14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s Chief Executive Officer is one of the four Jim Henson honorees this year, announced by Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. According to the official report (PDF), “The highest Henson Honor goes to an individual, organization or product that makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life.” That’s its Jim Henson Celebration Honor and it was nabbed by Steve Jobs.
The Jim Henson Honors, established in 2005, are based on the core values and philosophy of the legendary Jim Henson and the company he founded, the same report says. A commitment to creativity, innovative applications of art and technology, and inspiration of others are the main criteria used in the evaluation process. Four Jim Henson honorees were announced last week by Lisa Henson. The PDF report lists them as follows:
The Jim Henson Celebration Honor – Steve Jobs, Apple CEO; The Jim Henson Community Honor – 826 National, a tutoring, writing, and publishing organization; The Jim Henson Creativity Honor – Neill Blomkamp, director; The Jim Henson Technology Honor – YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the world’s first collaborative orchestra.
“I am always excited and inspired by the selections made by our artists and staff,” Lisa Henson said. “This year’s recipients all truly embrace creativity and imagination. Steve Jobs has been a leader in the ongoing efforts to develop technologies that allow users to effortlessly express themselves; the YouTube Symphony Orchestra brought together vastly diverse musicians from around the world to share their talents; Neill Blomkamp inspired us with his incredibly original storytelling on film; and 826 National is helping to educate and encourage the creative voices of tomorrow.”
“A co-founder of Apple, Jobs has led the company and the creation of its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, iPod media player, iTunes media store and Mac computers,” the people behind the Jim Henson Company said. Henson added that, “Steve Jobs has continuously broken new ground with technologies that allow existing media in all forms to be easily enjoyed and also by providing fantastic tools for artists, photographers, musicians and filmmakers of all skill levels.”