Sheinelle Jones, Katie Couric Headline Gracies Awards

The Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) has announced that TODAY co-host Sheinelle Jones (pictured) will lead a fireside chat with trailblazing journalist Katie Couric at the 2025 Gracies Leadership Awards. The event will be held Tuesday, November 18, at Tribeca 360° in New York City, where Couric will receive the Gracies Icon Award for her groundbreaking career and lasting impact on media.

“Sheinelle and Katie are two of the most respected voices in journalism, each using their platforms to inform and inspire,” said Becky Brooks, President of AWM/F. “To have them together on stage promises an authentic, insightful conversation that embodies what the Gracies are all about – celebrating women whose work shapes and advances our industry.”

Jones, an Emmy-winning journalist, has been part of NBC News since 2014, co-hosting the 3rd Hour of TODAY and leading multiple programs across the network, including Through Mom’s Eyes, a Peacock wellness show, and the educational series Wild Child. She also produced the Gracie Award-winning MSNBC documentary Stories We Tell: The Fertility Secret.

In addition to Couric, the luncheon will honor seven leaders for their influence in media and entertainment: Martha Benyam (Kino Lorber), Rita Ferro (The Walt Disney Company), Connie Orlando (BET Networks), Alissa Pollack (iHeartMedia), Valari Dobson Staab (NBCUniversal Local), Jenna Weiss-Berman (Paper Kite Productions), and Michelle Duke (NAB Leadership Foundation), who will receive the AWM Legacy Leadership Award. The event will also recognize Dayana Matasheva of Columbia University as the 2025 AWM Foundation/NCTA Student Scholarship recipient. More information is available at allwomeninmedia.org.