The inaugural Military & Veterans Entertainment Awards has bestowed its leadership in media honor on PMC vice chair Gerry Byrne. The Marine Corps veteran has been active for decades in building bridges between military communities and media and entertainment business hubs. The event was held May 24 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills. The final winners in more than a dozen categories were selected by the National Entertainment Awards Academy for Military and Veterans. The organization sponsors the Veterans Media Advancement Scholarship initiative designed to support servicemembers and alums as they pursue careers in media and entertainment. More from Variety Penske Media Vice Chairman Gerry Byrne Receives U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award Byrne, a former publisher ofVarietyand veteran New York media insider, credited his long career to the benevolence shown him by executives at the New York Daily News. Byrne's service in the Marines spanned 1966 to 1969, the final two years of which were tours in Vietnam. When Byrne returned home to New York, a group of Korean War vets at the Daily News took the Vietnam vet under wing as a "rescue dog" and vowed to teach him the media business, as Byrne recalled. "I was part of their veterans' family. I never forgot that," Byrne said in accepting his award. Another thing Byrne never forgot was the inscription on the Zippo lighter that a fellow Marine showed him shortly after he arrived in Vietnam: "For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste that the protected will never know," he recited for the crowd. RELATED CONTENT:Penske Media's Gerry Byrne Receives U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award Among the other honorees were Traci Park, the Los Angeles City Council member respresenting the Westside's 11th district, which includes the sprawling West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center and campus. The daughter of a U.S. Army veteran, Park was recognized for her work on veterans issues and strengthening neighborhoods. The inaugural Military & Veterans Entertainment Awards was presented by American Legion Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283. It was supported and co-sponsored by True Religion Brand Jeans, SAG-AFTRA, Paramount Studios, New Dawn Treatment Centers, Heroes Linked, USS IOWA, Vet Stream TV, You Matter Not Alone and III Worlds Management. PMC is the parent company ofVariety. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.
