Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards virtual ceremony slated for Thursday, November 5

The Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin, will host their awards ceremony virtually this year on Thursday, November 5th of Breeders’ Cup week. TIEA, now in its fifth year, has previously celebrated the finalists and their connections with an in-person awards ceremony over lunch at Keeneland, followed by an afternoon of racing.  Since an in-person ceremony is not possible this year, TIEA has enlisted the services of Studio 46 to help put on a successful virtual ceremony. A Lexington, Kentucky-based company, Studio 46 offers video production and live event services, and will host the virtual ceremony from their studios in Lexington.

“We are excited to land on this date for the awards ceremony,” said Katie LaMonica, Director of Charitable Initiatives for Godolphin USA.  “It’s such an exciting week in our industry and we wanted our finalists and winners to be a part of it as they are the backbone of our industry and contribute to the overall success of our sport. 

“I would like to thank our partners, who have helped TIEA adapt in this different and difficult year. We look forward to recognizing and rewarding our finalists in a new, engaging way.”  

The ceremony will highlight the three finalists in each of the six categories, with a winner in each category announced as part of the event. The Thoroughbred Industry Community Award winner, Maria Cristina Silva of NYTHA, who was selected by the shortlist judging panel on August 24th, will also be celebrated during the virtual ceremony. To learn more about the finalists in the lead up to the virtual ceremony, please visit TIEA.org.  

The virtual ceremony will begin at 12pm EST with Jill Byrne, an avid supporter of the awards program since its inception in 2016, once again emceeing the event.  Each of the 18 finalists and the Community Award Winner, Maria Cristina Silva, as well as a group of special industry presenters, will all be a part of the virtual presentation.

In its first four years, TIEA has awarded over $500,000 in prize money to 86 finalists, with over 700 nominations across the seven categories.  Another $128,000 will be awarded among the 19 finalists this year, with the focus once again on celebrating these deserving individuals from across the US. 

The live event will be streamed on the websites of these TIEA media partners:  BloodHorse.com, TDN.com, PaulickReport.com, and DRF.com, as well as TIEA.org.

For more information please visit the website at TIEA.org.