The Hugh M. Hefner Foundation is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for the 2015 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards. Established by Christie Hefner, former CEO Playboy Enterprises Inc., in 1979, the Awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions in the vital effort to protect and enhance First Amendment rights for all Americans.
“Defending the right to preserve our free speech is perhaps one of the most honorable contributions a person can make on behalf of his fellow citizens,” says Christie Hefner, Chairman of the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards.
The Award winners, many of whom are unsung heroes, have traditionally come from the areas of journalism, education, publishing, law, government, and entertainment (motion pictures, television, and theatre).
A press reception with the judges and winners will be held in May 2015 in Los Angeles, to honor and present the winners with a $5,000 cash prize and a commemorative plaque. Nominations will close on February 20, 2015. For nomination forms and a complete list of winners and judges click here: http://hmhfoundation.org/site/?page_id=90/
The judges, like the winners, are equally advocates in defense of the First Amendment. Judges for the 2015 Awards include:
Mike Hiestand, past winner, Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for organizing the Tinker Tour, the national free speech and civic education bus tour. Hiestand was the staff attorney for the nonprofit Student Press Law Center (SPLC), located just outside Washington, D.C., from 1991-2003, and worked full-time as the Center’s sole consulting attorney until 2012. He continues to assist student media and work with the SPLC on special projects affecting the student press community. Over the years, Hiestand has provided legal assistance to nearly 15,000 high school and college student journalists and their advisers.
Pamela Samuelson, Faculty Director, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and Richard M. Sherman Distinguished Professor of Law. She is recognized as a pioneer in digital copyright law, intellectual property, cyber law and information policy. Since 1996, she has held a joint appointment at Berkeley Law School and UC Berkeley's School of Information. Samuelson is a director of the internationally renowned Berkeley Center for Law & Technology. She serves on the board of directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation as well as on the advisory boards of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, for the Center for Democracy & Technology, Public Knowledge, and the Berkeley Center for New Media.
Ronald Brownstein, two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of presidential campaigns, and Atlantic Media's Editorial Director for Strategic Partnerships, in charge of long-term editorial strategy. He also writes a weekly column and regularly contributes other pieces for the National Journal, contributes to Quartz, and The Atlantic, and coordinates political coverage and activities across publications produced by Atlantic Media. In addition, he currently serves as a senior political analyst for CNN and also served as an electoral analyst for ABC News during the 2012 election.
Prior to joining Atlantic Media, Brownstein was the National Affairs Columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
About the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation
The Hugh M. Hefner Foundation was established to facilitate individual rights in a democratic society. The primary purpose of the foundation is to support organizations that advocate for and defend civil rights and civil liberties with special emphasis on First Amendment rights and rational sex and drug policies. For more information visit: http://hmhfoundation.org/site/
