Society of Voice Arts and Sciences to honor Viola Davis
By Gina Yarbrough
Los Angeles, CA–The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences will honor actress Viola Davis for her humanitarian work for social justice at a gala in Beverly Hills.
Davis will be presented with the “Muhammad Ali Voice of Humanity” award at the Voice Arts Awards 10th anniversary gala on December 10 at the Beverly Hilton.
“To honor Viola Davis in Muhammad Ali’s name is to recognize her exceptional talent in entertainment, her authentic passion for righting social injustice, and her willingness to tackle seemingly insurmountable social problems as revealed by the power of her commitment to illuminating the truth,” organizers stated in a news release.
The honor was given to Davis who, like boxing great, Muhammad Ali, used their talent as a platform to advocate for social justice, inspire change, and foster a more inclusive world.
“This honor was created in furtherance of The Champ’s legacy of embodying resilience and courage in the face of social injustice and adversity. Viola Davis shares those traits,” says Joan Baker, founder and vice president of SOVAS. “Her journey from humble beginnings to achieving the highly vaunted EGOT status showcases her unwavering pursuit of excellence. And for SOVAS, it is especially heartwarming that Viola is also an exceptional voice actor in animation, TV commercials and, most notably, winning a Grammy for her performance of ‘Finding Me,’ the audiobook for her memoir.”
Davis received rave reviews for her extensive award-winning work in film, television, and theater. In 2011, she received an Oscar nomination for her performance in “The Help.” In 2016, she took home the Oscar for Best Performance in “Fences.” In 2015, Davis won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in ABC Television series, “How To Get Away With Murder, making her the first Black woman in television history to take home the award.
The busy actress and her husband Julius Tennon have formed a production company, JuVee Productions. Through their company, they have produced productions across theater, television, and film.
The Voice Arts Awards is an annual event that celebrates its nominees and winners with a prestigious award honoring professional voice acting and associated crafts.
The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences was established on August 26, 2013, under the New York State Department of State Division of Corporations. Founding members, Rudy Gaskins and Joan Baker created the nonprofit organization in direct response to the growing need to provide education, training, scholarships, job creation, and award acknowledgment in support of working voice actors and those people seeking to establish rewarding careers as voice actors.
