Priyanka Chopra gave keynote speech at the gala.
By The American Bazaar Staff
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Photos by: Rishi Shah.
NEW YORK: Four Indian American luminaries in the entertainment industry were honored at the fourth annual conference and gala of The Association of South Asians in Media, Marketing & Entertainment (SAMMA), over the weekend, in Manhattan.
The SAMMA Trailblazer awards went to: Russell Peters – comedian, author and actor; Mindy Kaling – actor, director, producer, writer and author; Vijay Iyer – jazz pianist and composer; and Anjula Acharia Bath – CEO/Founder, DesiHits!
“It is strange to be called a trailblazer because I’ve never really considered myself one,” said Kaling, lead actor, producer and writer of The Mindy Project on Fox. “In general, I try to tell stories that are relatable to everyone. I’ve always aspired to be the funniest person out there, not just the funniest South Asian,” she said in a video acceptance from the set of her show. “I am privileged to have had these opportunities in show business. Thank you so much for this incredible award.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by Peters, who, true to his calling, infused humor in his acceptance speech: “I’ve never been called a trailblazer. When I was younger, I always wanted a Chevy Trailblazer, but this trailblazer I never imagined. I am honored and proud especially to be recognized by my own community. The more doors we can open for each other the better for everyone. I see more of us in the industry every day, and I want to continue seeing more of us.”
Peters, who also celebrated his 43rd birthday at the event, was presented his award by actor, fellow comedian and previous Trailblazer recipient Aasif Mandvi of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, who roasted and toasted Peters saying, “Let me introduce someone who is like worth 60 billion dollars,” playing off of Peters being the first South Asian to have been ranked as one of the highest paid comedians in the U.S., after working in the industry for more than 20 years.
Trailblazer recipient Iyer, one of the most awarded jazz artists in the world and winner of the prestigious 2013 MacArthur Genius Award said, “I am proud to receive this award from SAMMA. Music is a universal language. I hope in some way I have helped push the dialogue forward and have inspired others through the beauty of music and jazz, both South Asians and people at-large.”
Presented the award by David Taghioff and business colleague at CAA, Anjula Acharia Bath said: “We have so much to learn from one another. I encourage everyone to live their dreams. Bringing different cultures and viewpoints together in the arts and industry, whether in music or any field, takes passion and perseverance.”
Bath, named Billboard’s top 40 women in music for her work in blending Indian talent with mainstream music in the U.S., continued, “Helping one another, we can achieve anything.”
Built to network and advance the industry of South Asian professionals across media, marketing and entertainment, the SAMMA Summit 2013 was keynoted by actress and singer Priyanka Chopra, who was recently signed by Interscope and DesiHits! and is now the opening musical act for the NFL Network; Dr. Mehmood Khan, EVP and Chief Innovations and Science Officer at PepsiCo., one of the top innovators in global marketing; and Keli Lee, EVP and Head of Casting at ABC and regarded as one of the most influential women in entertainment.
Among the many supporters of the event were Time Warner, Disney/ABC, FOX, Zee TV, ARY Digital Media, Comcast, NBC, Universal, SAAVN, Publicis, Zenith, The Weinstein Company, HP, Microsoft and AOL.
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