WIF Honors (formerly Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards)

Overview

WIF Honors is the annual gala presented by WIF (formerly Women In Film, Los Angeles) to recognize women and nonbinary creatives who are transforming culture through art, advocacy, and impact in the screen industries. The event was formerly known as the Crystal + Lucy Awards, a name used from 1994 until the organization rebranded the event as WIF Honors in 2019. The 2025 WIF Honors took place November 6 at The Beverly Hilton, themed "Unity," presented by Max Mara with Visionary Sponsor e.l.f. Cosmetics and additional support from Amazon MGM Studios, Apple TV, Delta Air Lines, Disney, Netflix, and STARZ #TakeTheLead.

WIF was founded in 1973 by Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter. The organization has been fighting for gender equity for over 50 years through advocacy, career programs, and research. WIF is led by Chief Executive Officer Kirsten Schaffer and Chair of the Board of Directors Syrinthia Studer. Membership is open to all screen industry professionals.

The gala raises funds for WIF's education, career development, and advocacy programs. These include mentoring, speaker and screening series, a production training program, writing labs, film finishing funds, legal aid, and an annual financing intensive. The 2025 honorees included Jamie Lee Curtis (Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award), Kristen Wiig (inaugural Icon Award), Tessa Thompson, Nia DaCosta, Dede Gardner, and Gabrielle Nadig (Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film for Hedda), Mara Brock Akil, Judy Blume, and Regina King (Crystal Award for Advocacy in TV for Forever), and Maude Apatow (WIF Max Mara Face of the Future Award, marking the 20th anniversary of that award).

Event Details

Key Sections (Award Categories)

• Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film - honors individuals and groups of women creating increased opportunities for the advancement of women in film. Established in 1977. 2025 recipients: Tessa Thompson, Nia DaCosta, Dede Gardner, and Gabrielle Nadig for Hedda.
• Crystal Award for Advocacy in TV - honors women advancing equity in television. 2025 recipients: Mara Brock Akil, Judy Blume, and Regina King for Forever.
• Max Mara Face of the Future Award - recognizes an actress at a transitional point in her career. 2025 marked the 20th anniversary of this award. 2025 recipient: Maude Apatow.
• Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award - honors humanitarian contributions. 2025 recipient: Jamie Lee Curtis, presented by Jane Fonda.
• Icon Award - honors storytellers whose artistry and performances have captured the zeitgeist and shaped the cultural landscape. Inaugural recipient (2025): Kristen Wiig, presented by Kaia Gerber.
• Dorothy Arzner Directors Award - honors women directors for their contributions to cinema.
• Kodak Vision Award - recognizes women in cinematography and visual arts.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Not a Film Festival

WIF Honors is an awards gala, not a film festival. There is no submission process, no screening of submitted films, and no competition categories for submitted work. Honorees are selected by WIF based on their body of work, advocacy, and impact on gender equity in the screen industries. Filmmakers should not attempt to submit films for consideration.

WIF Membership and Career Programs

For women and nonbinary filmmakers, WIF membership provides access to programs that are more directly beneficial than attending the gala. Membership tiers include:

• Student - free; includes event invitations, newsletter, 20% savings on career program application fees
• Ally - includes event invitations, guild and studio screenings, partner events, 20% savings on career program fees
• Creative - includes skill-building workshops, networking events, invitation to apply to WIF Shorts Night, up to 2 Fellowship application fees waived
• Storyteller - includes all Fellowship application fees waived, member pricing for WIF Honors ticket, website and social promotion
• Champion - includes opportunity to mentor WIF Fellows, additional WIF Honors ticket at member pricing

WIF Fellowships

The flagship WIF Fellowship program welcomes Fellows from all areas of the entertainment industry for a year of mentoring, master classes, network building, and one-on-one career strategy sessions. As of 2023, participants in all discipline-specific programs receive a year of support through mentoring and networking. The Episodic Lab is offered to promising non-professional television writers to hone their pilots and career strategy through workshops and master classes. The next application cycle for the Episodic Lab opens in Fall 2026.

ReFrame Initiative

WIF co-founded ReFrame with the Sundance Institute. ReFrame employs a peer-to-peer approach in which Ambassadors engage with senior industry decision-makers at over 50 Partner Companies to implement systemic change programs. The goal is to mitigate bias during creative decision-making and hiring, celebrate successes, and measure progress toward gender-representative industry staffing at all levels.

