2024 Honors Gala Also Includes Performances by Shore Fire Clients Dave Matthews, James Taylor, Trombone Shorty and The War And Treaty

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2024 / Leading marketing and communications firms Shore Fire Media and 42West, subsidiaries of Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), are proud to congratulate longtime Shore Fire client Bonnie Raitt and longtime 42West client Francis Ford Coppola on their recognition from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the 47th annual Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Queen Latifah at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Dec. 8. Raitt and Coppola were honored for lifetime artistic achievements alongside the Grateful Dead (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, the late Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir) and Arturo Sandoval - as well as the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, which received special recognition as an American institution. Shore Fire clients Dave Matthews, James Taylor, Trombone Shorty and The War And Treaty also participated in the ceremony, performing in tribute to the various honorees. CBS broadcast the 47th Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, Dec. 22.

Matthews performed in honor of both Raitt and the Grateful Dead, opening the show alongside Emmylou Harris with a cover of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" - which Raitt recorded in 1974, and has famously covered and often performed as a duet with the late Americana icon - as well as in the finale featuring Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" with Maggie Rogers and Derek Trucks in honor of the Grateful Dead, which the legendary band has used as a show closer frequently over the years. Taylor performed Raitt's "Nick of Time" in her honor alongside Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne and Arnold McCuller - and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brandi Carlile, Keb' Mo' and Susan Tedeschi were also among those who paid tribute to Raitt. Trombone Shorty performed as part of an all-star band in tribute to Sandoval, and The War And Treaty sang a medley of classic songs by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell to celebrate The Apollo and its storied history. Two days before the ceremony, on Dec. 6, Shore Fire client Amythyst Kiah performed as part of an Icons: Legacy songwriter showcase curated by Raitt at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage as well.

Luminaries such as George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Laurence Fishburne took the stage in tribute to Coppola, as did singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal - a star in his latest film, "Megalopolis" - and three members of the prolific filmmaker's accomplished family: his granddaughter, award-winning director Gia Coppola ("The Last Showgirl"); his sister Talia Shire (Oscar nominee and star of "The Godfather" trilogy and "Rocky" franchise); and his nephew, acclaimed actor Jason Schwartzman ("Between the Temples"). The ceremony was attended by seven other members of the family as well, including Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation") and her husband Thomas Mars of the French indie pop band Phoenix, award-winning filmmaker Roman Coppola (Oscar nominee, "Moonrise Kingdom") and his daughter Pascale Coppola, fashion designer and Schwartzman's wife Brady Cunningham with their daughter Marlowe Schwartzman, and critically lauded visual artist Honor Titus, who is Gia Coppola's husband.

ABOUT BONNIE RAITT

Bonnie Raitt is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose unique style blends blues, R&B, rock and pop. After 20 years as a cult favorite, she broke through to the top in the early '90s with her GRAMMY award-winning albums, "Nick of Time" and "Luck of the Draw," which featured hits "Something To Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me," among others. The 13-time GRAMMY winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and Rolling Stone named the slide guitar ace one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."

ABOUT FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of our time: a six-time Academy Award-winning director, writer and producer of such films as "Patton," "The Godfather" trilogy, "American Graffiti," "The Conversation," "Apocalypse Now," "The Outsiders" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula." As the co-founder of American Zoetrope with George Lucas, he initiated and nourished the careers of talents such as Carroll Ballard, John Milius, Sofia Coppola and actors Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfus, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Matt Dillon and Diane Lane. As a writer, director, producer and technological pioneer, Coppola has created a body of work that has helped shape contemporary American cinema. Coppola's latest film "Megalopolis" is a Roman epic set in modern times with an all-star cast including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Aubrey Plaza. The film premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and was released theatrically and in IMAX globally on Sept. 27, 2024.

ABOUT SHORE FIRE MEDIA

Shore Fire Media represents artists, talent, creators, authors, athletes, cultural institutions, businesses, brands and entrepreneurs at the forefront of their respective fields - including some of the most exciting emerging and established voices in the arts, entertainment and beyond. With dedicated teams in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, Shore Fire leverages extensive expertise and relationships to strategically amplify narratives and shape reputations that facilitate career advancement in an ever-evolving media landscape. To learn more, visit ShoreFire.com and follow Shore Fire on Instagram: @shorefire.

ABOUT 42WEST

42West, a subsidiary of Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), is one of the entertainment industry's leading full-service public-relations firms. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, 42West has five divisions: Talent; Strategic Communications; Entertainment Marketing; Fandoms & Franchises (formerly known as BHI), the award-winning firm's gaming, consumer products and publishing practice; and Elle Communications, the company's impact division. The agency has developed and executed marketing and publicity strategies for hundreds of movies and television shows as well as countless actors, filmmakers, recording artists, personalities and authors. In addition, 42West provides strategic counsel to a wide variety of high-profile individuals and corporate clients - ranging from movie and pop stars to major studios, charitable organizations and media conglomerates - looking to raise, reposition or rehabilitate their public profiles.

ABOUT DOLPHIN

Dolphin (NASDAQ: DLPN), founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, has evolved from its origins as an Emmy-nominated television, digital and feature film content producer to a company with three dynamic divisions: Dolphin Entertainment, Dolphin Marketing and Dolphin Ventures.

Dolphin Entertainment: This legacy division, where it all began, has a rich history of producing acclaimed television shows, digital content and feature films. With high-profile partners like IMAX and notable projects including "The Blue Angels," Dolphin Entertainment continues to set the standard in quality storytelling and innovative content creation.

Dolphin Marketing: Established in 2017, this division has become a powerhouse in public relations, influencer marketing, management, branding strategy, talent booking and special events. Comprising top-tier companies such as 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Special Projects, The Digital Dept., Elle Communications and Always Alpha, Dolphin Marketing serves a wide range of industries - from entertainment, music and sports to hospitality, fashion and consumer products.

Dolphin Ventures: This division leverages Dolphin's best-in-class cross-marketing acumen and business development relationships to create, launch and/or accelerate innovative ideas and promising products, events and content in our areas of expertise. Key ventures include collaborations with Rachael Ray for Staple Gin and Mastercard Midnight Theatre.

This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, Dolphin Entertainment Inc.'s offering of common stock as well as expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying its expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by the use of words such as "will," "would," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "designed," "plan," or "intend," the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These views involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, accordingly, Dolphin Entertainment's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in its forward-looking statements. Dolphin Entertainment's forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events Dolphin Entertainment cannot predict, including those described in the risk factors contained in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause its actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Although Dolphin Entertainment believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved, and Dolphin Entertainment undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

CONTACT

James Carbonara/Hayden IR
(646) 755-7412
james@haydenir.com

SOURCE: Dolphin