Movieguide has announced the nominees for its 32nd Annual Faith & Value Awards to be held on February 7that the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood. The event will be later televised on the Great American Family network. Inspiring faith and family-friendly film projects I’ve covered covered that are up for various awards include The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Cabrini, Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin, God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust, Reagan, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possom Trot and The Blue Angels. TV nominees include Great American Family’s County Rescue, Amazon Prime’s The Baxters and CBS’ Blue Bloods. IMHO: I’d suggest that Young Sheldon was snubbed on the television side. OTOH, I also say most of the nominees here probably compare favorably to the current Oscar nominees.

Music legend Lee Greenwood among 2025 Horatio Alger Award winners. The nonprofit educational organization that honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have overcome adversity and supports promising young people to pursue their American Dream through higher education and technical scholarships just announced that the superstar singer and songwriter of God Bless the USA  joins 11 other exceptional corporate, civic and cultural leaders from across the country in receiving 2025 honors. For the last 78 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing significant challenges and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities and beyond.

Born in Los Angeles, in 1942, Mr. Greenwood’s father would join the Navy the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His parents divorced during World War II, and he would not meet his father until he was a teenager. His mother tried supporting her two children on her own by playing piano in bars at a time where women were not allowed in bars. When she realized she could not raise Lee and his sister on her own she sent them to live on their grandparents’ sharecropper farm in Sacramento. On the farm, they lived in a trailer with add on rooms which also consisted of an outhouse until he was 13. Lee was responsible for the daily farm chores before going to school. Most days after school he would gather fruit, flowers and vegetables from their garden and sell them to the local Chinese market which allowed him to buy necessary items like shoes, socks and clothes for schools. Throughout his teenage years, he learned to self-provide. Whether it was driving a tractor, working the harvester or feeding the chickens, he always made it a point to do what needed to be done. Despite these challenges, he showed remarkable resilience. At an early age he discovered a passion for music. He began playing the piano at 7 and by the age of 14 he played nearly all the instruments in the school orchestra. His high school music teacher recognized his talent and made sure he would have college level music theory courses while in high school. These opportunities allowed him to serve as the drum major for the marching band and play in the orchestra. Deciding against college, he moved to Nevada where he spent 20 years, writing, performing, and singing in every hotel on the Las Vegas strip.

In 1979, a chance meeting brought Greenwood to Nashville where he signed with MCA Music as a songwriter and with MCA Records as a recording artist. His career took off in the early 1980s with the release of chart-topping hits like It Turns Me Inside Out and Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands. However, it was his iconic anthem God Bless the USA, released in 1984, that solidified his legacy. The song has become a timeless expression of national pride, earning him widespread recognition and accolades, including multiple Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards. Over the decades, he has released over 20 studio albums and more than 35 singles, showcasing his versatility across country, gospel and patriotic genres.

Beyond his musical achievements, Mr. Greenwood has devoted much of his life to giving back. A staunch supporter of the U.S. military and first responders, he has performed for troops worldwide and participated in numerous benefit concerts. He has served as a longtime ambassador for Helping a Hero which provides adapted homes for wounded veterans, further exemplifying his commitment to those who serve. His charitable endeavors extend to children’s hospitals, disaster relief efforts and education initiatives. His commitment to the arts has earned him various prestigious appointments. President George W. Bush to the National Endowment of the Arts where he served as a council member from 2014 to 2021. In 2017, he was appointed by President Donald Trump as a Kennedy Center trustee.

Mr. Greenwood and the Member Class of 2025 will be formally inducted during the 78th Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. during the annual three-day event beginning on April 3rd.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.