JITC Announces 3rd Jewish Media Award Winners!

Emmy-winning television producer Kevin Bright, best known as executive producer and director of the landmark NBC sitcom FRIENDS, will be honored at the 3rd Jewish Media Awards, the Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema (JITC) Hollywood Bureau announced today, alongside Donny Deutsch, renowned American advertising executive, television personality, and regular commentator on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Deutsch is receiving the Lion of Israel Award, for using his large platform to show his steadfast support of Israel.

The ceremony will take place November 5, 2026, at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, bringing together leading creators, executives, talent, journalists, and cultural leaders from across the entertainment industry to celebrate excellence in Jewish representation in film and television.

Launched in 2022, the Jewish Media Awards recognize films, television programs, and industry leaders whose work reflects proud and authentic portrayals of Jewish identity, culture, and values in media and the arts.

The 2026 Chaverim Award Celebrating Jewish Unity honors Kevin Bright and Rabbi Levin Cunin, spiritual leader of Chabad of Malibu for being shining examples of how Jews from different communities and observances can develop deep and meaningful friendships and mutual respect. Bright directed more than 50 episodes of FRIENDS, including the show’s final episode, and received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series as an executive producer of the program.

“Even though our perspectives and backgrounds were very, very different when Levi and I met, we just hit it off immediately. Many people would think, ‘how can you have a relationship with an Orthodox rabbi? What do you have in common?’“ And my answer would be: ‘everything.’”

“The Jewish Media Awards celebrate great Jewish storytelling. Too often Jews are guilty of judging a book by its cover when it comes to Jews who practice differently than they do. Authentic storytelling can’t happen when judgement is in the way. I’m honored for us to be recognized by JITC so that we can encourage fellow Jews to get past the external differences that often keep us apart and get to see the humanity in one another. In a time of rising antisemitism, this is more important than ever.”

The 2026 Keter Shem Tov Awards for Outstanding Jewish Representation in Media

Honorees include:

• The Pitt (Warner Bros. Television / HBO Max)

• Dancing With the Stars (ABC / Disney+/BBC Studios)

• Doc (Sony Pictures Television/ FOX)

• Tehran (Apple TV)

• Nuremberg (Sony Pictures Classics)

• Red Alert (Paramount+)

• One Day in October (FOX Entertainment Studios / HBO Max)

• Guns & Moses (Prime Video)

The All Star Awards, honoring proud observant Jews excelling in arts & entertainment recognize commitment to Jewish heritage in public roles. This year, they include Jordan Gorfinkel, former Editor at DC Comics/Manager of the Batman franchise, whose work inspired Dark Knight Rises, Freida Rothman, Founder & CEO of eponymous jewelry company sold in high-end major department stores, and Jacob Steinmetz, the first Orthodox Jew selected in the MLB draft.

Celebrating Authentic Jewish Storytelling

The Jewish Media Awards convene senior executives, showrunners, writers, performers, journalists, and cultural leaders from across the entertainment industry, highlighting the role Hollywood creatives and industry allies play in shaping how Jewish stories are told and understood.

“Stories shape how communities are understood,” said Allison Josephs, Founder and Executive Director of the JITC Hollywood Bureau, a division of Jew in the City. “The Jewish Media Awards celebrate creators and decision-makers who approach Jewish storytelling with authenticity and care, while encouraging the industry to continue investing in narratives that reflect the pride, richness, and diversity of Jewish life.”

The work of the JITC Hollywood Bureau is informed in part by the research it conducted with USC’s Norman Lear Center, which produced one of the most comprehensive studies of Jewish representation on television in more than 25 years. The research found that Jewish characters often hide their identity in contemporary scripted television and often appear in stereotypical roles, underscoring the need for thoughtful and intentional storytelling that reflects the full complexity of Jewish identity and experience.

Modeled in spirit after awards programs such as the NAACP Image Awards and GLAAD Media Awards, the Jewish Media Awards celebrate storytelling that portrays Jewish life with nuance, depth, and pride while encouraging studios and creators to continue developing meaningful narratives.

To reserve your spot, tickets and sponsorships can be purchased here. Use code EARLYBIRD until October 1 to receive an early bird discount. Show and after party tickets reduced to $195 down from $250. Show only tickets reduced to $70 down from $100.

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