Both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards shows have for decades enjoyed the privilege of extravagant media hype, while historically, the Faith and Values Movieguide Awards — which honor wholesome family and Christian fare — have largely been ignored by the mainstream media. In recent years, however, the more family-oriented awards ceremony has been gaining traction in some Hollywood circles, and as a result, tonight at 7:00 p.m. the Hallmark Movie Channel will air the 19th Annual Movieguide Awards.
Dubbed the Christian Oscars, this annual awards ceremony — which celebrates films that espouse biblical Christianity and traditional family values — is sponsored by the Christian Film & Television Commission and Movieguide, founded by Dr. Ted Baehr.
Tonight’s awards gala will televise the presentation of two coveted $100,000 Epiphany Prizes: for Most Inspiring Movie of 2010 and Most Inspiring TV program of 2010.
The nominees, in alphabetical order with major distributor, for the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie are:
The Book of Eli — Warner Bros.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — 20th Century Fox
Get Low — Sony Pictures Classics
Letters to God — Vivendi Entertainment
The Secret of Kells — GKIDs Inc.
To Save a Life — Samuel Goldwyn Films
What If … — Pure Flix Entertainment
The nominees, in alphabetical order with major distributor, for the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV Program, are:
Amish Grace — Lifetime Network
Christmas with a Capital C — Pure Flix Entertainment/Gospel Music Channel
Ice Dreams — The Hallmark Channel
November Christmas — Hallmark Hall of Fame
The Way Home — Gospel Music Channel
When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story — Hallmark Hall of Fame
Likewise, tonight’s show will televise the presentation of the Grace Awards for Most Inspiring Performances in Movies & TV. These awards are reserved for those performances that “exemplify God’s grace and mercy toward us as human beings.” Dr. Baehr explains,
In addition to honoring an actor who delivers an exceptional performance, the Grace Awards goes one step further and honors the spiritual component of the performance. It’s one of the important awards viewers will see on May 16.
Movie nominees for the Grace Award are Georgie Henley for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Tanner Maguire for Letters to God; John Ratzenberger, Kevin Sorbo, and Kristy Swanson for What If …; Denzel Washington for The Book of Eli; and Randy Wayne and Joshua Weigel for To Save a Life.
Television nominees include Dean Cain and Sonny Shroyer for The Way Home; Matt Letscher, Madison Mason, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley for Amish Grace; Brad Stine and Nancy Stafford for Christmas with a Capital C; and Barry Pepper and Winona Ryder for When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story.
The show will also feature the Faith & Freedom Awards for Movies & TV Programs Positive American Values, the $25,000 Kairos Prize for the Best Spiritually Uplifting Screenplay by a First-Time or Beginning Screenwriter, and the Ten Best Movies for Mature Audiences.
The program will be hosted by Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo, who also appeared in Soul Surfer and Sam Steel and the Crystal Chalice. He commented,
I was thrilled and honored to be a host and presenter at this year’s Movieguide Awards show. Ted Baehr and his team put on a great night, and I’m especially excited that it will air on the Hallmark Movie Channel!
The event will also feature performances by Mary Mary, Ace Young, and the Greater Los Angeles Gospel Choir.
After years of struggling for a media platform on which they can garner public attention, Movieguide officials do not want to let tonight’s opportunity go to waste, and so are encouraging viewers to help get the word out about tonight’s airing on the Hallmark Channel. They recommend the following:
Meet with your pastor and/or church board and tell them how important this opportunity is for the future of faith-based television. Christians need to watch this show to boost ratings. In return, we promise they will be thoroughly entertained and learn a great deal about the power of TV, movies and video games on our families’ lives!
WATCH THE SHOW on May 16th at 7PM Eastern AND Pacific time! Or…
Think about hosting a Movieguide Awards party at your home and bring together your friends and family to watch the show!
Afterwards, WRITE or EMAIL the Hallmark Movie Channel and let them know what you thought of the show! [Emphasis in original.]
Dr. Ted Baehr says of the awards gala, “This kind of entertainment is becoming more and more popular. And, we have a wonderful variety of great nominees this year that not only are truly inspiring, redemptive and spiritually uplifting but that also focus on our Divine Creator, who enlightens all people and blesses us with His grace.”
