The Women’s Media Center Unveils 2026 WMC Awards Honorees

Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem – the Co-Founders of The WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER – have announced the honorees for the Women’s Media Center’s 21st Anniversary Women’s Media Awards to be held on Thursday, March 5th, at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City.

Founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, the WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER (WMC) is a feminist organization that works for gender and racial inclusion, representation, and equality in media.

The WMC AWARDS are presented to outstanding leaders and champions for women in media. To buy tickets to the Women’s Media Center’s 21st Anniversary Women’s Media Awards, visit here.

The Women’s Media Center’s 21st Anniversary Women’s Media Awards Honorees are:

• Margot Wallström, Sweden’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the first United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will be honored with the WMC Robin Morgan Sisterhood is Powerful Award.
• Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, President & CEO, Knight Foundation, will be honored with the WMC Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Barbara Kopple, two-time Academy Award-winning, Emmy-winning director, producer, and activist, will be honored with the WMC Ahead of Her Time Award.
• Paola Ramos, Emmy Award-winning journalist, and author, will be honored with the WMC Carol Jenkins Award.
• Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director, Voces de la Frontera, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.
• Julie F. Kay, Founder and CEO of Reproductive Futures, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award. 
• Chandra Childers, Senior Policy and Economic Analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.

“The Women’s Media Center’s call to action is simple: We want to see more diverse women, hear more diverse women, and read articles from more diverse women across all media platforms. Our Women’s Media Awards honor champions for women who set the standard for what media should look like when it gives voice to the female half of the country. They are role models, history-makers, and inspiring leaders,” said Julie Burton, President & CEO of the WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER.

The Women’s Media Awards Co-Chairs are Loreen Arbus, Donna Deitch, Kiehl Friedman Family, Mellody Hobson, Cindy Holland, Carlene C. Laughlin, Cynthia McFadden, Michelle Mercer & Bruce Golden, Pat Mitchell, Susan Pritzker, Sheryl Sandberg, Regina K. Scully, Alexandra Shiva, and Mary & Steven Swig. 

Additional support for the WMC 2026 Women’s Media Awards includes the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Rockefeller Family Fund, Abigail Disney, and Jenny Warburg. Proceeds from these awards support the work of the WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER.