The box office smash Bob Marley: One Love biopic and Emmy award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph are among the honorees at the inaugural Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors, presented by Coalition for Faith and Media (CFAM).

The Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors, which is promoted by respected American trade publication Variety, will be celebrated on December 4.

The honorees are individuals who support the frequently under-represented theme of faith in entertainment storytelling.

This class of 2024 Visionary Awards presented by CFAM represents diverse portrayals of faith and spirituality that are broadly compelling and nuanced.

The class of 2024 visionary honorees also include:

• Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, founders, JuVee Productions

• Erica Lipez, executive producer, writer and showrunner, We Were the Lucky Ones

• Jessica Matten, actor (Dark Winds, Rez Ball), producer, and philanthropist

• Arian Moayed, actor, (Succession, Inventing Anna, A Doll’s House), EP of Motherland, and co-founder of Waterwell

• Jay Shetty, best-selling author, podcast host, On Purpose

Grammy-winning reggae artiste Ziggy Marley, humanitarian, producer and musician, will accept the award for the Bob Marley: One Love film.

In a media release, Sara Critchfield, a founding member of the CFAM, said: “The Global Faith & Media Study identified an important data point — 82 per cent of the world identifies as religious, spiritual, or a person of faith. We live in a spiritual world and there is a large market who cares deeply about this topic. As a result, the Coalition for Faith & Media is committed to ensuring faith is meaningfully portrayed in the media. In entertainment, this means accurate, nuanced characters that reflect authentic lived experiences people have every day. We’re beyond excited Variety’s recognising some of today’s industry leaders who are doing this work in meaningful ways.”

Variety’s Chief Operating and Marketing Officer Dea Lawrence, for her part, added: “Variety is excited to host this important event in partnership with the Coalition for Faith & Media to improve and expand portrayals of faith in entertainment and media.”

The release also quoted Ziggy Marley a saying: “In order to better understand Bob’s message you have to look past the legend and see the human being, his struggles, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.”

The CFAM recognises the Bob Marley: One Love film for shining a light on how Bob Marley’s spiritual beliefs gave him strength, informed his world view, and propelled his work for social good through love.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, actress, producer and director, is known for both her work and her activism. She is a three-time Emmy-nominated actress for her role on Abbott Elementary as a devoutly Christian kindergarten teacher.

Said Ralph: “I cherish the opportunity to bring depth, dignity, and authenticity to the portrayal of Abbott Elementary’s Barbara Howard — a woman of faith, reminding viewers of the strength, resilience, and hope that such a character embodies in everyday life.”

She also has manifested love through decades of AIDS activism, from founding the DIVA in 1990 to supporting Project Angel Food and producing the recent Daytime Emmy-nominated short Unexpected about two HIV-positive women who become activists.

— Kevin Jackson