WIF Help Line

WIF operates a Help Line offering resources and support for anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or misconduct while working in the entertainment industry. Services include referrals to pro bono legal services (California, New York, Georgia), sliding-scale therapy, and free support groups. Trauma-informed staff responders take calls from across the country.

Research and Advocacy

Since 2013, WIF has partnered with Pepperdine University and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to commission research into obstacles to gender parity. This work led to the foundation of ReFrame and contributed to an ACLU action exposing gender discrimination in Hollywood. In 2022, WIF released the Entrepreneurial Pathways study highlighting disparities in funding for women entrepreneurs in the screen industries. In 2024, WIF received a three-year grant from the Gates Foundation to strengthen the international network of women in the screen industries, with an initial focus on Kenya, Nigeria, and India, helping launch or grow 10+ chapters.

Networking and Industry Access

The WIF Honors gala is one of the most concentrated networking events in Hollywood for women in the screen industries. Attendees in 2025 included Regina King, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Fonda, Karen Pittman, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bello, Jurnee Smollett, Leslie Mann, and Zoey Deutch. The WIF Honors Committee is co-chaired by Victoria Alonso and Tracy McKnight, with committee members including WIF Board of Directors members Tara Duncan, Monica Levinson, Andrea Nelson Meigs, Rachel Rusch, and Talitha Watkins. For filmmakers at any career stage, WIF membership provides ongoing access to this community outside of the gala.

History

WIF was founded in 1973 by Tichi Wilkerson Kassel as Women In Film, Los Angeles. The Crystal Awards were launched in 1977 to honor outstanding women who, through the excellence of their work, helped expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. The first Crystal Luncheon honored Lucille Ball, screenwriter Eleanor Perry, actress and director Nancy Malone, and attorney Norma Zarky.

The Lucy Award for Innovation in Television was established in 1994 by Joanna Kerns, Bonny Dore, and Loreen Arbus. Named to pay tribute to Lucille Ball, the award is presented in association with Ball's estate to recognize women and men whose creative works have enhanced the perception of women through television. The first Lucy Awards were given to Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Gary David Goldberg, and Susan Lucci.

In 1993, WIF developed its Mentoring Program, where members discuss career objectives and strategy with peers and entertainment leaders. In 2015, WIF and the Sundance Institute launched the Systemic Change Project (later named ReFrame), gathering 44 industry leaders at a summit in Los Angeles. That same year, the ACLU asked the EEOC to investigate gender discrimination in Hollywood using research commissioned by WIF and Sundance.

In 2020, Women In Film rebranded as WIF to become more inclusive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WIF launched the Hire Her Back initiative, providing financial assistance to women who were out of work and encouraging employers to achieve gender and racial equality in re-hiring. WIF also created the Black Member Forum to support Black members' wellness and professional development.

In 2023, WIF launched a 50th Anniversary Campaign. The event was renamed from "Crystal + Lucy Awards" to "WIF Honors" in 2019 to better reflect the expanded scope of the organization's advocacy and the diversity of its honorees.

Past Winners

WIF Honors does not have "winners" in the traditional competition sense. Honorees are selected by WIF based on their body of work, advocacy, and impact on gender equity. The following are recent honorees across major award categories:

2025 WIF Honors (November 6, The Beverly Hilton, theme: "Unity"):

• Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award: Jamie Lee Curtis, presented by Jane Fonda. Curtis was recognized for donating $1 million to fire relief and her advocacy for children's health and trans rights.
• Icon Award (inaugural): Kristen Wiig, presented by Kaia Gerber. Recognized for performances that "defy categorization."
• Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film: Tessa Thompson, Nia DaCosta, Dede Gardner, and Gabrielle Nadig for Hedda.
• Crystal Award for Advocacy in TV: Mara Brock Akil, Judy Blume, and Regina King for Forever (Netflix).
• Max Mara Face of the Future Award (20th anniversary): Maude Apatow, recognized for her directorial debut Poetic License.

2024 WIF Honors:

• Crystal Award: Kate Winslet, Ellen Kuras, Michelle Buteau, and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel.
• Max Mara Face of the Future Award: Joey King.
• Dorothy Arzner Directors Award: (see WIF Awards Retrospective for full history).

2023 WIF Honors:

• Crystal Award: Eva Longoria, Linda Yvette Chavez, Celine Song, and Greta Lee.
• Max Mara Face of the Future Award: Yara Shahidi.

