New York - USA Network announced the 10 honorees for the second-annual Character Approved Awards, a multimedia campaign honoring individuals who are changing the face of American culture. Inspired by USA’s Characters Welcome brand, the initiative is dedicated to celebrating the true trailblazers across a variety of disciplines such as art, philanthropy, new media, and film.
“Character Approved is a celebration of the real Characters making an impact on our culture today,” says Chris McCumber, USA executive vice president, marketing, digital and brand strategy. “Our honorees are all at the top of their game, and we’re thrilled to shine a light on their unique accomplishments.”
"Character Approved honorees are innovators in their field who are influencing our opinions, our style, and our view of the world," says a representative. "They surprise us and inspire us with fresh ideas. They are celebrated by their peers and have an authentic style. USA recognizes these 10 individuals for their cultural impact, legacy and persona with the hallmark of recognition, the USA Network seal of approval:"
Green Day, Grammy Award-winning rock band (Music)
Kathryn Bigelow, Academy Award-nominated film director, “The Hurt Locker” (Film/TV)
Nora Ephron, best-selling novelist, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright (Writing)
Narciso Rodriguez, multiple award-winning American fashion designer (Fashion)
Angela Brooks, groundbreaking sustainable architect, principal of Pugh + Scarpa Architects (Architecture)
Kehinde Wiley, revolutionary urban arts painter (Art)
Yves Behar, innovative industrial designer of the Jawbone Bluetooth headset and the $100 XO laptop (Design)
Dan Barber, renowned restaurateur, Blue Hill and Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture (Food)
Jessica Jackley, social entrepreneur and microfinancier, co-founder Kiva.org (Giving)
Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, game creators of Guitar Hero and Rock Band (New Media/Technology)
The honorees will be featured in vignettes introduced by Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) and directed by Henry Alex Rubin (Murderball), which will debut Thursday, February 25 on USA Network. The vignettes provide an inside look at the lives, the works, and influences of these characters, and will be aired over the course of six weeks across the network’s programming and online at http://characterapproved.usanetwork.com.