The four recipients of the fifth annual Jim Henson Honors were announced today by Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company (http://www.henson.com). Among them is Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who won the Jim Henson Celebration Honor.
Established in 2005, the awards program “acknowledges organizations, individuals or products that reflect the core values and philosophy of the legendary Jim Henson and the company he founded.” Criteria used in the evaluation process include: a commitment to creativity, innovative applications of art and technology, and inspiration of others. In addition to Jobs, the other winners were:
° The Jim Henson Community Honor – 826 National, a tutoring, writing, and publishing organization;
° The Jim Henson Creativity Honor – Neill Blomkamp, director;
° The Jim Henson Technology Honor – YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the world’s first collaborative orchestra
“I am always excited and inspired by the selections made by our artists and staff,” saysLisa Henson. “This year’s recipients all truly embrace creativity and imagination. Steve Jobs has been a leader in the ongoing efforts to develop technologies that allow users to effortlessly express themselves; the YouTube Symphony Orchestra brought together vastly diverse musicians from around the world to share their talents; Neill Blomkamp inspired us with his incredibly original storytelling on film; and 826 National is helping to educate and encourage the creative voices of tomorrow.”
The highest Henson Honor, the Celebration Honor, goes to an individual, organization or product that makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life. A co-founder of Apple, Jobs has led the company and the creation of its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, iPod media player, iTunes media store and Mac computers, according to the Jim Henson Company.
“Steve Jobs has continuously broken new ground with technologies that allow existing media in all forms to be easily enjoyed and also by providing fantastic tools for artists, photographers, musicians and filmmakers of all skill levels,” says Lisa Henson.