2022 WIF Honors:

• Crystal Award: Quinta Brunson, Dede Gardner, Jodi Kantor, Carey Mulligan, Megan Twohey, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Katie Silberman, and Olivia Wilde.
• Max Mara Face of the Future Award: Lili Reinhart.

Notable Max Mara Face of the Future Award recipients:

• 2021: Zazie Beetz
• 2019: Katherine Langford
• 2018: Emily Blunt
• 2017: Kate Mara
• 2016: Katie Holmes

Notable Crystal Award recipients (historical):

• 2019: Amy Poehler
• 2018: Brie Larson
• 2017: Elizabeth Banks
• 2015: Nicole Kidman
• 2014: Cate Blanchett
• 2012: Viola Davis
• 2011: Annette Bening
• 2010: Donna Langley
• 2002: Halle Berry
• 1998: Meryl Streep

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

WIF Honors recognizes creators rather than premiering films. However, many honorees' projects have gone on to significant downstream success after receiving WIF recognition:

• Past Lives (2023 honoree Celine Song) - nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Became one of the most acclaimed indie films of 2023.
• CODA (2021 honoree Marlee Matlin and Sian Heder) - won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to win the top Oscar.
• Captain Marvel (2018 honoree Brie Larson) - grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Larson had just won the Best Actress Oscar for Room when she received the WIF Crystal Award.
• Insecure (2019 honoree Issa Rae) - HBO series that ran for five seasons and launched Rae's production company, Hoorae Media.
• Selma (2015 honoree Ava DuVernay, Dorothy Arzner Directors Award) - received Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Song. DuVernay became the first Black woman nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe.
• Frozen (2014 honoree Jennifer Lee, Dorothy Arzner Directors Award) - won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide. Lee later became Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation.
• Mad Men (2013 Lucy Award recipients) - the female cast was honored for their roles in the AMC series. The show won multiple Emmy Awards during its run.
• The Help (2012 Crystal Award honoree Viola Davis) - Davis received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The film grossed $216 million worldwide.

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

WIF Honors is not a film festival. There is no submission process, no screening of submitted films, and no competition categories for submitted work. Filmmakers should not attempt to submit films for consideration.

Honorees are selected by WIF based on their body of work, advocacy, and impact on gender equity. The selection process is internal and invitation-based. There is no application or nomination procedure available to the public.

What filmmakers can do instead is join WIF as members. Membership provides access to career programs that directly support women and nonbinary creatives:

• The WIF Fellowship program offers a year of mentoring, master classes, and one-on-one career strategy sessions. The Episodic Lab for television writers opens its next application cycle in Fall 2026.
• WIF Shorts Night provides screening opportunities for short films by members at the Creative tier or above.
• Film finishing funds offer financial support for projects in post-production.
• The annual financing intensive connects women filmmakers with financiers and executives.

For filmmakers seeking awards recognition rather than career development, consider submitting to festivals with competitive categories for women filmmakers. The WIF Honors gala is best understood as a networking and fundraising event, not a submission destination.

Industry Reputation Notes

WIF Honors is one of the most concentrated networking events in Hollywood for women in the screen industries. The 2025 gala drew attendees including Regina King, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Debicki, Jurnee Smollett, and Zoey Deutch. The event's fundraising component supports WIF's year-round programs.

Compared to the Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment gala, WIF Honors is more focused on advocacy and career development than on celebrity spectacle. The THR event is a larger-scale breakfast gala with a scholarship component. WIF Honors is an evening gala that doubles as a fundraiser for ongoing programs.

The Max Mara Face of the Future Award has become a reliable predictor of career trajectory. Past recipients Emily Blunt, Katie Holmes, and Joey King all saw significant career acceleration after receiving the award. The 20th anniversary of the award in 2025 confirmed its industry credibility.

The 2025 gala was notably political. Jane Fonda wore a "RESIST" shirt and announced the relaunch of the Committee for the First Amendment. Jamie Lee Curtis referenced the November 2025 election results in her acceptance speech. This political dimension distinguishes WIF Honors from other industry awards that avoid partisan statements.

WIF's research partnership with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative gives the organization data-driven credibility. The ReFrame initiative, co-founded with Sundance, works with over 50 partner companies to implement systemic change. This research and advocacy work gives WIF Honors a substance that purely celebratory events lack.

Watch

See Also

For women in filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For membership and program information, visit the WIF website or the WIF Honors page.