by Angela Walker for ChristianCinema.com

Tuesday night, February 23, in Hollywood, Dr. Ted Baehr hosted the 18th annual Movieguide Awards Gala. The event is dedicated to honoring the studio executives, producers, directors, actors and writers of Movieguide®'s "Best of the Year" movies. In addition to the Crystal Teddy statues presented to winners in each category, the John Templeton Foundation awards the Epiphany cash prizes and the Kairos cash prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays.

As one attendee remarked last night, "The Movieguide® Awards recognize the positive features of films and let us know what should be included in films, not what to take out." Presenters and award winners represented all age groups, from 9 year old Benjamin Stockham to veteran performer Orson Bean. Familiar faces among the presenters included Stephen Baldwin (Six, Midnight Clear), Danielle Bisutti (No Greater Love), Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side), and Candace Cameron Bure (The Wager, Moonlight & Mistletoe).

Performances from Christian artist Michelle Tumes (whose music is featured on No Greater Love) and Disney newcomeer Mdot Finley (Camp Rock 2) rounded out the evening.

The following awards were presented:

$100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie of 2009

The Blind Side, from Warner Bros. Pictures

$100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV Program of 2009

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, telecast by TNT and the Turner Entertainment Group

Faith & Freedom Film Award

Invictus

The Stoning of Soraya M.

Faith & Freedom TV Award

Bedford: The Town They Left Behind

Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in Movies

Albert Hall for Not Easily Broken

Grace Award for Most Inspiring Performance in Television

Kimberly Elise for Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Top 10 Movies for Families

Up

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Monsters vs. Aliens

G-Force

Hannah Montana The Movie

Earth

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Astro Boy

9

Top 10 Movies for Mature Audiences

The Blind Side

The Young Victoria

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Star Trek

Invictus

Terminator Salvation

Knowing

The Stoning of Soraya M.

Julie & Julia

Taken

Special Crystal Teddy Awards were presented to the Tyler Perry Studios for their faithful production of exceptionally produced and strikingly redemptive movies and TV shows and Hallmark Hall of Fame, for bringing outstanding movies to television that excel in quality.

Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting screenplays by beginning screenwriters

1st - The Good Doctor, by Dwight Carlson and Gregory Carlson

2nd - The Shoebox, by Sherry Cook

3rd - Lion of the North by Johnny Davis tied with The Translator by Alan Sproles and Lizanne Southgat

For more information, visit: MovieGuide