NEW YORK – Film director Ava Duverny and US open tournament director Stacey Alaster accepted the Billy Junking Champions of Ecrit Awards on Thursday, celebrating groundbreaking films in the film and sports industry.
The award was given to pioneers of gender equality and began in 2023 to mark King’s 50th anniversary of ensuring equal pay for women at the US Open.
The event also recognized members from across 17 USTA sections for their commitment to advancing sport’s inclusiveness.
“It was beautiful to think about. It’s true that Billy Jean King is an icon beyond sports,” Duverne told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “Whenever I have the opportunity to be around her or be involved with her, that’s an honor.”
Duvernay is a filmmaker who directed films such as “Selma” and “Time In Time.” She was the first black woman to direct an Academy Award-nominated film and win Best Picture nominated at the Sundance Film Festival.
Allaster is the first woman to become tournament director for the US Open and will leave the position at the end of this tournament. She previously served as president and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association, where she led a team that helped to secure equal prizes at the French Open and Wimbledon.
The two previous winners of the award were tennis legend Venus Williams and television producer Shonda Rhimes, who joined Duvernay in a panel discussion on careers and equality at the ceremony.
“When you deny fairness, you make your own world smaller,” Williams said. “The world is so big. There’s so much to experience, know and understand… It’s an incredible world.
