PARTICIPANT MEDIA LAUNCHES 1st ANNUAL FOOD, INC. AWARDS TO HONOR THOSE LEADING THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT

NOMINATIONS FOR FOOD, INC. LIFESTYLE & PIONEER AWARDS CAN BE SUBMITTED AT TAKEPART.COM/FOODINCAWARDS THROUGH OCTOBER 16th

WINNERS TO BE CHOOSEN BY DISTINGUISHED JUDGES INCLUDING BIG BANG THEORY'S MAYIM BIALIK AND ANNOUNCED DURING THE PREMIERE OF FOOD, INC. ON PIVOT NOVEMBER 24 AT 9:00PM ET/8:00 PM CT

Los Angeles, September 26, 2013 -- Four years after the release of Participant Media's Oscar(R) nominated and Emmy(R) Award winning documentary Food, Inc., Participant has established the Food, Inc. Awards to honor those who best embody the film's message by helping to promote healthier, locally grown, sustainable choices. Alice Waters has been named as the recipient of the 2013 Food, Inc. Movement Award, recognizing her role as the "mother of American food" and her four decades of promoting organic foods, free from herbicides and pesticides.

The Food, Inc. Lifestyle Award recognizes an individual who will have completely changed their approach to consuming food after having seen the film and now practices sustainable and ethical eating on a daily basis. The Food, Inc. Pioneer Award recognizes a local leader who, inspired by the film, has created a community program that has transformed its residents' attitudes and behaviors towards more sustainable, responsible and organic choices. Nominations for these categories can be made by anyone simply by following the instructions and uploading a short video of themselves on TakePart.com/FoodIncAwards beginning today through October 16th.

Awards will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges, including Elise Pearlstein (Food, Inc. Oscar nominated, Emmy-winning producer), Michael Pollan (food expert, journalist and New York Times best selling author), Jane Lear (food writer and features director at Martha Stewart Living), Mayim Bialik (star of the CBS hit show The Big Bang Theory and author of the upcoming Da Capo release "Mayim's Vegan Table"), Ruth Reichl (former editor in chief of Gourmet and New York Times restaurant critic), and Amelia Posada and Erika Nakamura (co-founders of sustainable butcher shop, Lindy & Grundy).

Awards will be announced live on Pivot, Participant Media's new television network at 9:00PM on November 24th. Winners will be flown to Los Angeles to join Elise Pearlstein for a special sustainable dinning experience.

"We are thrilled to honor Alice Waters for her leadership in the slow foods movement through the Food, Inc. Awards," said Chad Boettcher, EVP of Social Action at Participant. "With the Pioneer and Lifestyle awards anyone can tell us about how they have promoted more healthy and sustainable eating so we can shine a light on their good works."

Since Food, Inc. opened in theaters in June 2009, the title has become synonymous with a movement and lifestyle, with a community of over 745,000 fans on the film's dedicated Facebook page and reaching over 4 million active readers on TakePart.com who share content about sustainability, organics, and the ethical treatment of animals in food practices.

About Participant Media

Participant (participantmedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature film, television, publishing and digital content that inspires social change. Participant's more than 40 films include GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, FOOD, INC., WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN', THE HELP, CONTAGION and LINCOLN. Through its films, social action campaigns, digital network TakePart.com and Pivot, its new television network for Millennials, Participant seeks to entertain, encourage and empower every individual to take action.

About Pivot

Pivot (Pivot.tv), which launched nationally August 1st, is a new television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of talent and a mix of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is also changing the media landscape, available via traditional Pay TV subscription and integrating a Live and on demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot APP. In both content and delivery, Pivot is TV for The New Greatest Generation. Follow Pivot on Twitter at @pivot_tv and on Facebook at facebook.com/pivottelevision.