The Matrix Awards, an annual celebration of overachievers by New York Women in Communications, turned into a river of tears on Monday.
The event, held at the Sheraton Times Square, was opened by sponsor Hearst’s chief content officer, Joanna Coles, who looked at all the women in the room and joked: “This is vice president Mike Pence’s nightmare.”
“Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson and FCB global chief creative officer Susan Credle all had trouble fighting back the tears as they traced their respective journeys to the top of their fields.
Guthrie was introduced by colleague Matt Lauer who said it was his duty to give her a roast. Lauer picked on Guthrie’s taste in music (“monotonous and melancholy acoustic guitar riffs”), and described her as a huge klutz who is always falling over things and hurting herself.
“It’s gotten to the point where we don’t even walk next to her – for fear that she might go down and take one of us with her,” Lauer quipped.
As event emcee Katie Couric looked on smiling from the podium, Lauer said: “No one has ever come to the anchor desk more qualified than her,” mentioning her law degree.
Lauer also gushed about how he always looked forward to coming to the office, even at 4:45 a.m. when no one wants to see what you look like, to share personal stories.
Guthrie, who ascended the couch in 2012 replacing Ann Curry, accepted the award revealing that she is a “combo platter of anxiety and calm, confidence and doubt, fear and courage, vulnerability and invincibility, fragileness and solid, granite strength.”
Couric, a previous Matrix winner in 1999, concluded the event after Guthrie’s speech saying: “Inspiring.”
Among the other award winners were crisis manager Judy Smith, who is the executive producer of ABC’s “Scandal,” and the model for the series’ character Olivia Pope played by Kerry Washington.
“Bridesmaids” producer Paul Feig gave Gretchen Carlson her award.
Kristin Lemkau, the chief marketing officer of JP Morgan, was introduced by her brother Gregg Lemkau, co-head of global M&A at Goldman Sachs. He said his sister bragged to everyone that she taught him to read.
Other winners included: Nancy Weber, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Meredith National Media Group and Rukmini Callimachi, a New York Times foreign correspondent who covers ISIS.
Meanwhile several Twitter users were confused by the hashtag #Matrix17 with some figuring they’d come across the latest sequel of the dystopic Keanu Reeves franchise.