Prism Awards come from the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) in collaboration with SAMHSA to reduce stigma and spread public awareness. Pamela Hyde, director of SAMHSA, noted "one of our highest priorities involves raising public awareness and support for the power of prevention, treatment, and recovery." She congratulated all the recipients for the "outstanding productions and performances [that] depict the realities of addiction and mental illness and the power of treatment and recovery with accuracy and sensitivity." Crazy Heart and The Soloist also won Prism Awards for best picture.
Bridges received an Academy Award for his role as an alcoholic musician, and Gyllenhaal, a journalist who falls for him, was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role.
Also see Arlene Notoro Morgan's essay about The Soloist, Making a difference.
