Kerry Washington received the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award at the Sundance Film Festival’s Democracy on the Screen and On the Line event on Thursday. She also announced that she will be joining Elevate Studios’ upcoming season 2 of “Nevertheless” as an executive producer.
The award recognizes Washington’s dedication to advocating for citizen participation and protecting democratic freedoms. The Elevate Catalyst Award is designed to recognize individuals who use their power and influence to inspire positive action worldwide, and recipients will receive $250,000 in unrestricted funding to further their mission and work.
“It’s really exciting because it puts a spotlight on organizers and community leaders, and that’s how I’ve really tried to use my platform,” Washington said in an interview with Variety. “We’ve helped Sage reach even further. We’re helping them tell their stories more effectively and through traditional media and social media. So this Catalyst Award really allows me to continue to put resources into leaders and initiatives that strengthen democracy.” It means the people holding the lines for all of us have to figure out what it takes to keep moving forward. ”
Nevertheless: Democracy Defenders, the upcoming season of Nevertheless, a documentary series from the storytelling and production arm of the Elevate Prize Foundation, spotlights grassroots leaders and those fighting against rising polarization, growing threats to civil liberties, and the backsliding of democracy around the world. Some of the people featured in this season include: Koketso Moeti, Founding Executive Director of amandla.mobi, which mobilizes communities across South Africa and holds them accountable through mobile-first civic action. Yordanos Eyoel, founder of Boston’s Keseb, promotes inclusive democracy efforts in the United States, South Africa, and Brazil. Hannah Fried, executive director of All Voting is Local in Washington, D.C., is leading efforts to protect voting rights and expand fair access to voting nationwide. Imran Ahmed is also the founder and CEO of the Center to Counter Digital Hate, where he leads efforts to protect human rights and civil liberties online.
About the series, Washington said, “This series is really exciting because we’ve always lived in the truth that every person is the hero of their own story, right? And that every story deserves to be told, and that people from all walks of life are seen, heard, and empowered to be the heroes of their lives, their communities, their worlds.”
She went on to say that the series spotlights ordinary citizens working to “protect us all.” In Season 2, Washington stated that these people often do this work without any recognition and at very serious personal sacrifice and risk. “This storytelling is important because it shows that democracy is something to be practiced and something worth fighting for. And it really elevates these incredible organizers as heroes, just kidding.”
“Kerry Washington truly embodies what it means to be a catalyst, through her powerful storytelling on screen and her fearless actions on screen,” Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, said in a statement. “She challenges the status quo, amplifies underrepresented voices, and sparks conversations for change. In just 10 years, she has proven herself by building an award-winning company that not only produces compelling stories, but also creates platforms that impact society.” Creativity and conscience can move a culture forward. Kelly reminds us that stories shape culture, and culture shapes power. When told with purpose, storytelling becomes a form of civic engagement that moves us toward a more just and inclusive world. ”
Founded in 2019 by businessman and philanthropist Joseph Deitch, the Elevate Prize Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the mission of “bringing good fame to the world.” Elevate Studios was founded in 2025 to fund and distribute purpose-driven content. In addition to the Elevate Foundation Catalyst Award, the Foundation also administers the Get Loud Award. The award provides monthly grants to foster grassroots movements and build power among communities.
Previous recipients of the Elevate Foundation Catalyst Award include Dwyane Wade, Michael J. Fox, Matt Damon, George Clooney and Amal Clooney, Sesame Street Workshop, Malala Yousafzai, and more.
