The Matrix Awards is an awards ceremony held annually by the New York Women in Communications, Inc. The award was created in the 1930s by Theta Sigma Phi journalism honor society and professional fraternity, later called Women in Communications, Inc. The Matrix Awards recognize exceptional women in the communications industry.

History Theta Sigma Phi a national honor society and professional fraternity that was later called Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI) started the Matrix Awards in the 1920s to "emphasize throughout the country the achievements and of possibilities of women in journalism and authorship". Later, it purpose was expanded to recognize exceptional women in the communications industry, including advertising, the arts, books, broadcasting, entertainment, film, magazines, new media, newspapers, public relations, television, and theater. The name of the award comes from a matrix, the mold used to cast type, and represents the beginning of mass communication. The International Matrix Awards were presented by the national organization, The Matrix Awards were originally presented by Theta Sigma Phi chapters to individuals in their communities.

The New York chapter of WICI officially broke away from the national WICI organization in 1998 and became New York Women in Communications, Inc. (NYWICI) to provide its members with more localized benefits. At the time, both the WICI chapters and the NYWICI continued to present the award, with separate ceremonies that were chapter-based. The successor of WICI, the Association for Women in Communications (AWC), started the International Matrix Awards in 1998. After the dissolution of WICI national in 1996 and its successor, Association for Women in Communications, in 2023, NYWICI continues to present the Matrix Awards each year.

The awards are presented at the Matrix Awards luncheon, which also serves as a fundraiser for the New York Women in Communications Foundation to support college scholarships for communication students. In 2005, the Matrix Awards presenters included Tina Brown, Hillary Clinton, Allison Pearson, and Oprah Winfrey.

Awards Historically, the Matrix Awards were presented in the categories of advertising, arts and entertainment, books, broadcasting, corporate communications, film/photography, magazines, marketing, newspapers, online media, public relations, radio, television, and special awards. In 2010, the categories were eliminated because they often overlapped and had been merged over time. The award now inducts women into the Matrix Awards Hall of Fame.

