October 2025 Newsletter
The late Jane Goodall said it best, “If you care, you cannot give up. Hope is not passive — it's about action.” And at EMA, we care, which is why we will never give up on a healthy and sustainable future for our families. Like the late Jane Goodall, we do so with joy, because choosing joy allows our hearts to heal. We couldn’t ask for more pertinent guidance as we continue through challenging times. We hope we did Dr. Goodall proud with the 2025 EMA Awards, a night of solutions, joy, and love. I mean, how many environmental Awards start with Love Island jokes from Hosts Ariana Madix and Harry Jowsey and end with roses from Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman?
Over the past few years, the EMA Awards have been a much-needed reminder that we are all in this together. We can save our planet while maintaining respect for one another. And that embracing sustainable practices isn’t about politics, it’s about health, happiness, and security. As the elite storytellers and entertainers in the world, Hollywood has never had more responsibility than now to show what it looks like when we get it right. And as showcased by this year’s inspiring Honorees and Nominees, we are on track. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
One of EMA’s greatest strengths is its ability to utilize pop culture to change habits. It’s a tough metric to measure, and doesn’t always happen overnight, but we are seeing the results. First off, look at this year’s incredible sponsors. From the automotive industry to wine to cosmetics, we are seeing a common goal. Industries care about longevity, which is why it’s a shared concern that we have a healthy and livable future in which to conduct business. We also all have families, and pollution is detrimental to both business and health.
As EMA CEO Debbie Levin said in her opening speech, “At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. Being successful as businesses gives us the choices that will ultimately keep our Earth and our kids safe. Doing otherwise is bad for business.” As sustainable standards become increasingly the norm in the business world, consumers play a crucial role in ensuring they remain on course. From celebrities to popular TV shows, it’s our responsibility to normalize circular consumer habits and continue to illuminate the connection between pollution and health. We sincerely thank our Board and all the influential figures who attended this year and helped spread that message.
With all this talk about encouraging sustainable habits, it’s important for EMA to walk the walk, starting with the show itself. We can’t thank Jeremy Hariton and his spectacular team more for their gracious hospitality at the beautiful and historic MBS lot, our favorite, Radford Studios. Radford Studio Center is certified by the City of Los Angeles' Green Business Program, which connects the studio with on-site productions and local green partners, reinforcing its commitment to reducing its collective carbon footprint. We are thrilled to see Radford on track to earn our EMA Green Seal for Studios.
And speaking of consumption, we set the bar high with our incredible vegan three-course meal from Crossroads Kitchen, organic snacks from Pizza Girl, and plenty of regenerative libations thanks to the friendly folks at Rodney Strong Vineyards and Prairie Organics. Who says going green can’t be delicious?
Our Awards are more than a celebration; they’re a showcase of businesses doing it right for our planet and health. Click here if you have a business that shares our common goal.
What better time than now? During his acceptance speech, Rainn Wilson made a joke that the Ongoing Commitment Award is fitting, since he’d only become involved in environmental stewardship and action in the past decade. Jokes aside, he’s not wrong. We need examples like Rainn's to show that it’s never too late or too early to act. And aim high. As Rainn said, “Perhaps world peace is going to be a struggle, but we have to believe that change is possible, and that the transformation of our hearts and global society is possible.” Don’t let a daunting task stop you from trying. From his work with Climate Basecamp to spreading joy and hope on his Podcast “Soul Bloom”, Rainn is fearlessly trying, and that’s worth recognition.
Another reason to start now? Because our friends, neighbors, and heroes are already feeling the effects of a warming climate. We don’t need to remind our audience about the devastating wildfires in LA earlier this year, but we do want to remember those who kept us safe. With wildfires occurring more frequently and causing increasingly severe damage, our heroes at the Los Angeles Fire Department are putting their lives on the line more often to keep us safe. Sadly, the fires aren’t the only risk, with carcinogenic pollution lingering in the air and soil even long after the flames are extinguished. We owe it to these heroes to do all we can to curb emissions and invest in sustainable infrastructure that’s resilient to wildfires. While we are humbled at the chance to honor the LAFD with our EMA Hero Award, the best way to give back is to act now.
And to bring it all home, we heard from another community at the frontlines of the climate crisis. After winning the best documentary, Yanuni, indigenous leader Juma Xipaia said, “If we want to change our futures, we need to change it now.”
“Storytelling is important. Part of human continuity.” — Robert Redford.
Adorned in a chic dress, vest, and tie to honor the late Diane Keaton, EMA Board Member Wendie Malick took the stage to remember longtime EMA ally and environmental champion Robert Redford. Robert spoke at the inaugural EMA Awards in 199 and felt there in spirit as friends, co-stars, fans, and allies joined in remembrance of his remarkable life. From philanthropic support to empowering storytelling through Sundance, Robert demonstrated that environmental stewardship is an obligation we all share. Breaking stereotypes, Robert showed that being green can be manly, sexy, or whatever one desires, because it represents a personal connection to the Earth, unique to everyone. He didn’t want to shame but empower people to get involved.
So let’s honor the great Robert Redford by doing what we do best. Let’s tell stories with purpose and conviction. Utilizing our creative capital, we can show the world what a sustainable future looks like. Let’s not lead with fear but with hope. Robert would be very proud of all the nominees and winners, proving to the world that storytelling plays a critical role in our mission to save our planet.
With all this talk about storytelling, we must give a big shoutout to all the writers, showrunners, producers, and creators who have incorporated environmental storytelling into popular media. This is how we move the dial. Furthermore, the future looks bright, as EMA, in partnership with the GFSA, gave its first Award for Best Student Film. And, as always, our brilliant writer, David Wild, and team provided the creators in the crowd with the perfect example of blending humor, heart, and action in our EMA Awards script.
A lot of work goes into the EMA Awards, and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who chipped in. SennovA for superb AV support, Eli and Gio for a gorgeously decorated evening, Nanlux Americas for the exceptional lighting, Variety for being the best media partners, LAcarGUY for the zero-emissions rides, Getty for the popular photo booth activation and our on-screen images (including stunning nature photos), ISM agency for beautiful graphic design, The Home Depot & Back to the Roots for the crowd-favorite plants, and all of our sponsors for making the evening such a success.
Finally, we would like to thank our courageous leader, CEO Debbie Levin, the EMA team (Robyn, Aicha, Asher, and Jay), the EMA Boards, our hosts Ariana & Harry, performers Shawn Stockman and Alexander Stewart, Co-Producer and EMA Board Chair Lance Bass, our volunteers, crew, nominees, honorees, and all our beautiful attendees. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we work together as a team.
Watch the full 2025 EMA Awards at the link below, and please consider donating to support EMA’s mission for a healthier and sustainable future for ALL people.
