Do you have a son or daughter, niece or nephew, neighbor or sibling that you want to protect from the harmful effects of tobacco?
More than 1,000 kids will start smoking today because of what they see in the movies. Join us for the annual Hackademy Awards, a youth-friendly advocacy event and fundraiser designed to educate people - especially youth and young adults - about the impact of tobacco use and smoking in movies. It’s not another night away from your family – this is an event where your family is invited.
Our youth stars from our Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! Program arrive in a limo, walk the red carpet, smile for paparazzi, sign autographs and hand out Hackademy Awards. At this Hollywood-style red carpet event, Thumbs Up! Awards are given to films and actors that did not depict tobacco use or portrayed the realistic health effects of using tobacco, and Thumbs Down! Awards are given to those that most glamorized tobacco.
Each year, approximately 300 movies are reviewed and rated for their tobacco content and perceived messages by our youth reviewers. In February, the Hackademy, which is made up of TUTD youth volunteers, meets to discuss and choose the award recipients for the following categories:
• Thumbs Up! Movie
• Thumbs Down! Movie
• Thumbs Up! Actor
• Thumbs Up! Actress
• Thumbs Down! Actor
• Thumbs Down! Actress
There is also a People’s Choice award for Thumbs Up! and Thumbs Down! movie of the year, which gives the public a chance to share their opinion by voting online!
The goal of this youth-friendly event is to counter the glamorization of tobacco in movies and prevent youth from picking up a deadly habit. The income raised is used to support and expand our innovative youth programs.
Watch our YouTube video of the 2008 Hackademy Awards below!
The 2008 Hackademy Awards was a great success! On February 13, more than 200 guests watched our youth stars from our Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! Program arrive in a limo, walk the red carpet, pose for paparazzi, sign autographs and hand out this year's Hackademy Awards, “honoring” the films and actors that portrayed tobacco well and not so well in 2007.
