The 37th Caucus Awards Honors Gary Levine, Paul Miller, Michael Berk, and Dr. Edna Sims Friday, November 15, 2019, At Skirball Cultural Center

Beverly Hills, CA — The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors is proud to honor Gary Levine, Paul Miller, Michael Berk and Dr. Edna Sims at the 37th Annual Caucus Awards Dinner that will be held on Friday, November 15, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049.

Each year The Caucus honors outstanding creative television and new media talent at their Annual Awards Dinner. The Caucus Foundation’s student Gold Circle Award is presented to two grant recipients for their 2018/19 student films. In promoting the upcoming generation of television and new media content creators, The Caucus will also present the Television and New Media Award to a university’s creative team for an exceptional project.

Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Inc., will be presented the Executive of the Year Award.  Since Levine joined the network as head of original programming in 2001, Showtime has been transformed into a major series player with provocative, distinctive and acclaimed series that include Ray Donovan, Shameless, Billions, The Affair, Escape At Dannemora, The Loudest Voice, Kidding, Black Monday, The Chi, Twin Peaks, Nurse Jackie, Weeds and The L Word. In addition, Levine has overseen the network’s original movies and documentaries, as well as the non-fiction series The Circus, the Emmy® nominated docu-series The Fourth Estate, and the Emmy Award-winning environmental docu-series Years Of Living Dangerously.

Paul Miller, an award-winning Producer/Director will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. He has directed Saturday Night Live, In Living Color and Country Music Awards for 25 years, the Tony Awards and live events from the nation’s Capital honoring Memorial Day and July 4th celebrations for more than thirty years. Miller has been nominated for the Emmy Awards nine times, has won three as both a producer and director, and earned a DGA Award for directing the Tony Awards.

Michael Berk, Writer/Producer/Director is receiving the Distinguished Service Award.

Michael created and Executive Produced Baywatch, the Guinness Book of World Records’ “Most watched television series in history”, and produced the Baywatch Movie for Paramount. After graduating from UCLA Michael Berk wrote motorcycle movies for Roger Corman, then produced a dozen movies for television, including The Incredible Journey of Dr. Meg Laurel, the first 3-hour movie ever on network television and the highest-rated movie of the year with a 52 share, and the Golden Globe-nominated Ordeal of Dr. Mudd.  Together they won 4 Emmy Awards. Over his film and television career, Michael Berk’s diverse roster of credits have garnered multiple Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Nominations, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Christopher Award, the Red Cross Spirit Award, the Ark Trust Award, and the Heal the Bay Environmental Award.

Dr. Edna Sims, Caucus Public Relations Director with the Chair’s Award.  Sims joined The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors in 2016 as the Director of Public Relations, while simultaneously worked at her PR firm that she founded and owns ESP Public Relations. ESP PR a full-service public relations, crisis management, marketing, and communications firm providing an extensive range of branding and media services for a diverse roster of clients. ESP PR’s client roster includes; MTV Network where she created The Cut television show, GRAMMY Foundation & Recording Academy, Los Angeles Times’ Business Section, L.A Unified School District, Ford Motor Company, The Michael Jackson Estate, The Gracie Awards, Comcast, Chrysler Group, ASCAP; LA County Bar Association, Oscar Winners Lou Gossett and Spike Lee, actors; Don Cheadle, Vivica A. Fox; Wendy Raquel Robinson; Debbie Allen, director David Talbert, Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rev Al Sharpton, Apollo 11 Laser Scientist Hal Walker & A-MAN STEM Int’l Science Center, Straight Outta Compton Film, along with numerous others.

Other honorees include, Legendary actor, director, producer, and philanthropist  Edward James Olmos will receive the Industry Icon Award.  Carolyn Strauss, Executive Producer, Game of Thrones, Chernobyl and Deadwood the Movie. She will receive the Producer Honor, Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin, Escape at Dannemora will receive the Writers Honor and Amy York Rubin, Dead to Me the Directors Honor.

James Pickens, Jr. star of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, will be the host for this wonderful evening.  

Producing  the annual dinner is The Caucus Awards committee which includes; Events Chair Chuck Fries and Awards Dinner Chair Gary Smith; Caucus Co-Chairs Robert Papazian and Tanya Hart; Vin Di Bona, Honorary Event Vice Chair and Vice Chairs Dennis Doty, James Hirsch, Ron  Friedman and Sharon Arnett, along with Deborah Leoni, Executive Director.

A portion of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit The Caucus Foundation, which has provided grants and awards of $2 million to 200 worthy students to complete their film, television or new media projects.

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About The Caucus For Producers, Writers & Directors

The Caucus is leading the evolution of television by providing a creative forum for

Producers, Writers, and Directors to explore the issues of the ever-changing landscape of content and exhibition.   The Caucus is proud of its rich history and esteemed membership of television innovators.  For over 40 years, The Caucus has provided an opportunity for the best and the brightest talent to network and voice the ‘creative conscience’ of the Television Industry.  Today, we continue to stand for better and meaningful content across all platforms.  As Producers, Writers, and Directors we support a working environment that fosters, through our various programs, the best content that we can create for our audiences.

In addition to its professional membership, The Caucus is proud of its non-profit work through The Caucus Foundation. Established in 2000 to help launch the careers of future entertainment professionals in film, television and emerging media.

Current members of The Caucus also include: Chuck Fries, JJ Abrams, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bright, James Burrows, Vin Di Bona, Loreen Arbus, Dennis Doty, Jim Hirsch, Robert Papazian, Tanya Hart, Chas Floyd Johnson, Norman Powell, Herman Rush, Sharon Arnett, and other leading producers, writers and directors. 

For ticket information and sponsorships opportunities, please contact Allison Jackson at  caucus@allisonjacksonco.com or call 310.550.7719.