For Release April 29, 2004

ANTHONY LaPAGLIA, THORA BIRCH, EVAN RACHEL WOOD, REBA McENTIRE, PETER KRAUSE RECEIVE TOP HONORS AT THE 8th ANNUAL PRISM AWARDS™

"City of God," "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Practice," "Queer as Folk," "Girlfriends," "Becker," Johnny Cash, Metallica and Billy Currington, Also Receive PRISM Nods

E! Networks President Mindy Herman Receives Larry Stewart Leadership Award

LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2003 LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2004 - The winners of the 8th Annual PRISM Awards were announced today at The Hollywood Palladium. Presented by the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), in partnership with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a component of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (NIDA), the 8th Annual PRISM Awards recognize accurate depictions of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction in television, feature film, music and comic book entertainment.

Celebrities taking part in the ceremony included host, Mackenzie Phillips; Presenters Thora Birch, Michelle Clunie, Bill Harris, Gerald McRaney, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Dennis Weaver and Persia White.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the prestigious Larry Stewart Leadership & Inspiration Award to E! Networks President Mindy Herman. The award, which is presented for leadership and inspiration by example, is named in memory of veteran writer/producer/director Larry Stewart, a founding Board Director of EIC.

The 8th Annual PRISM Awards were produced by Hank Saroyan and Gareth O'Neil. Executive Producers were Brian Dyak, Lawrence Scot Deutchman and Marie Gallo Dyak. The show was directed by Sandi F. Fullerton and written by Emmy-winner and comedian Ed Driscoll, Milt Hoffman was the Executive-In-Charge of Production and Susan Abramson was the Talent Producer.

The complete list of PRISM Awards recipients includes:

Theatrical Feature Film
City of God
(Miramax Films)

Performance in a Theatrical Feature Film
Evan Rachel Wood -- Thirteen

PRISM Film Festival Award
Happy Hour
(Curb Entertainment/Davis Entertainment Filmworks/O'Hara-Klein)

Performance in a Film Festival Award
Anthony LaPaglia - Happy Hour

Comedy Series Episode for Television
Girlfriends - "Blood is Thicker Than Liquor"
(Paramount Network Television/Grammnet Productions/Happy Camper Productions/UPN)

Comedy Series Multi-Episode Storyline for Television
Becker : Thank You For Not Smoking
(Paramount Network Television/Dave Hackel Productions/Industry Entertainment/CBS Entertainment)

Performance in a Comedy Series
Reba McEntire -- Reba

Drama Series Episode for Television (Tie)
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - "Choice"
(Universal Television/Wolf Films/NBC Entertainment)
The Practice- "Down the Hatch"
(20th Century Fox Television/David E. Kelley Productions/ABC Entertainment)

Performance in a Drama Series Episode for Television
Dennis Franz - NYPD Blue

Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline for Television
Queer as Folk: Crystal Clear
(Tony Jonas Productions/Cowlip Productions/Temple Street Production/Showtime Networks)

Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline
Peter Krause - Six Feet Under

TV Movie or Miniseries
On Thin Ice
(Once Upon a Time Films/Hallmark Entertainment/Lifetime Television)

Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries (Tie)
Thora Birch - Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story
Kelly Lynch - Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

Daytime Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline for Television
General Hospital: Courtney's Pain Killer Addiction
(ABC Daytime)

TV Children's Animated or Live Action Series Episode or Special
Ozzy and Drix - "Auntie Histamine"
(Warner Bros. Television Animation/Kids WB!)

TV Teen Non-Fiction Series Episode or Special
MTV News Now - "Jack Osbourne: Back from Rehab"
(MTV News & Documentaries/MTV Network)

TV Documentary Series Episode or Special
America Undercover - "Crank: Made in America"
(HBO Original Programming/Eames Yates Productions)

TV News Magazine Series Segment
ESPN Sports Center - "May 11, 2003"
(ESPN)

TV Biographical Series Episode or Special
Revealed with Jules Asner - "Yasmine Bleeth"
(E! Entertainment Television)

TV Unscripted Non-Fiction Series Episode or Special
Maternity Ward: Life Changes - "Episode 12"
(NYT Television/TLC)

TV Talk Show Series Episode
The John Walsh Show - "Prescription Addictions"
(NBC Enterprises)

Direct-to-Video Production
I Don't Know Jack
(Next Step Studios/Had to Be Made Films, Inc.)

Music Recording
Billy Currington - "Walk A Little Straighter"
(Mercury Records/Universal Music Group)

Music Video (Tie)
Johnny Cash - "Hurt"
(Anonymous Content/Lost Highway/Universal Music Group)
Metallica - "Frantic"
(Elektra Entertainment/Warner Music Group)

Community Service Effort
AnimAction Team Awards (AnimAction/LAUSD/Toon Disney/Fox Kids Network/Kids WB!/Disney Channel/Cartoon Network)

PRISM Commendations and Certificates of Merit were given to the remaining nominees and other productions in each category. A complete list can be found at www.prismawards.com.

EIC, a non-profit organization now celebrating its 20th anniversary, was founded by leaders of the entertainment industry to bring the power of the industry to bear on health and social issues. Among the issues EIC addresses are: drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and addiction; firearm safety and injury prevention; sun safety; human trafficking; terrorism and homeland security; mental health; and HIV/AIDS prevention. EIC's web site is located at www.eiconline.org.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving health and health care for all Americans. The Foundation invests in initiatives that create meaningful and timely change and that help us lead healthier lives. One of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's four goals is to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse--tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and further information on NIDA research can be found on the NIDA web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Questions? See our Contact Information. Last updated on Friday, April 30, 2004.