Impact + Profit 25 Conference to honor artists on Thursday, December 4 at Skirball Cultural Center
LOS ANGELES - The ACLU of Southern California and the SIE Society proudly announce the Committee for the First Amendment — recently relaunched by actor and activist Jane Fonda on behalf of hundreds of founding members —as the first-ever recipient of the Impact Entertainment Visionaries Award. The award will be presented jointly by the ACLU SoCal and the SIE Society during the Impact + Profit 25 Conference on Thursday evening, December 4, 2025, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
In its founding phase, the newly reimagined Committee for the First Amendment has moved swiftly to bring together a growing coalition of artists and storytellers committed to safeguarding creative freedom and resisting censorship. Founding members include Aaron Sorkin, Anne Hathaway, Ashley Nicole Black, Ayo Edebiri, Barbara Streisand, Barry Jenkins, Florence Pugh, Issa Rae, Judd Apatow, Julie Plec, Kerry Washington, Lee Daniels, Natalie Morales, Nikki Glaser, Pedro Pascal, Rob Reiner, Rosario Dawson, Sean Penn, Spike Lee, and Viola Davis.
The Committee made a powerful public debut, issuing a widely supported statement from hundreds of artists calling for vigilance against government censorship and intimidation in the creative community. Since launch, the Committee has seen an overwhelming response, as artists and allies from across the entertainment industry and creative community have joined together — bringing membership to more than 2,000 in just a few weeks.
The Impact Entertainment Visionaries Award honors artists and creators whose work exemplifies the power of storytelling to:
- Expand cultural freedoms and representation;
- Advance inclusion and spark dialogue on equity and justice;
- Inspire social and behavioral change;
- Collaborate with advocacy organizations and institutions to extend impact beyond the screen.
This year’s honorees were selected for their enduring leadership in using storytelling, visibility, and creative courage to defend freedom of expression and expand the boundaries of civic discourse.
From her early involvement with the ACLU to her decades of advocacy for civil liberties, justice, and equality, Jane Fonda has used her public voice to stand firmly for constitutional freedoms—even when doing so required extraordinary courage. Her decision to relaunch the Committee for the First Amendment represents a profound continuation of that work and a tribute to the artists who first united to defend freedom of expression in Hollywood more than 75 years ago.
Originally founded in 1947 by artists including Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Danny Kaye, the Committee for the First Amendment emerged as a courageous stand against censorship and fear during the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings. By reviving this coalition today in response to renewed pressures on free speech and artistic dissent, Fonda and the Committee reaffirm the enduring role of artists as guardians of truth and democratic discourse.
“The Committee for the First Amendment stands as a reminder that defending freedom of expression has always been central to democracy—and to the mission of the ACLU,” said Chandra S. Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU SoCal. “We are honored to recognize Jane and this new generation of creators who are carrying that legacy forward.”
According to SIE Society co-founders Tobias Deml, Rebecca Graham Forde, William Nix and Robert Rippberger, the award presentation will be a featured moment at Impact + Profit 25, the SIE Society’s flagship annual conference presented in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. The event convenes leaders from entertainment, advocacy, innovation and investment to explore how storytelling can shape culture and drive measurable social progress.
About the SIE Society
The SIE Society (Social Impact Entertainment Society) is a global community of more than 1,600 entertainment, corporate, and nonprofit professionals, from all storytelling media platforms, working at the intersection of storytelling and social change. Through curated programming, thought leadership, and year-round engagement, the SIE Society supports collaboration and measurable impact across industries.