Some of the recipients of the Matrix Awards include the following, listed alphabetically by last name. RecipientYearCategoryPresenting organizationReferencesJill Abramson2006NewspapersNYWICICindy Adams2007Newspapers NYWICIYamiche Alcindor2021NYWICIChristiane Amanpour2005BroadcastingNYWICI2008International Matrix AwardAWCMadeline Amgott1975BroadcastingWICI New York chapterMaya Angelou1983BooksWICI New York chapter Awkwafina2021NYWICIMarvella BayhWICI Indianapolis chapterLeslie Berland2025NYWICIHalle Berry2018NYWICIPete Brewton1989Journalism – investigative/interpretive articleWICI Houston chapterMika Brzezinski2018NYWICISusan Brownmiller1984BooksWICI New York chapterDevika Bulchandani 2022NYWICICandace Bushnell2006BooksNYWICIRukmini Callimachi2017NYWICIGretchen Carlson2017NYWICINkechi Okloro Carrol2025NYWICIKristin Chenoweth2024NYWICIJoanna Coles2013NYWICIBeth Comstock2006Corporate Communications NYWICIJudy Corman2001Public RelationsNYWICIKatie Couric2009BroadcastingNYWICISheryl Crow2010NYWICIAnn Curry2009International Matrix AwardAWCLaurel Cutler1985AdvertisingWICI New York chapterGeena Davis2006Arts and EntertainmentNYWICIAngie Debo1942Oklahoma Woman of the YearTheta Sigma Phi Oklahoma chapterEllen DeGeneres2006Special Awards – Humanitarian AwardNYWICIJoan Didion2007BooksNYWICIMaureen Dowd1994Newspapers WICI New York chapterNancy Dubuc 2016NYWICILena Dunham2014NYWICIEve Ensler2002Arts and Entertainment NYWICINora Ephron1997Film/PhotographyWICI New York chapterGail Evans2001International Matrix AwardAWCLinda Fairstein2005BooksNYWICIEdie Falco2005Arts and Entertainment NYWICIRita Ferro 2022NYWICITina Fey2010NYWICIAnne Finucane2013NYWICIMoira Forbes2023NYWICIAlix M. Freedman2004NewspapersNYWICINina Garcia2024NYWICINancy Gibbs2014NYWICIKirsten Gillibrand2015NYWICIEllen Goodman1999International Matrix AwardAWCLinda Greenhouse2008NewspapersNYWICIMindy Grossman2013NYWICISavannah Guthrie2017NYWICI Maggie Haberman2021NYWICIJoan Hamburg2006RadioNYWICIBonnie Hammer2013NYWICICarla Hassan2020NYWICIMellody Hobson 2014NYWICIKaren Elliott House2006International Matrix AwardAWCArianna Huffington2007NYWICILucy Jarvis1978BroadcastingWICI New York chapterBarbara Jordan1970WICI Houston chapterJodi Kantor2018NYWICILiz Kaplow2014NYWICIGayle King2010NYWICIHoda Kotb2021NYWICIPadma Lakshmi 2019NYWICIDebra L. Lee2015NYWICICynthia Leive2006MagazinesNYWICIBillie Letts2011International Matrix AwardAWCMeredith Kopit Levien2024NYWICIMarlee Matlin2022NYWICIKati Marton2002BooksNYWICIRenetta McCann2006Advertising NYWICICady McClain2017International Matrix AwardAWCAudra McDonald2013NYWICICynthia McFadden2014NYWICIDyllan McGee2014NYWICIMary McGrory1983NewspapersWICI New York chapterIdina Menzel2011NYWICIStephanie Mehta2022NYWICI Jane Mayer2014NYWICIJanice Min2014NYWICI Andrea Mitchell2015NYWICIToni Morrison1992BooksWICI New York chapterRoberta Myers2015NYWICIEileen S. Naughton2014NYWICIEnid Nemy1984NewspapersWICI New York chapterNorah O’Donnell2019NYWICIRosie O'Donnell2011BroadcastingNYWICIDawn Ostroff2021NYWICIJane Pauley2008International Matrix AwardAWCQueen Latifah2014NYWICIAnna Quindlen1988NewspapersWICI New York chapterJane Bryant Quinn1983MagazinesWICI New York chapterRuth Reichl2008MagazinesNYWICIDiane Rehm2000International Matrix AwardAWCRobin Roberts2008Broadcasting NYWICIBonnie St. John2013International Matrix AwardAWCSheryl Sandberg2019NYWICIDiane Sawyer2019BroadcastingNYWICIDia Simms2018NYWICIMichelle Singletary2009AWC D.C. chapterAnna Deavere Smith2008Arts and Entertainment NYWICIJudy Smith2017NYWICIMegan Smith2015NYWICIEmily Steel2018NYWICIGwen Stefani2022NYWICIMartha Stewart1996MagazinesWICI New York chapterMeryl Streep1999Film/PhotographyNYWICIAnne Sweeney2008TelevisionNYWICIKara Swisher2013NYWICIAmy Tan1996BooksNYWICITina Tchen2020NYWICIHelen Thomas2002NewspapersNYWICI2007International Matrix AwardAWCMegan Twohey2018NYWICIMeredith Vieira2007Broadcasting NYWICIDiane von Fürstenberg2008Special Award – Lifetime AchievementNYWICIAlice Walker1986BooksWICI New York chapterBarbara Walters1978BroadcastingWICI New York chapterClarissa Ward2023NYWICINancy Weber2017NYWICIKristen Welker2025NYWICIBetty White2011Special Award – Lifetime AchievementNYWICIRuth Reinke Whitney1983Anna Wintour2002MagazinesNYWICIJudy Woodruff2003International Matrix AwardAWC2022NYWICIMuriel Hazel Wright1941Oklahoma Woman Writer of the YearTheta Sigma Psi Oklahoma chapterLinda Yaccarino2020NYWICIBellamy Young2025NYWICIShelley Zalis2018NYWICISusan Zirinsky2020NYWICI

Popular culture The fictional television character C. J. Cregg received a Matrix Award on an episode of The West Wing.

See also

List of media awards honoring women

References