The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) hosted an awards benefit called the AHF Academy Awards on the same night as the Oscars. The event honored celebrities and caregivers who had made significant contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The AHF Academy Awards combined the glitz and glam of Hollywood with the critical mission of raising awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS care and support.
From 1990 to 1999, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation hosted an awards benefit on the same night as the Oscars. AHF’s Academy Awards hosted their own celebrities, held silent auctions, and celebrated those in the entertainment industry who had served those living with HIV/AIDS.
Honorees received AHF’s Humanitarian Award, also known as the Kenny Award, and the Caregiver Award. The Kenny Award was named after and first awarded to Kenny Sacha himself at the 3rd Annual AHF Academy Awards in 1992.
Kenny was an entertainer and comedian who later passed away from complications related to HIV/AIDS. He was a vocal activist in the industry, fighting for the rights of those living with HIV/AIDS. The award would continue to be given throughout the years to those in the entertainment industry who had worked tirelessly to help those living with HIV/AIDS. Winners included comedian and actor Carole Cook, and comedian Joan Rivers.
The Caregiver Award honored those individuals in the medical field who demonstrated a commitment to those living with HIV/AIDS. Winners of the Caregiver Award included Dr. Michael Gottleib, who identified AIDS as a new disease in 1981 and continued to work in HIV/AIDS research, and Nadia Sutton, founder of PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), an organization that helped people living with HIV/AIDS care for their pets.
Venues for the event ranged from the Coconut Club to the Directors Guild of America with hosts including Sheryl Lee Ralph and Downtown Julie Brown. The AHF Academy Awards were star-studded events, but the goal of helping those living with HIV/AIDS always remained at the forefront.
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