On April 15, 2008, the Women's Sports Foundation played host to Hollywood celebrities and champion athletes in honoring positive portrayals of female athletes in the media.
By Sarah J Murray
Thirty five years ago this year, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in the notorious “Battle of the Sexes.” Families, teammates and friends gathered around televisions in record numbers to watch history in the making. With an audience of 50 million, the tennis match is still the most-watched in history. The widespread media coverage had a profound cultural impact, as it allowed people across the world to see what was literally thought impossible – a woman defeating a man.
On the anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes, there is perhaps no greater example of how media coverage shapes our perceptions. The Billie Awards, held on Tuesday night in Beverly Hills, Calif., recognizes the positive power the media possess. Actress Sharon Osbourne, Desperate Housewives star Doug Savant and Rapper Master P were just a few of the celebrities who joined Nancy Lieberman, Tracy Austin, Michelle Kwan and 40 of the world's most phenomenal female athletes in the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Billie Awards were presented to four members of the media who have done an extraordinary job in their portrayal of girls' and women's sports. In an age of continued struggle to see equal and positive representations of women athletes in the media, those contributions are lifeblood to evolution.
"It's great that we all come out here to celebrate this. Women athletes don't get enough publicity and recognition for what they do. Hey Babes, I'm on your side,” said Sir Elton John.
Each honoree was presented with an award crafted by Alexandra Nechita. Nechita, a 22-year-old internationally acclaimed artist, has created awards for the GRAMMYS and is known for her passionate presentations of social issues in her pieces.
2008 Billie Award winners and nominees were as follows:
Journalism Category
Honoree: Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports – Carol & Graf Publishers, Katherine Switzer
Finalists: Pregnant Pause – ESPN Outside The Lines, Produced by Lindsay Rovegno and Arty Berko; Series of Articles – Chicago Tribune, Melissa Issacson; Series of Articles – ESPN.com/Kansas City Star, Mechelle Voepel; Mamachas – ESPN Deportes, Produced by Ursula Pfeiffer and Carlos Orbegoso
Entertainment Category
Honoree: Chak De! India – Yash Raj Films, Produced by Aditya Chopra
Finalists: Women in American Horse Racing – American Storyboard, Produced by John Ronan and Sandra Ronan; Generation IX – Produced by Jack and Leslie Hamann
Breakthrough and Innovation Category
Honoree: BoomBoom-TAP – Under Armour/Advertising Campaign
Finalists: The Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of – Nike/Advertising Campaign; The Snow Campaign – Quicksilver/Roxy/Advertising Campaign; “GKA” – Fuel TV/Television Series
Outstanding Journalist
Honoree: Lesley Visser, groundbreaking broadcast journalist, only sportscaster to work on the network broadcasts of the Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Triple Crown, Olympic Games, U.S. Open and World Figure Skating Championships.
The evening also included a rundown of The Billies Top 10 Memorable Moments in Women's Sports in 2007. The exclamation point on the show was a high-energy performance from Sir Elton John on his signature Red Piano, including get-out-of-your-seat-and-dance renditions of Philadelphia Freedom, Rocket Man and Benny and the Jets.
When the house lights went back up, The Billies raised 1.2 million dollars to support increased opportunities for girls' and women's sports, including the Foundation's primary program, GoGirlGo!, aimed at getting girls physically active.
Who better to remind us why we were really there than Billie Jean King? “This isn't just about famous people, although we are happy they are here. This country has a greater need now for physical activity, with the prevalence of diabetes and obesity, than ever before.”
The Women's Sports Foundation would like to extend congratulations to all Billie Award nominees and hearty appreciation to our national sponsors, event sponsors and all those who attended and helped make The Billies an incredible success.
Editor's Note: Special thanks to the Giant Steps Foundation for helping to make this year's Billies a carbon-neutral, green event. Programs were printed on post-consumer recycled paper, energy was wind-powered, and an all-organic menu was served.