Easterseals Disability Services & Film Independent Announce the Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The DARCYS) To Take Place October 10
The Media Access Awards, originally established by legendary television producer Norman Lear and others, has been the preeminent disability impact and advocacy awards ceremony for over 40 years. Produced in partnership with Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) since 2018, today, ESSC announced the awards have been rebranded as the Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The DARCYS), with Film Independent as a co-producer.
The re-imagined show takes the legacy of the Media Access Awards, which recognized artists and industry leaders who have advanced authentic portrayals of disability and expanded opportunities for disabled talent across entertainment, and expands it to reflect the growing momentum around inclusion, accessibility, and representation across all forms of media, while calling attention to the work yet to be done.
Under its new structure, the DARCY’S will be introducing a competitive nominations process, where nominees will be announced prior to the ceremony, and winners will be revealed at the awards show event. Categories will include Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Performance in a Feature, Best Scripted Series, Best Unscripted Series, Best Performer in a Series, and Best Social Creator. The awards will also include Achievement in Casting Ensemble, the Legacy Award, and the Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award.
Easterseals, the largest nonprofit provider of disability services as well the leading disability advocacy organization,created a Disability Advisory Committee, a talented group of disabled individuals who work in the industry to guide the evolution of the Awards. The committee is led by co-chairs Emily Ladau and Nicole Lynn Evans, and includes members Jamie Brewer, Christine Bruno, Lawrence Carter-Long, Ashley Eakin, Danny J. Gomez, CJ Jones, Danny Kurtzman, Lachi, Jim LeBrecht, Sue Ann Pien, and Lolo Spencer.
The rebrand is a significant shift in scale, visibility and integration. The ceremony will take place Saturday, October 10 at The Historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will air live around the world on YouTube and in Los Angeles on PBS SoCal with rebroadcast on PBS stations nationwide. The DARCY’S visual identity was created by Pentagram, and submissions and digital screening services will be provided by Vision Media. The show will be Executive Produced by Shawn Davis, Executive Producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
“For over four decades, Film Independent has championed a culture of inclusion in storytelling. Partnering with Easterseals Disability Services on the Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards is a natural reflection of this mission,” said Davis. “Together, we’re not just celebrating great storytelling; we’re redefining who gets to tell those stories and how they are told.”
Nominees will be determined by industry committees composed of filmmakers, critics, past Media Access Awards honorees, and industry guild and nonprofit organization representatives. Nomination eligibility includes specific requirements ensuring that the disability inclusion is substantive, sustained, and integral to the work being recognized. Accessibility, including captioning and audio description, will be a key component of the submission and review process.
Submissions will open on Tuesday, June 16 and close on Tuesday, July 14.
For more information, visit socal.easterseals.com/darcyawards. Follow @DARCYAwards on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
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