The Entertainment Community Fund honored Tony and Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, theatre owner and producer James L. Nederlander, and Oscar winner Ariana DeBose April 21 during the Fund's Annual Gala at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The trio all received the Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor, which was inaugurated May 9, 1910, when it was first presented to President William Howard Taft. The award was revived in 1958, and since 1992, when Shubert Organization President Bernard B. Jacobs was recognized, the award has been presented at the annual fundraising gala.

The evening, hosted by stage and screen star Michael Urie, raised $1.6 million to support the Fund's programs and services. Watch highlights in the video above.

Special guests and presenters included Fund Chair of the Board Annette Bening as well as Michael Arden, Sonya Balsara, Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Charlotte d’Amboise, Dez Duron, Rick Elice, Cole Escola, Tovah Feldshuh, Tom Francis, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jake Gyllenhaal, J. Harrison Ghee, Rene Gube, Karine Jean-Pierre, Adam Kaplan, Pearl Khwezi, LaChanze, Spike Lee, Kenny Leon, Storm Lever, Kecia Lewis, Jamie Lloyd, Terrence Mann, Julia Mattison, Idina Menzel, Luis Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Allyson Tucker Mitchell, Javier Muñoz, Broadway cast members of Operation Mincemeat, Orfeh, David Hyde Pierce, Conrad Ricamora, Michael James Scott, Lea Salonga, Stark Sands, Paul Tazewell, Richard Thomas, and Lisa Ann Walter.

The Gala also included 2025 Tony nominee Natalie Venetia Belcon and the cast of Buena Vista Social Club performing “Candela”; Gypsy's Joy Woods singing “Wherever He Ain’t” from Mack & Mabel; "Stage, Screen, Heart," choreographed by Julius Anthony Rubio and Morgan Marcell under the direction of Sergio Trujillo; Liam Pearce and a choir of Jimmy Award Finalists performing “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen; Caroline Bowman and Marc Shaiman performing “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from Smash; 2025 Tony nominee Nicole Scherzinger performing “Purple Rain”; and the Radio City Rockettes celebrating their milestone 100th anniversary this year.

Proceeds from the annual gala, honoring entertainment professionals working in film, television, theatre, music, and dance, support the Fund’s programs that provide a safety net over the lifespan of members of the performing arts and entertainment industry nationwide.

From his Oscar-winning performances in Glory and Training Day to his Tony-winning work in Fences, Washington has been a leading force in acting, directing, and producing for four decades. He recently returned to Broadway in a revival of Othello opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, directed by Kenny Leon, and produced by Brian Anthony Moreland.

Nederlander, who is president and chief executive officer of The Nederlander Organization, leads a family business that began in 1912 and now encompasses every aspect of the live entertainment industry from venue ownership and management, theatrical producing, concert presentation, concessions, and patron services. Nederlander is also a committed leader and philanthropist.

DeBose won the Academy Award for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of West Side Story. She was seen on Broadway in a Tony-nominated turn in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Hamilton, and A Bronx Tale. DeBose hosted the 75th, 76th, and 77th Annual Tony Awards, and her screen credits also include Schmigadoon!, Argylle, and I.S.S.

Visit EntertainmentCommunity.org.