*MEDIA ALERT*
THE CREATIVE COALITION TO HONOR JOHN STAMOS, LISA ANN WALTER, SIMRAN BAIDWAN, CARA BUONO, FAMKE JANSSEN, AND MARY LOU BELLI AT ITS 12TH ANNUAL HUMANITARIAN AWARDS DINNER
HELD ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 10, THE EVENT WILL BE CO-CHAIRED BY TIM DALY, MICHAEL CHIKLIS AND MICHELLE CHIKLIS, WITH PRESENTERS INCLUDING SHERYL LEE RALPH, DAVID CHASE, PATRICK BALL AND MORE
KICKING OFF EMMY WEEK, VARIETY’S MARC MALKIN RETURNS AS HOST FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
LOS ANGELES (Sep 3, 2026) – The Creative Coalition will host its 12th Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at Verse LA, honoring John Stamos, Lisa Ann Walter, Simran Baidwan, Cara Buono, Famke Janssen and Mary Lou Belli for their outstanding humanitarian leadership and commitment to service.
One of Emmy Week’s signature gatherings, the event will be co-chaired by The Creative Coalition’s President Tim Daly, Michael Chiklis and Michelle Chiklis, with Variety Senior Culture & Events Editor Marc Malkin returning as host for the fourth consecutive year. The evening will bring together leaders from across the entertainment industry to celebrate individuals whose impact extends beyond their artistic achievements through advocacy, service, mentorship and philanthropy. Proceeds support The Creative Coalition’s year-round advocacy on behalf of the arts, artists and freedom of creative expression.
WHO: Tim Daly, John Stamos, Lisa Ann Walter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Patrick Ball, Simran Baidwan, Michael Chiklis, Cara Buono, Famke Janssen, Mary Lou Belli, Bill Prady, Jessica Queller, Jeffrey Ross and more.
*Special musical performance by The TCC Jam Band led by Michael Chiklis, featuring John Stamos alongside Sharon Lawrence, Wayne Federman, Rob Morrow, Gina Belafonte, Laura Pallas, Doc Chard and others.
WHAT: The Creative Coalition’s 12th Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner honoring entertainment industry leaders whose advocacy, service and philanthropic efforts have created meaningful change in communities across the country.
2026 HUMANITARIAN AWARD HONOREES INCLUDE:
- John Stamos – Emmy Award-nominated actor (“The Hunting Wives,” “Drag”), recognized for his support and advancement of children as an Ambassador for Childhelp, an organization that helps victims of child abuse through education, treatment and prevention programs, and for his partnership with My Saint My Hero to create the St. Amos Wearable Blessings Collection, donating 100% of the net proceeds to Childhelp.
- Lisa Ann Walter – Actor (“Abbott Elementary”), recognized for her advocacy on behalf of public education through her partnership with BIC and the Kids In Need Foundation’s Supply Ride initiative, providing teachers and students across the country with much-needed classroom supplies.
- Simran Baidwan – Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer (“The Pitt,” “Clean Slate”), recognized for using storytelling to illuminate the experiences of family caregivers, for her leadership through the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s NextGen Board and for her involvement in the Stay in LA initiative supporting the entertainment industry’s below-the-line workforce. This Award is presented in partnership with AARP.
- Cara Buono – Emmy Award-nominated actor (“Stranger Things,” “Mad Men,” “The Sopranos”), recognized for more than three decades of volunteer service with New York’s Crime Victims Treatment Center (CVTC) as a rape crisis and domestic violence advocate, including emergency-room advocacy and mentoring other advocates, as well as for co-founding Liberty United in 2012, a social enterprise focused on reducing gun violence.
- Famke Janssen – Actor (“How to Get Away With Murder,” “X-Men”), recognized for her service as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity to advance transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership, and as Green Cross International’s first Water Ambassador, bringing attention to the profound humanitarian consequences of water scarcity and the need to protect the natural resources upon which communities around the world depend.
- Mary Lou Belli – Four-time Emmy Award-nominated director, producer and author (“The Ms. Pat Show”), and a two-time Los Angeles Area Emmy winner for her documentary work, honored for her decades-long commitment to mentoring emerging filmmakers through the Directors Guild of America’s First-Time Directors Seminar and AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women.
AWARD PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
- Emmy Award-winning Writer and Producer David Chase (“The Sopranos,” “The Many Saints of Newark”)
- Emmy Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”)
- 2026 Emmy nominee Patrick Ball (“The Pitt”)
- Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe winner Scott Bakula (“Quantum Leap,” “Star Trek: Enterprise,” “NCIS: New Orleans”)
- William Stanford Davis (“Abbott Elementary”)
- Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad,” “Law & Order: Organized Crime”)
- Emmy Award winner Jeffrey Ross (“Take a Banana for the Ride,” “Ricky Stanicky”)
NOTABLE CO-HOSTS INCLUDE:
- Emmy-nominated Executive Producer Bill Prady (“Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,” “The Big Bang Theory”)
- Executive Producer Jessica Queller (“Supergirl,” “Blood & Oil”)
- Eden Alpert (Partner, Vibrato Grill Jazz)
- Business leaders Angela and Dan Blatteis
WHEN:
Thursday, September 10, 2026
7:00 P.M. – Red Carpet & Honoree Reception
*Awards presentation and dinner immediately following
WHERE:
Verse LA
4212 Lankershim Blvd
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
MEDIA RSVP: TCC@pmkentertainment.com
About The Creative Coalition
The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) charitable organization of the arts and entertainment industry. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, the organization is committed to educating artists and leaders on issues of public importance. Tim Daly serves as President. Through award-winning initiatives such as the #RightToBearArts campaign, The Creative Coalition leverages the power of the arts to drive social impact and inspire civic engagement.