'The Pitt' and 'All Her Fault' Win First Easterseals Disability Arts Awards

“The Pitt” took two of the top prizes at the first Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards, winning Best Scripted Series and Best Achievement in Casting Ensemble at Saturday's ceremony in Santa Monica.

The awards, known as The Darcys, celebrate authentic disability representation across film, television and media. “Horsegirls,” directed and written by Lauren Meyering, won Best Feature, while Daniel Monks won Best Performance in a Scripted Series for “All Her Fault.”

Comedian and disability advocate Tina Friml hosted the ceremony, held at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Actor Geri Jewell received the Legacy Award, and actor, disability influencer and author Vincent Rutley received the Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award. Artist, songwriter and disability culture leader Lachi performed.

What did Easterseals say about the new awards?

“As we celebrate the inaugural year of The Darcys, we are so proud to carry forward a legacy that began in 1979,” said Nancy Weintraub, chief advancement officer of Easterseals Southern California. “The Darcys recognize the authentic voices and talented storytellers who are changing how disability is seen and represented across entertainment and media. Congratulations to this year's nominees and winners for helping move the industry forward towards greater inclusion, both on screen and behind the scenes.”

Shawn Davis, co-executive producer of The Darcys and The Film Independent Spirit Awards, called the awards “an exciting new chapter in a legacy of recognizing artists advancing disability representation.” He added: “We're proud to partner with Easterseals Southern California to celebrate this year's winners and nominees, as well as the stories helping broaden perspectives across film, television, and social media.”

Who chose the winners?

Davis co-produced the ceremony with Andrew Schaff, executive producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, in collaboration with Live Digital Entertainment executive producer Eddie Delbridge. A committee of several members selected this year's winners, a majority of whom are individuals with disabilities.

Full list of winners

• Best Feature: “Horsegirls” — Director/Writer: Lauren Meyering; Writer/Producer: Mackenzie Breeden; Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Michael Sherman; Featured Talent: Lillian Carrier, Matthew Schwab
• Best Performance in a Feature: Anna Sargent, “Take Me Home”
• Best Documentary: “The Haunting of Pennhurst” — Directors/Producers: Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak, Nathan R. Stenberg; Producer: Daniel J. Chalfen
• Best Scripted Series: “The Pitt” — Creator/Executive Producer: R. Scott Gemmill; Executive Producers: Simran Baidwan, Michael Hissrich, Erin Jontow, Joe Sachs, John Wells, Noah Wyle; Featured Talent: Tal Anderson, Jessica “Limer” Flores, Victoria Mack, Christopher Thornton
• Best Performance in a Scripted Series: Daniel Monks, “All Her Fault”
• Best Unscripted Series: “Renegades” — Creator: Day Al-Mohamed; Series Producer: Amanda Upson; Executive Producers: Michael Kantor, Carrie Lozano, Charlotte Mangin
• Best Achievement in Casting Ensemble: “The Pitt” — Casting Directors: Erica Berger, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond; Featured Ensemble Cast: Tal Anderson, Jessica “Limer” Flores, Diana Elizabeth Jordan, Victoria Mack, Christopher Thornton
• Christopher Reeve Emerging Talent Award: Vincent Rutley
• Best Social Creator: Cassidy Huff (@CassHuff)
• Legacy Award: Geri Jewell

When can viewers watch?

The Darcys premiere on PBS SoCal Plus on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m., with a second broadcast Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. The program will also stream on the PBS app. If the inaugural edition sets the pattern, the awards could become a recurring benchmark for how Hollywood measures disability representation on screen and behind the camera.