉS FILMWORKS, an NYC-based multimedia production company founded by Lisa Cortés to produce scripted, unscripted and branded content properties spanning music, social justice, crime and other topics. Cortés Filmworks is committed to telling complex, powerful stories from new perspectives, and elevating the talent often overlooked by the mainstream.
Celia Costas is an Emmy-award winning producer whose credits include numerous ‘Made in NY’ productions, such as tick, tick… BOOM!, The Intern, Annie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Angels in America. Throughout her decades long career, she has served as a Location Manager, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Executive Producer and Producer on more than 40 feature films and television projects. In addition to her achievements in the entertainment industry, Costas, who is born and raised in Brooklyn, is on the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn College, part of CUNY, and runs an Annual Lecture Series for the Department of Classics in memory of her father, a Classics Professor Emeritus of that institution. Celia also serves on the Advisory Board of The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College, where she shares her expertise and passion for producing with up and coming filmmakers.
Amy Entelis is the Executive Vice President for Talent, CNN Originals and Creative Development for CNN Worldwide. She leads the CNN Originals group and is responsible for the development, production, and acquisition of original, long-form premium content for CNN’s global platforms. Since joining CNN in 2012, Entelis has led the development and launch of more than 50 multipart series for CNN Original Series, and she has acquired, commissioned, or executive produced more than 65 feature and short films for CNN Films. This work has earned more than 120 awards and 450 nominations, including an Academy Award® for the CNN Film Navalny. Notable titles include the Peabody and 13-time Emmy® Award winning Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown; the PGA and BAFTA Award-winning Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which CNN Films acquired with DC Studios and HBO; three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and the forthcoming Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain; The Last Movie Stars (dir. Ethan Hawke); Three Identical Strangers (dir. Tim Wardle); John Lewis: Good Trouble (dir. Dawn Porter); Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice; the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; the two-time Academy Award® nominated, RBG (dir. Betsy West and Julie Cohen); Apollo 11(dir. Todd Douglas Miller); and Blackfish (dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite). As the head of talent for CNN Worldwide, Entelis oversees all on-air correspondents, anchors, and contributors for CNN programming and global platforms. A graduate of Vassar College and Columbia Journalism School, she began her career in television journalism at ABC News.
Versha Sharma is the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, leading a newsroom that covers fashion, politics, culture, and identity for young audiences. Since joining in May 2021, she has won several leadership awards and a National Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for Best News & Politics Cover. She formerly covered global issues as managing editor and senior correspondent at NowThis. She currently serves on the boards of the Online News Association and International Women’s Media Foundation. Sharma has continually rallied for diversified voices across the media landscape and in leadership positions, pushing the conversation forward on the issues most affecting young people today. |
Join the conversation on social media: NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Updated: Mar 13, 2025 |
