The 2021 Audio Description Awards Gala is this week! We hope that you will join us on Thursday, November 18th, 2021, at 7:30pm ET on www.AdAwardsGala.org, Listen Live on ACB Media 6 or watch it on NBC’s Peacock platform.
A special Message from Eric Bridges, ACB’s Executive Director.
The Audio Description Awards Gala in media will celebrate the best-of-the-best within the art and science of inclusive audio-described media. At the same time, we will work to expand awareness of the transformative effect that audio description has made in the lives of people with disabilities. While we have seen great progress in recent years, there is still a lot of work ahead of us, and we could use your help to make this event a success.
Help Us Raise Awareness & Donate Today!
The event’s goal is to raise funding to support ACB’s Audio Description Project (ADP) which works with stakeholders and industry leaders to provide accessible video entertainment through the delivery of audio-described content. The ADP continues to sponsor a broad range of activities designed to build awareness of audio description among the general public as well as its principal users, people who are blind or have low vision.
The mission of the ADP is to promote and advocate for the use of high-quality Audio Descriptions in television, movies, performing arts, museums, educational materials, and other venues where the presentation of visual media is critical to the understanding and appreciation of the content.
Consumption of media and entertainment over the past year has been nothing short of historic. With more on-demand and streaming options being released each day, audiences have moved from a golden to a platinum age of media-rich with compelling stories available at the push of a button.
Please consider donating to help the ADP continue in its mission to expand and recognize accessible media and the importance of audio description, please visit www.adawardsgala.org/donate.
Awards & Game Changers
This year’s honorees have been carefully selected by a diverse group of leaders from the audio description panel who have identified recipients as both audio description content leaders and media industry game changers! The evening highlight will take place as the event bestows the newly created ACB Barry Award, in honor of the great Barry Cronin; these awards will be recognizing the best-of-the-best in the field of audio description in media.
The award recipients will receive the newly created ACB Barry Award, in recognition as the best of the best in the field of audio description.
The event will honor significant achievements in media that paved the way for creating the Audio Description standard as well as recognizing the best of television, streaming and the film industry’s commitment to accessible media for blind and low vision audiences in the form of audio description.
The award categories include:
- Outstanding Audio Description Visionary
- Audio Description Game Changers
- Outstanding Achievement in Audio Description Innovation
- Outstanding Achievement Audio Description Contribution Impact for Live Events
- Outstanding Achievement Audio Description Accessibility Contribution
Be sure to tune in to see who will receive the honors!
Thank you to our Sponsors:
- Silver Star — Comcast NBCUniversal
- Silver Star — WarnerMedia
- Bronze Star — American Printing House
- Bronze Star — Spectrum
- Bronze Star — ViacomCBS Streaming
Introducing our Gala Host, Mr. Thomas Reid. Thomas Reid is a voice talent and Audio Description Narrator. He also has a podcast featuring compelling people impacted by all degrees of blindness and disabilities. We are thrilled to have Thomas as this year’s event host!
The Gala will include many presenters you will recognize including:
- Joel Snyder
- Charlie Cox
- Ahmed Fareed
- Lex Gillette
- Christian Camargo
- Nesta Cooper
- Roy Samuelson
- Satauna Howery
- Conchita Hernandez Legorreta
- Eric Bridges
- Kim Charlson
The event will also include special guests, including:
Jason Momoa, Kurt & Brenda Warner, Zachary Levi, Charlie Cox, Erik Weihenmayer, Christian Camargo, Nesta Copper, Blake Stadnik and more surprises to come!
For more information, visit: www.AdAwardsGala.org.
Gala Accessibility
The AD Awards Gala event will be totally accessible for people who are blind and people who are deaf: open audio description (an “always on” secondary audio channel) will provide description of visual images, and open captioning (“always on” captions) will offer captions for the spoken word and other audio elements.
For more information on the 2021 Audio Description Awards, visit www.AdAwardsGala.org.