The Hollywood Radio and Television Association will expand its long-standing relationship with Easter Seals Disability Services and partner with the nonprofit organization for the upcoming Easter Seals Disability Arts and Culture Awards, also known as Darcy’s.
The award, founded in 1979 by producer Norman Lear, was previously known as the Media Access Award. HRTS will serve as a community partner for the 2026 Darcys, which will be held in Santa Monica on October 10th.
In addition, the organizations will co-host an afterparty, which will include the announcement of the HRTS Access Leadership Award, which will recognize an executive or producer whose “efforts to provide and showcase access to the entertainment industry have proven that accessible storytelling has a positive impact on business, whether narratively, behind the scenes, or all of the above.” The nomination process for the HRTS Access Leadership Award will be announced at a later date.
This new partnership marks the most ambitious collaboration to date between HRTS and Easterseals Disability Services, with both organizations previously collaborating on numerous initiatives aimed at improving accessibility and authentic representation on screen in the entertainment industry.
The news was announced by Tim McNeil, Chairman of the HRTS Board of Directors, David Madden, HRTS Chairman, Melissa Grego, CEO of HRTS and Chairman of the HRTS Foundation, and Nancy Weintraub, Southern California Chief Promotion Officer for Easter Seals.
“We are honored to extend our long-standing relationship with Easterseals and collaborate with them on the newly reimagined Darcy’s, which takes recognition of disability representation and authentic filmmaking to the next level in the industry,” said McNeil.
Applications for Darcys open on June 16th and close on July 14th.
“As we relaunch the Media Access Awards as Darcy’s, we are truly excited to strengthen our relationship with the HRTS community that has helped lay the foundation for this far-reaching cultural moment,” said Weintraub.
HRTS board members Joan Alfano, Vivian Cannon, Cliff DeCatrell, DJ Nouret, and HRTS advisory board member Kelly Good will co-chair Darcy’s afterparty.
