FAQs

After an exhaustive nomination and vote process (read below), the Gabby Award winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on Ellis Island in New York on Saturday, June 4, 2011.

The awards will take place in the Registry Room at Ellis Island, the historic entry point of more than 12 million immigrants to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ellis Island was simultaneously an island of hope for new arrivals to the United States and an island of tears for the small percentage who were turned away after the long transatlantic journey. The 2011 Gabby Awards’ location symbolizes the Greek American community’s return to the site where it all began.

The Honorary Chairpersons of the Gabby Awards will be: Paula & Peter Fasseas, Ann & Jim Gianopulos, Melina Kanakaredes & Peter Constantinides, Marianne & Dean Metropoulos, and Joyce & John Varvatos. All Honorary Chairpersons are committed to our project and will lend their support our endeavor.

The event will be hosted by the Greek America Foundation, a Chicago-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so a portion of tickets purchased are tax deductible.

Proceeds will benefit the Greek America Foundation’s new Hellenic Legacy Fund, an endowment fund established to award scholarships to students studying abroad in Greece. The Greek America Foundation was founded to promote, preserve and perpetuate the Greek culture, history and heritage in America and organizes various events throughout the nation, including concerts, book signings, exhibitions, and lectures. The GAF is also the parent of Greek America Magazine, the leading national periodical for Greek Americans, reaching tens of thousands of readers from coast to coast.

The entire program will be hosted by the Greek America Foundation and feature accomplished Greek Americans from all walks of life. The awards gala will include music, comedy and celebrity award presenters. Gabby Award Winners who are present that evening will be asked to accept their awards with brief remarks. We will also incorporate video tributes into the program, as well as many surprises for our guests.

There will be an after party immediately after the event, which includes food, drinks and entertainment with food stations, martini bars and with music and dancing. Entertainment will be provided by one of Greece’s national treasures—Glykeria and her complete orchestra. We are also honored to have world-renowned chef Cat Cora as the guest chef of the Gabby Awards After Party. Cat, a former Iron Chef, has won numerous awards for her cuisine masterpieces. She is executive chef for Bon Appétit magazine and a UNICEF spokesperson. In addition, Cat founded Chefs for Humanity, a nonprofit alliance of culinary professionals and educators working together to provide nutrition education, hunger relief and humanitarian aid to reduce hunger across the world.

There are nine Gabby Award categories: (1) Entertainment & Performing Arts, (2) Arts & Culture, (3) Athletics, (4) Education & Academia, (5) Philanthropy & Public Service, (6) Business & Entrepreneurism, (7) Politics & Government, (8) Promotion of Hellenism, (9) Science & Technology. In addition to these nine awards, a special Lifetime Achievement Award will also be given to a Greek American whose lifetime of work serves as an example to others. In 2011, two Gabby Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, and world-renowned artist Stephen Antonakos.

The nominees are chosen by members of the Gabby Academy – an elite group of approximately 100 people who are involved in the Greek American community, as well as writers, journalists, opinion- makers, public relations professionals, leaders in business, academia and other fields. These individuals each vote for their top three names in each category. Using a point system, we will come up with the top three vote getters, who will be announced as “nominees” in early 2011.

In addition to the great food and entertainment, there will be an out-of-this-world silent and live auction featuring more than 100 high-end items including travel and hotel packages, jewelry and other exciting goodies that are being hand selected by our Silent Auction committee.

If you’d like to donate an item to the silent auction, please contact us at info(at)gabbyawards.com for the requirements.

You do. That's right. After the Gabby Academy has completed its nomination process and the top three nominees in each category are announced, the website will be enabled with voting capabilities for visitors to the Gabby Awards website.

The actual Gabby Award that will be handed out to winners is a hand-made statuette comprised of fine jewels and metals designed by world-famous Greek jewelry designer Konstantino. The Gabby Award also comes with the prestige and honor of knowing that tens of thousands of people from coast to coast took part in the voting and voted on the individual who truly represents the voice of the community.