Sesame Workshop receives Elevate Prize Catalyst Award as it charts a new path for 'Sesame Street'

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Elmo, Abby Cadabby and the rest of the “Sesame Street” gang will get some high-profile help as they travel down a new road.

The Sesame Workshop – founded in 1969 and currently working on its 56th season, but its first that will not be distributed by PBS or HBO – received the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award Wednesday, which will provide the nonprofit a $250,000 grant as well as support in promoting its work from the Elevate Prize Foundation. Previous winners of the award include Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, actor Michael J. Fox, and NBA great Dwyane Wade.

“They haven’t just entertained generations – they’ve educated, advocated and inspired real change,” Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram, said as she presented the award to The Sesame Workshop at the foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit in Miami Beach, Florida. “And their work hasn’t just been confined to the screen. Through their nonprofit, they’ve expanded their mission globally. They’ve created real world programs that bring education, health and hope to millions of children in over 150 countries.”

Sal Perez, the show’s executive producer and a Sesame Workshop vice president, said the organization planned to use the award to let more people know that its nonprofit work extends beyond the TV show.

“We do a lot of work around the world with direct services, trying to provide content for families that talks about some of those harder to talk about subjects, whether it’s trauma, whether it’s homelessness and things of that nature. So this is an opportunity to highlight that kind of work.”

Perez told The Associated Press in an interview before the ceremony that there would be news about Sesame Workshop’s future released “in the coming days.” Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its deal for new episodes that air on HBO and Max, though episodes will remain on the streaming service until 2027.

“’Sesame Street’ is not going to go away,” Perez said. “It will never go away. It’s obviously been a beloved show for so long.”

However, there are changes coming to the new season, which currently has no distribution deal. Perez said the segments on the new season will be longer and “really focused on character,” while also focusing on its audience's emotional well-being and development.

“The more kids want to hang out with our characters on ‘Sesame Street,’ the more they’re going to take in those lessons,” said Perez, adding that there would also be updates to the show's look and feel. The new season will also feature more exploration of the “Sesame Street” neighborhood and a look inside the legendary two-story brownstone at 123 Sesame Street.

Though Sesame Workshop does not currently receive any government funding, Perez urged viewers to support public media, especially following President Donald Trump's recent executive order to cut funding to PBS and NPR.

“We believe in the power that public funding has for children’s media," he said. "I think people should support their local PBS affiliates and support children’s media because it is an entry point for children to really start to see the world outside of their homes.”

Jayaram said she felt the time was right to for the Elevate Prize Foundation to stand with The Sesame Workshop and its work.

“This is a foundation that’s about social impact," she said. "So the symbolism of us joining forces with a children’s program is to say that even though our leaders are grown adults, it’s the child in all of us that we need to revive and remember our essential values as humans.”

Famed roommates Bert and Ernie were on hand to receive the award alongside Perez with their trademark banter. “We are so proud to make the Catalyst,” joked Ernie. “One day we'd also like to make the Dog-alist.”

In a video acceptance, Abby and Elmo took their own swing at explaining the award.

“It’s like a spark that makes good change happen – kinda like magic,” explained Abby.

“Elmo really likes being a catalyst,” said Elmo.

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