2026 Brady Action Awards Celebrate Visionary Leaders Fighting to End Gun Violence through Marketing, Youth Activism, and Film

NEW YORK, April 14, 2026 — Today, Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, will celebrate its annual Brady Action Awards honoring the efforts of individuals who have distinguished themselves in the movement to free America from gun violence. The evening will be emceed by Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, and director Michael Urie of AppleTV's Shrinking.

“All of this year’s honorees, who span industries, ages, and perspectives, have shown innovative commitment to ending gun violence in America, and their success is evident. The United States is currently on track to have the lowest homicide rates in an entire century – the result of the gun violence prevention movement’s relentless push for change, both within and outside of Washington,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady. “Our Brady Action Awards show that progress doesn’t happen only on Capitol Hill; it can be stoked through powerful filmmaking, thoughtful marketing campaigns, and bold community activism. No matter who occupies the White House or what party controls Congress, Brady Action Awardees are taking action, saving lives, and creating a safer America for us all.”

“I’m so honored to host the 2026 Brady Action Awards,” said Urie. “The great work that Brady and these honorees do day in and day out has saved countless lives. Tonight, I join them in saying ‘enough is enough.’”

On the same day as the Brady Action Awards, Brady’s message will extend beyond the ballroom and into the heart of New York City through a powerful IRL media activation on OUTFRONT’s iconic Cube in Times Square. This high-impact creative features Brady Ambassador Award honoree Brian Monahan alongside his mother, Lynn Monahan, a former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher, as well as advocates Fred Guttenberg and Aalayah Eastmond, both of whom lost family members to gun violence. Positioned at one of the most visible and culturally significant canvases in the world, the installation brings deeply personal stories of loss, resilience, and advocacy directly to the public, amplifying the urgency of Brady’s mission.

The honorees are:

The Cookie and Kenny Misher Youth Advocacy Awards: 

• Sarah Youssef, a first-year student at University of California - Irvine and a member of Team ENOUGH San Diego
  Working with “PBS Student Reporting Labs” and the documentary “Run, Hide, Fight,” Sarah has brought youth perspectives on gun violence to the national conversation. Sarah has organized numerous events in support of gun violence prevention efforts, but also knows that creating a safer future is about more than any single moment; it’s about a long-term commitment to action, education, and mobilization.
   
• Layla Greten, a fourth-year student at Archbishop Spalding High School in Maryland and the chapter leader of Team ENOUGH Baltimore
  Layla founded the Baltimore chapter of Team ENOUGH, Brady’s youth initiative, and helped establish four additional chapters across Maryland. She has worked to engage diverse audiences and meet community needs — whether that’s by registering voters or educating people about Team ENOUGH’s mission at concerts, community events, and libraries. Layla has also been instrumental to leading policy change in Maryland — having provided testimony on multiple gun violence prevention bills, spoken in support of community violence intervention programs, and organized dozens of meetings between young people and their lawmakers.

Show Gun Safety Award: 

• Joshua Seftel, Director of All the Empty Rooms
  Joshua Seftel is the director of the Academy Award®-winning documentary, All The Empty Rooms(Netflix, December 2025). This moving film, which looks into the empty bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings, is more than a film; it’s a call to action. We are honored to recognize its masterful and compassionate storytelling—work that jolts audiences out of the numbness surrounding gun violence in America and moves us closer to meaningful action.

  Brady’s Show Gun Safety Award, founded in 2023, honors those in the film and TV industry who help change hearts and minds in the fight against gun violence.

Brady Ambassador Award:

• Brian Monahan, Executive Director of the Gun Safety Alliance
  Brian is an ambassador for gun violence prevention in his personal and professional lives. He grew up in Sandy Hook, CT, and his mother, Lynn Monahan, taught first grade at Sandy Hook Elementary School for 18 years. Today, Brian is a media and marketing executive who leads the retail media business for the Albertsons Companies. He has spent his entire career helping brands make smarter, data-driven connections. Thirty years ago, he co-founded one of the first digital ad agencies and has held executive roles at Walmart, Pinterest, dentsu, Interpublic, and now Albertsons Media Collective.
  
  In 2014, he helped found the Gun Safety Alliance (GSA), a coalition of marketing industry leaders committed to offering pro bono services to gun violence prevention groups across America, and now serves as its Executive Director. GSA has supported Brady, Newtown Action Alliance, Stop Handgun Violence, Maine Gun Safety Alliance, Granite State Progress, Texas Gun Sense, Global Action Against Gun Violence, and many others. 
  
  Brian’s leadership has brought global marketing expertise to the gun violence prevention movement. He connected Brady’s safe firearm storage initiative — End Family Fire, run in partnership with Ad Council — with global ad agency dentsu. The result was an innovative, award-winning media campaign sharing real stories of people affected by firearm suicide, with life-saving messages appearing on bustops and billboards across the country. He has overseen marketing research that is proven to draw gun owners to the cause, helping break down partisan barriers. He has helped Brady’s This Is Our Lane initiative reach millions of pediatricians and healthcare professionals with messages about the importance of talking to patients about firearm access. Whether website, social marketing, email marketing, PR support, public service Ads, or strategic guidance, Brian and the GSA have become a trusted resource for any organization seeking to reduce gun violence in America.